Nowadays, more and more people like to make soy milk at home. Most people soak soybeans overnight and then use a soy milk maker to make soy milk the next morning; some, for convenience, even make soy milk directly from dry soybeans without soaking them.对此, 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 soybeans for three days before making soy milk.
The reason for soaking for three days is based on sound principles. Professor Xun Xiaolin explained that soybeans are high-protein foods, rich in calcium, lysine, and iron that is easily absorbed and utilized by the body, but 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 great waste.
Of course, during the soaking process, the water should be changed twice daily, in the morning and evening, to prevent the beans from spoiling.
Professor Xun Xiaolin explained that experiments have found that after soaking soybeans in water for three days, the phytic acid is almost completely removed. Using such soybeans to make soy milk not only results in a higher yield but also does not interfere with the body's absorption of calcium.
As the temperature gradually rises now, it is best to let them sprout a little. During the sprouting process, the phytic acid is broken down, and the vitamin C content is greatly increased. When you use these sprouted beans to make soy milk, the nutritional value is of course even richer.