Soy milk can improve bone metabolism, prevent osteoporosis, and reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis. However, experts point out that soy milk is not perfect; it contains certain anti-nutritional factors that not only hinder the digestion and absorption of nutrients by the body but are also harmful to health.
1. Soy milk is inherently cooling. People with indigestion, belching, or poor kidney function should drink it sparingly. Additionally, under the action of enzymes, soy milk can produce gas, so people with bloating or diarrhea should avoid it. Furthermore, individuals with acute gastritis and chronic superficial gastritis should not consume soy products to avoid excessive gastric acid secretion, which could worsen the condition, or cause gastrointestinal bloating.
2. Brown sugar should not be added to soy milk because it contains various organic acids that can bind with the proteases in soy milk, easily causing the protein to denature and precipitate, making it difficult for the body to absorb. This phenomenon does not occur with white sugar.
3. It is not advisable to keep soy milk in a thermos for warmth because 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 a cooling food, individuals with a "deficient and cold" constitution who have symptoms like gout, fatigue, weakness, and listlessness should not drink soy milk.
5. Soy milk must not only be thoroughly boiled 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 not be taken with antibiotics such as erythromycin, as they can have antagonistic chemical reactions. It is best to wait at least one hour after consuming soy milk before taking antibiotics.
7. When drinking soy milk regularly, be mindful of supplementing zinc. Legumes contain inhibitors, saponins, and lectins, all of which are substances harmful to the human body. The best way to neutralize them is to cook the soy milk thoroughly, and people who consume soy milk long-term should not forget to supplement the trace element zinc.