Register | Login
Login
Sign in with:
---------- OR ----------
Create Account | Login
Create account
As a Member You Can:
  • Join clubs to discuss your interests
  • Connect with people like you
  • Share information, seek advice, get support

   
parenting
in Mumbai (change city)
Select City
  • All
  • Delhi
  • New Delhi
  • Gurgaon
  • Noida
  • Mumbai
  • Pune
  • Banglore
  • Hyderabad
  • Ghaziabad
  • Chandigarh
  • Ahmedabad
  • Kolkata
  • Chennai
  • Coimbatore
  • Jaipur
select‌ stage
 
Health Topics..

 
You are here : home > Health > Diet > Soya Milk: The Wonder Drink

Soya Milk: The Wonder Drink

Soya Milk: The Wonder Drink

Did you know that soya milk can be a nutritious substitute for dairy milk? Read more about it.

When Sarita learnt that her younger daughter Priti was lactose intolerant, she was worried. Milk is, after all, considered to be an indispensable part of any growing child's diet. She could not fathom how she would balance her child's diet without it. Then she learnt about how soya milk could be a safe substitute for cow's milk. Today, soya milk is regularly consumed not just by Priti, but even by the other members of her family.
Soya milk is popular amongst people who drink it because of medical reasons or because they have ethical issues about consuming dairy milk. However, millions of people drink it not necessarily as a substitute for milk, but as a tasty and nutritious drink.

What is soya milk?

Soya milk (called soymilk in America) is made from soya beans. Essentially, it is an aqueous extract that is prepared by grinding soya beans that have been soaked in water.
The process of making soya milk was discovered in China where soya beans were originally cultivated and consumed. It was mainly used in the process of making tofu or bean curd. By 1931, calcium-fortified soya milk was being produced in America by Madison Foods in Tennessee.

What are the benefits of soya milk?

Soya milk has nutritional and ecological benefits.

Nutritional

Nutritionally, soya milk is quite similar to dairy milk. Following are some of the reasons why it is endorsed as a substitute to dairy milk.
  • The protein content of soya milk is quite similar to that of dairy milk.
  • The protein found in soya milk is vegetable in nature. Unlike animal protein found in dairy milk, vegetable protein prevents loss of calcium through the kidneys. (Much of the calcium in soya beans is lost during the process of extracting the milk through the residual pulp which is discarded. However, commercial soya milk is adequately fortified with calcium.)
  • Dairy milk has saturated fats, which can lead to high cholesterol. Soya milk, on the other hand, contains very little saturated fat.
  • Commercial soya milk is also fortified with vitamins such as B12. This makes soya milk a substitute for dairy milk for vegans. Vegans are people who prefer not to consume or use any products of animal origin.
  • Soya milk has no lactose and can be easily digested by people who are lactose intolerant.
  • Allergies due to dairy milk are quite common among children. Compared to this, very few children are allergic to soya milk. Before switching children to soya milk, however, consult their doctor.
  • Soya milk contains prebiotic sugars such as stachyose and raffinose. These play a role in improving immunity and removing toxins in the body.
  • Dairy milk may contain harmful synthetic hormones such as rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) that are used to increase milk production in cattle.
  • Certain studies have linked dairy milk in childhood to the development of insulin-dependent diabetes in later life, though this has not been conclusively proved. With soya milk there is no such risk.
  • Soya milk is exceptionally rich in isoflavones such as genistein and daidzein. These confer certain health benefits such as reducing cholesterol levels, controlling osteoporosis, and reducing cancers of the prostrate and breast. Isoflavones also protect body cells from oxidation.

Ecological

Apart from its nutritional benefits, widespread use of soya milk may have ecological advantages. This is because soya beans grown on an area of land can produce more soya milk than if the same amount of land is used to grow fodder for cattle. However, as the quality of land required for cultivating soya beans differs from that used to grow fodder, this is a debated issue.

How is soya milk prepared?

