Soy milk is the most popular non-dairy alternative in the world. This milk is made from soybeans that have been soaked in water, ground up and strained. Soy milk has been known for its health benefits since long ago. It contains the fiber and soy protein which reduce the risk of high cholesterol and heart disease. Many people who are lactose intolerant drink soy milk as a healthy milk substitute.
Soy milk is also a good option for vegans who don’t want to drink cow milk. But, what do you think, is soy milk fattening? Will it cause weight gain or you can drink it safely if you want to lose weight?
In this article you will find out more about soy milk and its nutritive value. We will tell you if soy milk is fattening and how much soy milk you can drink. If you also love soy milk, this article will be interesting and useful for you, so let’s start.
Drinking Soy Milk For Weight Loss
We have good news for you. Soy milk is not fattening and you can safely drink it if you want to lose weight. Soy milk contains monounsaturated fat which prevents increase of blood fat and also prevents your intestinal fat and cholesterol absorption.
This milk will also reduce your appetite and speed up your metabolism rate. You can drink soy milk without feeling guilty. Of course, it is important to drink it in moderation. Remember that too many calories from any source can cause weight gain. Now we will tell you some nutrition facts and health benefits of soy milk.
Nutritional Value Of Soy Milk
Soy milk contains fewer calories than whole milk. Also, soy milk has less fat than whole milk and approximately the same amount of calories as low-fat milk. Studies have shown that people who were drinking skim milk every day have lost similar amount of weight as people who were drinking soy milk in the same amounts. These studies proved that soy milk can also help in weight loss.
When it comes to a nutritional value of soy milk, it contains almost the same amount of protein, calcium and vitamin D, which are found in cow’s milk. Soy milk contains essential fatty acids and large amounts of vitamins and minerals. Only one cup of soy milk will provide you about 30% of a daily recommended dose of riboflavin and 50% of vitamin B12. These vitamins are very important for fatty acid metabolism and for energy production.
Also, they help burn fat more quickly, which is essential if you want to lose weight. There is also a low-fat variety of soy milk, which is the best option if you want to lose weight. Have in mind that an 8-ounce glass of regular soy milk contains 115 calories, while a glass of low-fat soy milk contains only 87 calories.
Health Benefits Of Soy Milk
Due to its high nutritional value, soy milk has a lot of health benefits for people. Soy milk is recommended especially to people who have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Drinking soy milk will provide your body with balanced nutrition and improve your overall health.
As we have already said, soy milk can also help in weight loss. Not only is soy milk low in calories, but it is also helpful to suppress your appetite and improve your metabolism. Due to its high dietary fiber content, soy milk will keep you full for a longer period of time. Soy milk will certainly speed up the transit of food through your digestive tract and you will not have problems with constipation anymore.
As we have mentioned before, soy milk has as much protein as dairy milk, which is very important for healthy muscles and tissues. It is proved the regular consumption of soy milk in addition to exercise can reduce body fat and increase the percentage of lean muscles.
Precautions
Although soy milk is very healthy, there are some things you should know before drinking it. If you want to consume foods which don’t contain genetically modified ingredients, then it is always best to choose organic soy milk.
Also, soy contains phytoestrogens, plant compounds which act like estrogen in a human body. Although studies have shown that soy milk will not disrupt your hormones, it is best to play it safe rather than sorry. We can say that soy milk is not good for women who are at the risk of breast cancer. These women should avoid soy milk and find some other healthy alternative.
Also, women who are already suffering from some type of estrogen-dependent cancer should avoid soy milk.
Summary
As you have seen in this article, soy milk is not fattening. It is good to drink soy milk if you want to lose weight because it is low in calories and it has also a high nutritional value. As we have already mentioned, soy milk is less fattening than whole milk and it is comparable to low-fat milk.
After reading this article, we are sure that you will include soy milk into your diet program. Not only will you lose weight, but you will also stay healthy and full of energy. But, although soy milk is healthy, you should not drink it in large amounts because too much soy milk or any other food may have opposite effect and cause weight gain, so be careful. Remember that moderation is always the key of good health.
