Does soya milk have any health advantages over semi-skimmed milk?

Question

To old know it all, I would never claim to be vegan, since I like meat it would be hypocrtical.

I am however willing to try new foods if they make me healthier.

Wow I didn't know it could control blood sugar in diabetes, I will definelty be trying it then.

Type 1 diabetic.

Answer 1

Soy milk is nutritionally close to cow's milk, though most soy milk commercially available today is enriched with added vitamins such as vitamin B12. It naturally has about the same amount of protein as cow milk. Natural soy milk contains little digestable calcium as it is bound to the bean's pulp, which is insoluble in a human. To counter this, many manufacturers enrich their products with calcium carbonate which can dissolve in the acid of the stomach. Notably it has little saturated fat, which many consider to be a benefit. Lower fat varieties, however, contain less protein than cow's milk.

Soy milk is promoted as a healthy alternative to cow's milk for reasons including:

* Contains no antibiotics, hormones, cholesterol, or links to cancer, diabetes, and other diseases
* Diabetes management through its ability to control blood sugar levels. However, diabetics should be aware that most brands of soymilk - even those labelled "plain" or "organic" - are actually sweetened. Look for the word "unsweetened" on the label.
* Source of lecithin and vitamin E
* Lacks casein
* Safe for people with lactose intolerance or milk allergy
* Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are good for the heart.
* Contains isoflavones, organic chemicals, that may possibly be beneficial to health.

In 1995 the New England Journal of Medicine (Vol.333, No. 5) published a report from the University of Kentucky entitled "Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Soy Protein Intake on Serum Lipids." It was financed by the PTI division of DuPont,"The Solae Co." St.Louis. This meta-analysis concluded that soy protein is correlated with significant decreases in serum cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL), a.k.a. bad cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations. However, high density lipoprotein (HDL) a.k.a. good cholesterol, did not increase. Soy phytoestrogens (isoflavones:genistein and daidzein) adsorbed onto the soy protein were suggested as the agent reducing serum cholesterol levels. On the basis of this research PTI, in 1998, filed a petition with FDA for a health claim that soy protein may reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

The FDA granted this health claim for soy: "25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease." One serving of soy milk (1 cup or 240 mL), for instance, contains 6 or 7 grams of soy protein.

In January, 2006 an American Heart Association review (in the journal Circulation) of a decade-long study of soy protein benefits cast doubt on the FDA-allowed "Heart Healthy" claim for soy protein. The panel also found that soy isoflavones do not reduce post menopause "hot flashes" in women, nor do isoflavones help prevent cancers of the breast, uterus, or prostate. Thus soy isoflavones in the form of supplements is not recommended. Among the conclusions the authors state, "In contrast, soy products such as tofu, soy butter, soy nuts, or some soy burgers should be beneficial to cardiovascular and overall health because of their high content of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low content of saturated fat. Using these and other soy foods to replace foods high in animal protein that contain saturated fat and cholesterol may confer benefits to cardiovascular health."

However, the soy industry has also received similar criticism from the dairy industry for reasons including:

* High levels of phytic acid
* Hemagglutinin content. Soybean hemagglutinins are glycoproteins that cause red blood cells to agglutinate or clump together. Hemagglutinins are concentrated in the whey protein fraction of soy milk. Hemagglutinating activity of raw soybeans is readily destroyed by moist heat treatment. This is similar to a substance found in flu viruses, although it is rather unlikely to be harmful unless the soy milk is taken intravenously.
* Processing of soybeans, including genetic modification, which may result in lysinoalanine or nitrosamines
* Trypsin inhibitors content
* Soy phytoestrogens as antithyroid agents
* Aluminum content.

Although in general soy milk is not suitable for babies or infants, there exist baby formulas based on soy protein, i.e. soy milk, that are used primarily in the case of lactose intolerant children, those allergic to cow's milk or parental preference for a vegetarian or vegan diet. Heinz Farley's Soya Infant Formula is suitable for vegans and is approved by the Vegan Society in the UK. These formulas are commonly named "soy milk", but contain extra carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals. However care must be taken that children with "Soy protein intolerance" are not fed soy milk.
Using soybeans to make milk instead of raising cows is said to have ecological advantages, as the amount of soy that could be grown using the same amount of land would feed more people than if used to raise cows. This is debated as grazing land for animals is very different from land used to farm. Because the soybean plant is a legume, it also replenishes the nitrogen content of the soil in which it is grown.

