The Best Soy Milk: Ingredients, Facts, and Nutritious Value
Dietitians add the best soy milk to coffee, smoothies, porridges, and other dishes and beverages. Traditionally, people drank the milk of cows and goats to get natural potassium, magnesium, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, and other useful substances. Besides, the cheese and milk tasted well. Those who were intolerant to goat’s diaries could eat cow’s products. Unfortunately, some people have an inborn intolerance to natural milk. That is why they search for other alternatives to take delight in products that are delicious and healthy.
Today, one can find the best tasting soy milk in supermarkets and on the Internet. It is a good alternative because its taste resembles traditional dairy. Can soy milk companies compete with conventional products? What is vegan milk made of? Is it healthy? It will help if you read this article to find out the truth.
How Do Manufacturers Make Soy Milk?
Many scientific organizations study nutrition and analogs to various products. Science Direct has soya milk reviews that describe its creation. To get it, manufacturers take four essential steps. They
- leave beans in water for not less than 8-12 hours;
- grind the soaked beans;
- add water (or other products like flour, grits, etc.) to get the required texture;
- heat the consistency and stir it as long as required (everything depends on the receipt and the storage conditions).
Boiling is required to guarantee the nutritional value and improve the taste. Moreover, high temperature kills bacteria. Bacteria-free dairies have a longer life span. Some best soy milk brands add taste enhancers, fruit, and sugar to attract more consumers who look for a variety of flavors.
Are Fortified Milk Products Healthy?
Most manufacturers add Calcium and vitamin D to the milk. One can see this information on a package on the ingredient list.
Vitamins D and Ca in soy milk are beneficial for people who keep to vegetarianism or want to get vitamins naturally.
Manufacturers use special bottles and packages to preserve healthy ingredients and make the drink store longer. If a person has an allergy to flavors or does not need added vitamins, a customer should search for soy milk without additives.
Is Soy Milk Good for Children?
Pediatricians state that cow’s milk is heavy for a child’s stomach. Many children face side effects after its consumption. Average symptoms are:
- stomach upset;
- severe allergic reaction;
- vomiting;
- nausea;
- stomach and abdominal cramps.
That is the reason why doctors recommend using only adapted powdered food mixtures for babies or a mother’s breast milk before children celebrate their first birthday. Afterward, children should either refuse to consume dairy products or prefer herbal products. Some companies use the best soy milk powder to create adapted mixtures for babies. Such food is easier to digest but is healthy thanks to vitamins and minerals that companies add to make it more nutritious.
What Does a Cup of Soy Milk Contain?
When people take care of nutrition, they pay attention to the ingredients of meals and drinks they consume. As a rule, 100 milligrams of the drink can have zero or fifty calories, which helps count calories and not exceed the amount. An average glass of good soy milk has:
- 88% of water;
- 8 grams of fat;
- 8.14 grams of casein and whey proteins;
- no fiber;
- 152 calories;
- 12 grams of carbs;
- 12 grams of sugar.
Tip: soya milk is nutritious due to healthy proteins and carbs. Unsweetened variants have fewer calories and are healthier.
Is Soy Milk the Healthiest?
The best soy milk is healthy. It can provide positive influence one’s health in the following ways:
Low LDL
Regarding the latest research, the best soy milk reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the human organism. Low-density lipoproteins lead to serious health diseases, including obesity and heart disorders.
Rich in Vitamins and Minerals
This milk is not as saturated as cow’s milk. Thanks to that, the organism can digest it without side effects. The plant does not have as much vitamin B12 and Ca as cow’s milk. That is why fortified soy milk brands enrich it with the required elements.
Anti-Inflammation Effect
Medical News Today proves that the best unsweetened soy milk has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Women should better drink this drink after menopause to balance hormones. Doctors also notice its positive effect on male health. It reduces the size of the prostate and prevents prostate cancer.
The Nutrition Source
Harvard T.H. Chan published an article about healthy minerals that the best soy milk has. Except for vitamins and minerals, it contains the required amino acids. Nutritionists usually add these products to daily meals due to their minerals, vitamins, and amino acids that are beneficial for human health.
Note! Allergy and individual intolerance to soy are precautions to soy milk consumption.
What Are the Dangers of Soy Milk?
Even the best organic soy milk can affect a person’s health.
Natural Estrogen
Women are prescribed artificial estrogen to cope with health problems before, during, and after menopause. Some patients face health difficulties when getting hormonal imbalances after consuming an excessive amount of natural estrogen. Journal of the National Cancer Institute conducted research in 2014. Soy milk resulted in breast cancer before menopause, but it was beneficial for women after 45.
Phytates
Phytates are dangerous for human health. If a person drinks too much soy milk, he or she can get problems with the absorption of iron, copper, magnesium, and other vitally important minerals and vitamins. As a result, one can suffer severe deficiency when drinking too much of the healthiest soy milk.
Metabolism Affection
Phytoestrogens and phytates affect human metabolism. As a rule, women’s organisms are more vulnerable than those of males. Women are usually obsessed with healthy nutrition and perfect appearance. That is why they are picky and prefer organic soy milk brands to cow’s and goat’s milk and cheese. The consumption slows down their metabolism, and it leads to the following side effects:
- weight gain,
- fat accumulation,
- obesity.
