More and more people now enjoy making soy milk at home. Most people soak the soybeans overnight and then use a soy milk maker to make soy milk the next morning; some, for convenience, even skip soaking and make soy milk directly from dry beans. On this matter, Professor Xun Xiaolin, a senior nutritionist at the General Hospital of the Beijing Military Region and director of nutrition at Meizhao Health Examination Center, recommends soaking the soybeans for three days before making soy milk.
Soy Milk
The reason for soaking them for three days is based on solid reasoning. Professor Xun Xiaolin explains that soybeans are a high-protein food, rich in calcium, lysine, and iron that is easily absorbed and utilized by the body. However, they also contain a large amount of phytic acid, which interferes with calcium absorption.
If you drink soy milk made from dry soybeans, very little of the calcium can be absorbed, which is a significant waste.
Of course, during the soaking process, the water should be changed twice a day, in the morning and evening, to prevent the beans from spoiling.
Professor Xun Xiaolin explains that experiments have found that after soaking soybeans in water for three days, the phytic acid is almost entirely leached out. Soy milk made with such soybeans not only has a higher yield but also does not interfere with the body's absorption of calcium.
Now that the temperature is gradually rising, it is best to let them sprout a little. During the sprouting process, the phytic acid is broken down, and the content of vitamin C is significantly increased. When you use these sprouted beans to make soy milk, the nutritional value is, of course, even greater.