Introduction: The "miraculous" stories of soybean milk's healing power actually date back to ancient times. One such story is about Liu An, the King of Huainan during the Western Han Dynasty 1900 years ago, who saved his mother. Legend has it that Liu An was a filial son. While his mother was ill, he ground soybean milk from soaked soybeans for her to drink every day. His mother's illness recovered quickly, and since then, soybean milk gradually became popular among the people.
Current analysis suggests that soybean milk is rich in substances beneficial to the human body, such as soy saponins, isoflavones, lecithin, and soybean oligosaccharides. These components have the effect of lowering human cholesterol. If hand-ground and unfiltered, soybean milk also contains relatively rich dietary fiber, which has a certain positive effect on the prevention and treatment of colon tumors.
However, we often see various inspiring anti-cancer stories, but the methods used by the protagonists may not have broad guiding significance in medicine, and we cannot conclude that cancer can be cured by soybean milk alone. There are many accidental factors in each individual case, and the influence of factors such as psychological state, physical constitution, and related treatments like surgery and medication is indispensable.
Do not drink large amounts of soybean milk.
Currently, there is controversy in the medical and nutritional community regarding soybean milk: on one hand, many nutritionists emphasize its health benefits, such as the health benefits of isoflavones for the female body and the role of soybean oligosaccharides in improving intestinal flora. On the other hand, some foreign research reports have stated that high doses of isoflavones not only cannot prevent breast cancer but may also stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Therefore, women with risk factors for breast cancer should最好 avoid consuming large amounts of isoflavones or drinking large amounts of soybean milk for long periods. Additionally, the protein in soybeans can hinder the human body's absorption of iron. If soybeans or soy products are consumed in excess, soy protein can inhibit 90% of normal iron absorption, leading to symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia such as varying degrees of fatigue and drowsiness.
Therefore, we should neither "deify" soybean milk nor be unduly afraid of it. After all, adverse effects only appear from long-term excessive intake, and normal people drinking small amounts of soybean milk will not have problems. Adults can drink 1-2 times a day, each time 250-350 ml, and children can drink 200-230 ml each time. In general, soybean milk is a good friend to humanity, but we should not overemphasize the special effects of a certain food. Instead, we should try to achieve food diversity and a balanced diet.
Ulcers and Gastritis Require Avoiding Soybean Milk.
Soybean milk must be fully heated and boiled before drinking, because raw soybean milk contains trypsin and saponin, which can cause poisoning symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea. Boiling can completely destroy these harmful substances. The following groups of patients should suspend drinking soybean milk during their illness, and should also avoid or eat less bean products.
Digestive Ulcers: Patients with severe digestive ulcers should avoid soybeans, broad beans, and bean products such as tofu shreds and dried tofu, including soybean milk. The oligosaccharides contained in legumes, such as stachyose and raffinose, cannot be digested and absorbed by digestive enzymes, but can be fermented by intestinal bacteria, producing some small-molecule gases, which in turn can cause symptoms such as belching, bowel sounds, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain.
Gastritis: Patients with acute gastritis and chronic superficial gastritis cannot eat bean products or drink soybean milk to avoid stimulating gastric acid secretion and causing gastrointestinal bloating.