A glass of soy milk, a drink the Chinese have been enjoying for two thousand years and still can't get enough of. Today, soy milk has become an essential breakfast beverage for most people. Sipping a hot cup of soy milk feels like the perfect way to start the morning. Authoritative nutrition experts will show you how to enjoy soy milk in various ways, making every drop packed with tremendous nutritional benefits.
The Nutrition of Soy Milk
1. The carbohydrates in beans are mainly dietary fiber and oligosaccharides, which can promote the reproduction of intestinal probiotics and are important for promoting intestinal peristalsis and maintaining intestinal health.
2. The fat content is about 15%-20%. In daily life, we often use it as a raw material for oil, such as the various bean oils commonly eaten now. In addition, soybeans also contain lecithin, which plays an important role in human growth and development and nerve activity. It can also promote liver fat metabolism, reduce cholesterol absorption in the intestines, and help prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
3. As a plant-based food, beans do not contain cholesterol.
4. Beans contain plant sterols. Due to their similar structure to cholesterol, they can compete with cholesterol during human digestion and absorption, reducing cholesterol absorption and thus preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
5. Beans contain plant estrogens—flavonoids, which have a dual regulatory effect on estrogen in the female body. They also help prevent breast cancer, alleviate osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms; at the same time, they help prevent prostate cancer in men.
How to Drink Soy Milk Correctly
1. Do not add brown sugar to soy milk. Brown sugar contains various organic acids that can easily bind with the protease in soy milk, causing the protein to denature and precipitate, making it difficult for the body to absorb. White sugar does not have this phenomenon. People who drink soy milk for a long time should not forget to supplement the trace element zinc. Soy milk is inherently cool in nature, so people with poor digestion, belching, or poor kidney function should drink it less. In addition, since soy milk is made from soybeans, which are high in purine content and are considered a "cool" food, people with a "deficient-cold" constitution who have symptoms of gout, fatigue, weakness, and listlessness should not drink soy milk.
2. The most nutritious way to drink soy milk is with steamed buns. It is best to pair soy milk with starchy foods like steamed buns or bread, which is more beneficial for nutrient absorption. Remember, soy milk should not be eaten with eggs, because the trypsin in soy milk will combine with the protein in egg whites, destroying the nutrients and reducing the nutritional value.
How to Store Leftover Soy Milk Correctly
Leftover soy milk can be stored in the refrigerator, but it should be boiled, cooled, and covered, or sealed with a保鲜膜 (保鲜膜 - cling film) with good sealing properties before refrigeration. It should be noted that sugar should not be added before refrigeration; add it when drinking. The refrigeration time for soy milk should preferably be controlled within 12 to 24 hours.
In addition, many people think that since soy milk has been boiled before refrigeration, it only needs to be slightly reheated before consumption. However, for safety, it is recommended that soy milk taken from the refrigerator should still be boiled before drinking.
Although Soy Milk is Good, 5 Types of People Should Not Drink It
People with gastrointestinal discomfort should not consume too many soy products to avoid stimulating excessive gastric acid secretion, which could worsen the condition or cause bloating. Beans contain a certain amount of oligosaccharides, which can cause symptoms such as belching, bowel sounds, and abdominal distension, so people with stomach ulcers or colitis should eat less.
Patients with typhoid fever, acute pancreatitis, and phenylketonuria should limit their intake of soy milk or consume it under the guidance of a nutritionist.
Patients with renal failure need a high-quality, low-protein diet. The term "high-quality" is key, requiring that the protein in food has a high content of essential amino acids. Beans and their products are rich in protein, but they have a high proportion of non-essential amino acids, and their metabolic products increase the burden on the kidneys, so they should be eaten in moderation but not completely avoided. If essential amino acid supplements can be clinically provided, then strict restriction is not necessary.
Beans are foods with a moderate purine content. Patients with gout attacks are advised to avoid beans and their products. They can be consumed moderately during the remission period.
If kidney stones occur and the type of stone is confirmed to be a calcium salt stone or a uric acid stone, the intake of beans and their products needs to be restricted.