Introduction: It is rumored that there are many rules to follow when drinking soy milk, for example, you cannot add brown sugar to soy milk, and drinking too much can lead to feminization in men. However, nutrition experts have denied these claims.
Soy milk was originally one of our traditional breakfasts. After the "melamine" incident in milk, soy milk makers became a hot commodity, and many citizens started making soy milk at home, making it the first choice for the whole family's breakfast beverage. However, there are many sayings about soy milk in the public, such as that soy milk must be fresh, cold soy milk cannot be drunk as it will cause poisoning; men cannot often drink soy milk, as drinking too much will lead to feminization! Is this really true? A reporter specially consulted with nutrition experts.
1. Public Belief: Some people believe that soy milk is most nutritious when consumed within 2-3 hours. After that, the nutrients in soy milk will gradually decompose, which can easily cause bloating and diarrhea. Therefore, soy milk must be freshly ground!
Expert's View: Bian Huawei, director of the Nutrition Department at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, stated that there is currently no evidence to suggest that the nutrients in soy milk will decompose after 2-3 hours. The sugars in soy milk will not turn into other substances, and calcium, iron, vitamins, etc., will not decompose under proper storage conditions. As for protein and fat, they will only cause bloating and diarrhea if they spoil, which is a food safety issue, not a decomposition problem.
Experts suggest that if it is freshly ground soy milk from home, it should be stored in the refrigerator overnight. When drinking it again, it should be reheated to a boil.
Peanut, Goji Berry, and Red Date Soy Milk
2. Public Belief: Soy milk must be drunk hot; drinking cold soy milk will cause diarrhea.
Expert's View: Soy milk is processed from soybeans. From a nutritional analysis, soybeans contain some anti-nutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitors, lipoxygenase, and phytohemagglutinin. Drinking raw or undercooked soy milk may cause gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. However, these anti-nutritional factors can be eliminated through heating. Therefore, raw soy milk must be boiled thoroughly to destroy these harmful substances before consumption. This means it's not that cold soy milk cannot be drunk, but that raw soy milk is unacceptable. Cooled, boiled soy milk is perfectly safe to drink.
It should be noted that when soy milk is heated to 80°C, a phenomenon known as "false boiling" occurs, with a lot of foam. At this point, many mistakenly think the soy milk is ready, but it needs to be cooked further. After it comes to a full boil, it should be simmered for another 3-5 minutes to ensure all harmful substances are completely destroyed.
Red Date, Goji Berry, and Black Bean Soy Milk
3. Public Belief: Women should drink more soy milk for beauty, while men who drink too much will become more feminine!
Expert's View: This belief originates from the effects of isoflavones found in soybeans. Soy isoflavones have estrogen-like effects, so most people believe that eating beans and drinking soy milk is good for a woman's skin, while men who drink too much may develop feminine tendencies. However, Bian Huawei states that this is a completely incorrect inference.
First, although soybeans contain soy isoflavones, the content is not high and is far from being sufficient for a therapeutic effect. Therefore, the amount of beans consumed in daily life definitely won't cause men to become feminine. When used as an adjunct treatment for women's health issues, what is typically used is purified soy isoflavone extract, not soybeans or soy milk themselves.
The Chinese Nutrition Society believes that soybeans and soy products are rich in nutrients and have various health benefits, making them an excellent food, especially for the elderly and patients with cardiovascular diseases. They recommend a daily intake of 40 grams of soybeans or their equivalent in soy products (which is about 4 liang of tofu or 800 grams of soy milk). This clearly indicates that long-term consumption of beans and their products is beneficial and harmless for both men and women.
Second, research shows that soy isoflavones can improve various menopausal symptoms, especially hot flashes and sweating, with effects similar to estrogen preparations. However, they do not directly affect the body's estrogen levels. In other words, in the female body, soy isoflavones work by alleviating uncomfortable symptoms without increasing the amount of estrogen. Similarly, men who consume soy isoflavones do not have to worry about an increase in estrogen.
4. Public Belief: You cannot add brown sugar to soy milk because the organic compounds in brown sugar will bind with the protein in soy milk, forming harmful denatured precipitates.
Expert's View: Bian Huawei explains that brown sugar, white sugar, and honey are all foods that mainly contain disaccharides and have no fundamental difference. All three can be added, with the key being the timing of addition. It's best not to add them while the soy milk is boiling. It's better to add them after it has been boiled and cooled. During the heating process, the protein in soy milk can undergo a chemical reaction with sugar, creating substances that cannot be absorbed, which reduces the nutritional value of the soy milk (Note: Although these substances are not absorbable, they are not toxic).
Red Date and Longan Soy Milk
Red-tree croquettes
Coconut