Soy milk can improve bone metabolism, prevent osteoporosis, and reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis. However, experts point out that soy milk is not perfect, as it contains certain anti-nutritional factors that not only hinder the body's digestion and absorption of nutrients but can also be harmful to health.
1. Soy milk is considered cooling in nature. People with poor digestion, frequent burping, or kidney problems should drink it sparingly. Additionally, soy milk can produce gas when acted upon by enzymes, so those with bloating or diarrhea should avoid it. Furthermore, individuals with acute gastritis and chronic superficial gastritis should not consume soy products to prevent excessive stomach acid secretion from aggravating their condition or causing gastrointestinal bloating.
2. Brown sugar should not be added to soy milk because it contains various organic acids that can bind with the protease in soy milk, easily causing the protein to denature and precipitate, making it difficult for the body to absorb. White sugar does not cause this phenomenon.
3. It is not advisable to keep soy milk in a thermos for warmth, as the warm and humid environment inside a thermos is highly conducive to bacterial growth. Additionally, saponins in soy milk can dissolve the scale in the thermos, which is harmful to human health when consumed.
4. Since soy milk is made from soybeans, which are high in purine content and are considered cooling foods, individuals with gout, fatigue, weakness, or listlessness who have a 'deficient and cold' constitution are not suitable for drinking soy milk.
5. Soy milk must not only be brought to a boil but also cooked with the lid off. This is because only with the lid off can harmful substances in the soy milk be volatilized away with the steam.
6. Soy milk should never be taken with antibiotics such as erythromycin, as the two can have an antagonistic chemical reaction. It is best to wait at least one hour after drinking soy milk before taking antibiotics.
7. Those who frequently drink soy milk should pay attention to supplementing zinc. Beans contain inhibitors, saponins, and lectins, all of which are substances that are not good for the human body. The best way to counteract them is to cook the soy milk thoroughly, and people who consume soy milk regularly should not forget to supplement the trace element zinc.