Soy milk has become a more popular breakfast choice for many families. How can you drink soy milk in a healthier way? We invited Chi Fengyu, a nutrition expert from the 254th Hospital, to explain the ins and outs of drinking soy milk.
Traditional soy milk is made from soybeans. According to traditional Chinese medicine, soy milk is mild in nature and can nourish the body, moisten dryness, clear the lungs, and resolve phlegm. Modern medicine, on the other hand, believes that drinking soy milk has significant benefits for delaying aging.
■ Best Pairing: Starches
The best companions for soy milk are starchy foods like steamed buns and bread. Soy milk is rich in protein, and in the presence of starches, this protein can be fully broken down by enzymes in gastric juice, making it easier for the body to absorb its nutrients.
Nutritious oatmeal, steamed buns, buns, and scallion pancakes can be rotated in your diet.
■ 9 Major Benefits
1. Strengthens the body. Soy milk contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, phosphorus, iron, calcium, as well as vitamins and riboflavin, which are greatly beneficial for enhancing physical fitness.
2. Prevents diabetes. The large amount of fiber in soy milk can effectively prevent the excessive absorption of sugar.
3. Prevents and treats high blood pressure. The sterols, potassium, and magnesium in soy milk can counteract the sodium in salt, both preventing and treating high blood pressure.
4. Prevents and treats coronary heart disease. The sterols, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in soy milk are beneficial for the heart's blood vessels, myocardium, and lowering cholesterol. A bowl of soy milk a day can reduce the recurrence rate of coronary heart disease by 50%.
5. Prevents stroke. The magnesium and calcium in soy milk can lower blood lipids in the brain and improve blood flow, thereby effectively preventing cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage. The lecithin it contains can also reduce brain cell death and improve brain function.
6. Cancer prevention. The protein, selenium, and molybdenum in soy milk have strong abilities to suppress and treat cancer.
7. Prevents bronchitis. Methionine in soy milk can prevent smooth muscle spasms of the bronchi, reducing the frequency and severity of bronchitis attacks.
8. Anti-aging. The selenium, vitamin E, and C in soy milk have significant antioxidant functions, with the greatest effect on brain cells.
9. Improves bone metabolism, prevents osteoporosis, and reduces the risk of arteriosclerosis.
■ 7 Things to Note:
1. Do not add brown sugar to soy milk. Brown sugar has a complex composition that can destroy the nutrients in soy milk and increase the difficulty of absorption.
2. Do not drink uncooked soy milk. Raw soy milk contains saponins and trypsin inhibitors, which can cause poisoning after consumption, leading to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Most soy milk makers cook it properly, but if you're cooking it in a pot yourself, be sure to cook it until the layer of foam on top has disappeared, then boil it for another 5 minutes to avoid poisoning.
3. Do not drink soy milk on an empty stomach. The protein in soy milk will be converted into energy and burned too quickly, failing to achieve the intended benefits of drinking it.
4. Do not take medicine with soy milk. The nutrients in soy milk can be destroyed by the medication or cause adverse side effects.
5. Do not use soy milk to cook eggs. The egg white will bind with the trypsin in the soy milk, making it very difficult to absorb.
6. Soy milk is not suitable for storage in a thermos. High temperatures can cause soy milk to spoil and become bad within 3 to 4 hours. It's best to drink fresh soy milk fresh.
7. Because soybeans contain saponins, they can increase the excretion of trace elements from the body. Therefore, long-term and heavy consumption of soy milk requires supplementation of trace elements like iodine and zinc.
■ Who Should Not Drink Soy Milk
Patients with acute gastritis, chronic superficial gastritis, or stomach ulcers: It can easily stimulate excessive gastric acid secretion or cause gastrointestinal bloating.
Reason: Beans contain a certain amount of oligosaccharides, which can cause symptoms like belching, bowel sounds, and bloating.
Patients with nephritis or renal failure: They require a low-protein diet, but beans and their products are rich in protein and should be avoided.
Patients with kidney stones: Oxalates in beans can combine with calcium in the kidneys, easily forming stones and worsening the symptoms of kidney stones.
■ Highly Recommended: Goji Peanut Soy Milk
Features: Rich and mellow flavor, nutritious, replenishes Qi and strengthens the body, suitable for the whole family!
Ingredients: 1-2 cups of soybeans, 1/3 cup of peanuts, 20 goji berries.
Method:
1. Soak the soybeans in advance.
2. Put the peanuts, soybeans, and goji berries into the soy milk maker, select the "Five-Grain Soy Milk" function, and wait for it to be ready!
Extra tip: Don't waste the leftover soy pulp. You can stir-fry it with a little oil and some vegetables. It's both slimming and healthy!