There are varying opinions about whether soy is a healthy choice. It’s starting to show up in all sorts of breakfast cereals and pastas to energy bars and smoothies but is it any good for you? Should we be eating it?
We’re going to try to debunk some of the questions regarding soy milk to help you make a decision for yourself.
Why has soy milk developed a bad reputation?
In their raw form all legumes contain both beneficial micronutrients as well as some anti-nutrients. These anti-nutrients are traditionally neutralised by way of the cooking process. Many of these anti-nutrients are water-soluble or deactivated through the cooking process, traditional cultures developed techniques to minimise the effects of these anti-nutrients. For instance, through soaking, activating the legume, fermenting before consuming them.
With the advent of modern day soy products a lot of the traditional techniques used to de-activate and diminish the effects of these nutrients have not been incorporated in the manufacturing process and as such a lot of literature has focused on the anti-nutrients components still found in the raw unprocessed legumes.
The great supporters of soy products focus on the beneficial micronutrients found in soy and the various tests that support their health giving benefits. The anti-soy camp focus on the anti-nutrients found in soy products, often neglecting the massive difference in the end product caused by the manufacturing and cooking process.
Is some soy milk that is better for you than others?
Many soy milks are made using soy protein powder that has not undergone any soaking or cooking process and is usually a mixture of oils, proteins and sugars.
Other soy milks are made using whole soybeans that have been soaked for an extended period of time. The water is then discarded and the soaked beans are thoroughly cooked to neutralise the anti-nutrients. The latter is process is believed to produce a superior and healthier product.
What should I look for in a soy milk and what are the benefits of drinking it?Always use soy milk that has been made using whole organic beans and make sure the beans have been thoroughly soaked for a period of at least 12 hours. It is also important that the soaked water has been discarded. As well, make sure the soy milk has been extracted from the beans after a thorough cooking and milling process.Obviously no added cane sugars, preservatives and colourings should be added to the product. If oil has been added in the final product it should be cold pressed and not hydrogenated.
Thank you to Don from PureHarvest for sharing this insightful information about soy.
Tell us, do you consume soy milk? Did you find this article helpful?
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