He Jiguo, head of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at China Agricultural University: The claim that soy milk made from sprouted soybeans is toxic has no scientific basis. The soy milk made from slightly sprouted soybeans may have a slightly worse texture than that made from unsprouted soybeans, but it is not toxic, and its nutritional value may be even higher.
Sprouted soybeans are more nutritious
First, soybeans are high in calcium, but they also contain large amounts of phytic acid, which affects calcium absorption. During the sprouting process, phytic acid is broken down, which promotes the utilization and absorption of calcium. Moreover, soybeans contain substances like raffinose that are not absorbable by the human body and can easily cause bloating. The levels of such substances decrease dramatically during the sprouting process, reducing the incidence of bloating after drinking soy milk.
In addition, sprouted soybeans not only retain their original nutrients but also increase new vitamins. For example, reduced vitamin C appears from nothing, and carotene and B vitamins also increase significantly. During the sprouting process, due to the action of enzymes, more mineral elements such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc are released.
It should be noted that soybeans that have sprouted slightly can be used to make soy milk, but soybeans that have sprouted for a long time are already bean sprouts, and their texture is not suitable for making soy milk, so the yield of soy milk will not be very high.