Genetically Modified Products
The first genetically modified products were introduced in 1994. Scientists discussed its adverse effects on the human organism. Even the healthiest soy milk brand can use genetically modified plants to produce dairy. Moreover, consumers can suffer severe intoxication from heavy metals because farmers can spray soy fields with toxic chemicals. Besides, some companies use antibiotics to kill bacteria in ground beans.
What Is the Most Popular Soy Milk?
Regarding soy milk reviews on Amazon, the most popular organic soy milk brand is Silk and its product “Unsweetened Organic Soymilk.” It has several advantages.
- it has a good life span;
- it is made of organic beans;
- it has no sugar;
- it has no GMO ingredients;
- it is packed in sterile conditions and is free of harmful bacteria;
- it is certified by the USDA Organics;
- it is fortified unsweetened soy milk, rich in vitamins B12, D2, Ca, A, and B2 and ascorbic acid.
Top 20 Soy Milk
It is not a problem to find soy beverages in supermarkets or buy them online. One can search for a soy milk brand comparison on Amazon to contrast manufacturers and reviews of customers. We have chosen the best 20 companies to help you pick only top-quality products.
- Unsweetened organic milk © Silk (9.9★)
- Organic non-dairy soy milk with vanilla flavor© Kirkland (9.8★)
- Original soy milk © Silk (9.6★)
- Pearl organic soy milk ©Kikkoman (9.6★)
- Pure soy milk © Hanmi (9.5★)
- Soymilk very vanilla © Silk (9.3★)
- Soymilk more Calcium © Silk (9.2★)
- Soy milk barista series © Pacific Foods (9.0★)
- Unsweetened Edensoy © Eden (8.8★)
- Soy milk plain aseptic © Silk (8.7★)
- Black bean soy milk + Calcium © Sahmyook (8.7★)
- Organic soymilk © West Soy (8.7★)
- Organic soy milk powder © Now (8.6★)
- Black soy milk © Yeo’s (8.6★)
- Soy dream enriched © Dream Blends (8.5★)
- Eden soymilk © Eden (8.3★)
- Black 7 soy milk © Hanmi (8.3★)
- Very vanilla shelf-stable soy milk © Silk (8.2★)
- Pearl organic smart soy milk © Kikkoman(8.0★)
- Soy Dream enriched © Dream Blends (7.8★)
Soy Milk Brands
Regarding Amazon’s soy milk brands comparison, the leading company is Silk. Customers highlight its comfortable packaging, natural, non-GMO composition, and gluten-free and healthy additives.
Note! If you look for Hanmi, you should search for Korean signatures.
8 Catchy Facts About Soy Milk
Below, you can learn eight facts about the product worth knowing before buying it.
#1. Amino-Acids
Our body needs twenty amino acids to stay healthy. Our organism provides eleven of them, and the other nine one must take with food and drinks. The best brand of soy milk deals with products made only of organic ingredients. It guarantees the best nutrition for vegetarians, keto-followers, and fans of healthy diets.
#2. Phytoestrogen Misuse
Even though scientists call soy phytoestrogen dangerous, the main thing that one should be aware of is that a person should avoid a combination of soymilk with other products like burgers, cereal, etc. It is because it provokes the boost of phytoestrogen, which can jeopardize human health.
#3. It Is a Safe Cow’s Dairy Alternative
Almost all brands of soy milk add Calcium and other significant elements to soy milk. That is why this product is equivalent to cow’s milk. This alternative is the best choice for people who have an intolerance to animal dairy.
“Another version of me lives in the soy-milky way galaxy in a parallel universe. That version of me is vegan.”, Rajesh.
#4. Soy-based Lattes Are Choice #1
Cow’s milk has unhealthy fats that latte fans try to avoid. Soy-based lattes are tasty and healthy. Moreover, people can hardly differentiate between cow and soy-based drinks.
#5. Soy Milk Is Thousand Years Old
The first continent that used natural soy milk was Asia. The Chinese grew beans and manufactured drinks, tofu, and tempeh thousands of years ago. They were intolerant to animal dairy. That is why Chinese children had never included cow’s milk on their school or kindergarten menu.
#6. Roasted Soybeans Instead of Coffee
During the Civil War, people fried beans and made coffee when they had no coffee beans.
#7. Yuba
Chinese and Japanese use milk skin called yuba for tofu and other dishes.
#8. Manufacturers Usually Add Vanilla
One of the most frequent ingredients of the best soy milk is vanilla. The milk with vanilla flavor is on many shop shells. Manufacturers do it to ‘kill’ the smell of beans. Due to this ingredient, its taste resembles the whole cow’s milk.
FAQ
Is Soy Milk Good to Drink Every Day?
Yes. One can drink a cup of the beverage or add it a little to daily meals if a person has no intolerance or health contradictions like an allergy.
Which Milk Has the Most Protein?
Look at the table to get the answer. All types of milk given below have no added sugar.
Milk type | Protein per 1 ounce |
---|---|
Cow’s or goat’s milk | 1 g |
Soy milk | 0.88 g |
Pistachio milk | 0.75 g |
Macadamia milk | 0.1 – 0.6 g |
Oat milk | 0.5 g |
Almond milk | 0.25 g |
Cashew milk | 0.1 g |
Rice milk | 0 g |
Coconut milk | 0g |
Is Soy Or Oat Milk Better?
Oat milk is not as rich in vitamins and protein as soy milk. Oat milk suits better for coffee drinks due to its creamy mouthfeel, but soy milk is healthier and tastes good thanks to vanilla or chocolate flavors.