Answer 2

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RE:
Does soya milk have any health advantages over semi-skimmed milk?

Answer 3

Yes. I'd say go for it. It would be well worth the change. It's far less fattening to start with. And tastes great. I used to drink semi-skimmed dairy milk before I became vegan. Now, I use a TESCO's own brand of soya milk, the sweetened one and it's lovely. I'm feeling the benefits of it already. Weight loss and clear skin.. Give it a try, if you don't like that particular one there's tonnes of other brands and flavours. Good luck choosing.. :) :)

Answer 4

Just to throw my tu'ppeneth worth in (again... )
Yep. Soya milk good cow's milk baaad.

I think everyone has already put in all of the main points.

Organic Soya milk is coming down in price and will continue to do so as more people take it up.

Asda do a really nice organic unsweetened soya milk for just 63 pence! However I have found it to be rarely in stock in their Newton Abbot store (nearest one to me!) ;-(

Answer 5

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Go for it! Protein deficient? Are you sure? It seems there's always at least one tired old myth making the rounds about vegetarianism/veganism. Twenty years ago when I switched, it was the "protein deficiency" myth. Now that the protein myth has been completely discredited (human breast milk is only 5% protein, and it is estimated that adult humans only need 2-3% protein in their daily diet), these days the vitamin B12 myth occasionally surfaces. Usually it's only preached in places like very old doctors' offices or talk radio shows dominated by heavy recommendations for drugs and dairy products, but the question still comes up. Dairy products are a health hazard. They contain no fiber or complex carbohydrates and are laden with saturated fat and cholesterol. They are contaminated with cow's blood and pus and are frequently contaminated with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Dairy products are linked to allergies, constipation, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. The late Dr. Benjamin Spock, America's leading authority on child care, spoke out against feeding cow's milk to children, saying it can cause anemia, allergies, and insulin-dependent diabetes and in the long term, will set kids up for obesity and heart disease, America's number one cause of death. And dairy products may actually cause osteoporosis, not prevent it, since their high-protein content leaches calcium from the body. Population studies, backed up by a groundbreaking Harvard study of more than 75,000 nurses, suggest that drinking milk can actually cause osteoporosis. Remember cancer is a protein!

Answer 6

The soya used in milk and human foodstuffs tends to be grown in closely monitored farms located in developed countries. The huge tracts of rainforest that you talk about, have been cleared to grow a lower grade of soya for use in animal fodder for the meat industry. This same old point always comes up as part of an argument to suggest that Vegans are destroying the earth.

Answer 7

I personally don't like milk, never have. I think milk would probably have hormones in it, as it's made for the calf. The only thing that I think is needed from milk is calcium & you can get that in soya milk these days +vitamins added.
PS> rice milk, especially Rice dream range is very tasty, the Vanilla flavor is very nice!

Answer 8

One thing to be cautious of with soya milk is that it can be linked to kidney stones. I've been told this by a number of nutritionists and also a friend who is lactose intolerant had kidney stones and they told him it was probably from the soya milk. A vegan I met while in hospital myself (with appendicitis) was in for kidney stones too. I guess if you have a predisposition, it makes it worse. It's the form the calcium is in that causes the problem.
Try Goat's milk for health, but it tastes very strongly in coffee but fine cold.

Answer 9

Never had Soya. But i have had soy. Soy has many advantages too cow milk. Cow milk is loaded w/ steroids and antibiotics. Not to mention. Are bodys are not designed to injest cow milk in the quantitys we do. Soy milk is a much more pure method to getting the calcium and portien we need. But cow milk tastes way way way better! And it's cheaper. Not to mention our parents and parents before them got by just fine on goold ol cow milk. So just drink what you like.

Answer 10

None what-so-ever when you consider the quantity of South American rain forest burnt down to grow it for a short term. The soil becomes arid, and more rain forest has to be destroyed to grow more.
Not much is natural soya anymore due to Genetic Modification.

They dont tell you that in Wikipedia!.

Try Goats milk, at least that is renewable, and tastes good too.

Answer 11

If you are lactose intolerant it's a great alternative to dairy milk. However, it's not a saint, as for all the "nasty" stuff they feed cows, it should not be forgotten that soy milk is very highly processed and full or preservatives and added extras. Calcium for example occurs naturally in cows milk, but has to be added to soy milk.