More and more people are now making soy milk at home. Most people soak soybeans overnight and then use a soy milk maker to make soy milk the next morning; some, for convenience, even make soy milk directly from dry soybeans without soaking them.
A nutritionist advises soaking soybeans for 3 days before making soy milk. There is a good reason for this. Soybeans are high in protein, rich in calcium, and contain lysine and iron that is easily absorbed and utilized by the body. However, they also contain phytic acid, which significantly inhibits calcium absorption. If you drink soy milk made from dry soybeans, very little of the calcium can be absorbed, which is a great waste. Of course, when soaking the beans, you should change the water once in the morning and once in the evening to prevent the beans from spoiling. In hot weather, you can also store them in the refrigerator.
Experiments have found that after soaking soybeans in clean water for 3 days, the phytic acid content is almost completely removed. Soy milk made from such beans not only has a higher yield but also does not interfere with the body's absorption of calcium.
It is best to soak the beans until they begin to sprout. During the sprouting process, the phytic acid is broken down, and the vitamin C content is significantly increased. When you use these sprouted beans to make soy milk, the nutritional value is naturally much richer.