Though commercially made soya milk is available, it can be easily made in your kitchen. To do so:

  • Take 125 gram dry soya beans and soak them in water for about 8 hours.
  • You may remove the hulls to make the process of extracting the milk easier.
  • Grind the soaked beans along with a small quantity of water in a grinder.
  • Add about a litre of water to the resulting paste and blend.
  • Strain this liquid through a cloth and collect the milk.
  • Boil the milk for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  • After cooling, you can either drink it as it is, or use it as a substitute for milk. It can be stored in the fridge for about three days.
Soya, though traditionally consumed in certain Asian countries, is a comparatively recent entry in the West. As such, the nutritional effects of a diet that is largely based on soya have not been conclusively studied. Some doctors recommend caution regarding excessive consumption of soya-based products.



You may also be interested in:

Juice Fasts
(24717 views)
Cancel
Save Edit
parenting
Notifications
4 Comments
Sort by Newest

avatar

Samina
Samina.10 years ago
Soya is not as good as thought out to be. It has many bad effects on health. It has high phytoestrogens that can cause cance4r or fibroids.
1
 
 
 
.
Reply
Junaid
Junaid.10 years ago
I do not think that in India soya milk would be an alternative to milk. I think it has a different taste and will not be as nutritive as regular milk.
 
 
 
.
Reply
Back to Previous Page   |   More on Health Index

 






Discussion Forum - Recent Posts
Are you lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy milk? Are you ethically opposed to the idea of rearing cattle for milk? Do you drink soya milk? Do you think it can be a substitute for dairy milk?
julan julan
soya that having a negative effects is not a vegetable in nature that soya is for animal like feeds for pigs because there are two kinds of soya the human grade and for animal grade. Animal grade is n...
read reply
Jignesh Jignesh
Hey! Even I have heard of the bad effects of soya. The arguments are really convincing. How do we know which side to believe then....
read reply
Kailash Kailash
I have heard a lot about the negative effects of consuming soya. Can you please check these allegations? The write up is good, but a rounded article would be more welcome....
read reply
view more >>
DISCUSSION FORUMS ON
Diet Food / Low Calorie Cooking
RE:The GM Diet – Does It Really Work?
Have no idea about such hearing this for the first time why dont you google ... - Ankita    read >>

RE:What is GM diet ?
Hi ... - Natasha    read >>

RE:10 Snacks That Make You Fat
snacking is not bad if taken in limits. Do not eat deep fried and food pack ... - pooja    read >>

RE:Healthy Diet for Summers
During summers due to heavy heat we loose much of our sweat and thus energy ... - raj    read >>

FEATURED ARTICLES
- Poor Immunity in Kids
- Five Fun Ways to Break Fussy Eating Habits in   Kids
- Top 5 Easy-to-Make Ice-Candy Recipes for Kids
- Tips for Preventing Pinworms in Children
- Signs that a Child is Anaemic
- Things You Should Never Allow Your Son to Do
- Home Remedies for Cold in Children
- Reasons Why Kids May Start Disrespecting   Parents
- Indian Baby Names
- Indian Baby Girl Names
- Indian Baby Boy Names
- Top 100 Hindu Baby Names
- Free Printable Coloring Pages for Kids and Adults


Subscribe




All tips on Diet
You ever wanted in one place.
No need to go anywhere else. No spam.

*No spam only genuine emails
Follow us on:



Featured Articles - Infertility | Baby Development | Health and Fitness | How to Get Pregnant | Parenting Advice | Weight Loss | Pregnancy Advice | Name Numerology
Baby - Baby Photo Contest | Lucky Names | Lucky Birthdates | Horoscopes | Chinese Calendar | Compatibility Test | Fun Zone
Parenting - Message Boards | Planning a Baby | Pregnancy | Parents of Babies | Baby Names | Baby Name Poll | Birth Announcements | Parenting Quiz
Family - Cooking Club | Love & Relationships | Beauty Tips | Kids Weight Calculator | Recipe Maker
General - Calorie Counter | Personality Quiz | Love Signs | Compatibility Quiz