Prevent osteoporosis and help lose weight! 7. You must know the power of soy milk

Rich nutrients such as soy protein, B vitamins, soy isoflavones, vitamin E, saponins, phytic acid, soy lecithin, calcium, linoleic acid, potassium, linolenic acid, dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, etc. can be found in foods. Almost all of them are meats that contain cholesterol, but soy milk, which is known as the milk of the plant world, not only has these nutrients, but also does not contain cholesterol, making it especially suitable for modern people.

The soymilk machine, which was once a hot seller in the market and even sold out, allows people to make soymilk without having to wait by the gas stove. All they have to do is put in the washed soybeans and press a button. Soon, hot, fresh soymilk will be ready. In recent years, food safety issues have been reported frequently. Even the most traditional beverage, soymilk, has been involved in food safety incidents such as raw material contamination or problematic soybeans, leading to a resurgence of the trend of making their own soymilk.

Traditional soy milk is a drink that is enjoyed by men, women, young and old alike. Because of its good taste and rich nutrition, many people have the habit of drinking a glass of soy milk for breakfast. Research shows that children need to drink soy milk to grow, those who want to lose weight need to drink soy milk, women need to drink soy milk for beauty, middle-aged people need to drink soy milk to prevent the three highs, and even menopausal and mature people need to drink soy milk to prevent osteoporosis. The elderly group drinks soy milk to delay aging..., a small cup of traditional soy milk can meet the nutritional needs of modern people of all ages.

From a modern nutritional perspective, the nutritional components of soy milk include soy protein, B vitamins, soy isoflavones, vitamin E, saponins, phytic acid, soy lecithin, calcium, linoleic acid, potassium, linolenic acid, dietary fiber, oligosaccharides, etc.

Chinese medicine practitioner Yang Yutai said that such rich nutrients can be found in food, almost all of which are meat containing cholesterol, but "soy milk", which is known as the milk of the plant world, has no cholesterol at all and is particularly suitable for the nutritional needs of modern people.

【7 soybean milk power】

1. Helps growth and development

Children's growth and development require balanced nutrients, among which calcium and protein are the key to growing muscles and height. Soy milk is rich in plant protein. In addition to providing the amino acids necessary for growth, lecithin is the main component of cell membranes and an important substance in the composition of brain cells. In addition, lecithin can also synthesize acetylcholine, providing nutrients for brain development and improving children's concentration and memory.

Everyone believes that adequate calcium helps bone development and growth, so children in their growing years should supplement with a lot of calcium to facilitate their development. But in fact, neither too much nor too little is good. Although the calcium content in soy milk is not as high as that in milk, soy milk does not contain cholesterol, is low in calories, and is less burdensome to the body. Soy milk also contains nutrients such as vitamin D, potassium, and magnesium, which can make calcium more easily absorbed by the body and are beneficial to children's bone development.

2. Helps lose weight

Soy milk is rich in dietary fiber and is the ideal choice for people who want to lose weight. Dietary fiber can not only promote gastrointestinal motility and clean the intestines, but the low-calorie nature of soy milk can also reduce the burden on the body. However, remember to drink sugar-free soy milk to be effective.

It is recommended to drink a cup of unsweetened soy milk before a meal, which can produce a feeling of fullness, reduce appetite, and prevent you from consuming too many calories, which is helpful for losing weight or maintaining weight.

3. Lower bad cholesterol

The raw material for soy milk is soybeans, commonly known as yellow beans. The main ingredient is soy protein, which accounts for 35% of all soybean ingredients. This proportion is even higher than that of some meat products. Studies have shown that consuming 21 grams of soy protein per day, which is about 3 servings of soy products (1 serving is 240c.c. of soy milk, half a box of tofu, 1.25 pieces of dried soybeans, and 3 small squares of traditional tofu), can help lower the levels of total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

In addition, because soy milk contains monounsaturated fatty acids, it can lower low-density cholesterol and improve high-density cholesterol (good cholesterol). Furthermore, soy milk has a very high content of water-soluble fiber, which can combine with bile acid (a precursor of cholesterol) to accelerate the excretion of bile acid, thereby helping to lower the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. Moreover, the plant sterols in soy milk, because of their similar structure to cholesterol, can compete with cholesterol in the intestines, inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol and achieving the effect of lowering cholesterol.

No. 4 / Prevent osteoporosis

Studies have found that the incidence of osteoporosis in China and Japan, where people consume more soy products, is lower than in European and American countries where people drink more milk. From a nutritional point of view, soy milk contains calcium (every 100 grams of soy milk contains 2.5 grams of calcium). Although the amount is not as much as milk, the soy isoflavones in soy milk can bind to receptors in bones, thereby helping to reduce bone loss, increase bone density, and strengthen bones. That is why studies say that drinking soy milk can help prevent osteoporosis.

Yang Yutai explained that from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the kidney among the five internal organs is closely related to the strength of bones, and beans among the five grains are a good kidney tonic. There is a folk saying: "Eat 3 cents of beans every day, and you don't need to take medicine for years." Especially black beans, because according to the five elements of traditional Chinese medicine, black enters the kidneys, so black soy milk is better than yellow soy milk in nourishing the kidneys and bones.

No. 5 / Prevent cardiovascular disease

The main components of soybean lipids are linoleic acid, linolenic acid, etc. Linoleic acid and linolenic acid are both essential fatty acids for the human body. Linoleic acid can increase good cholesterol in the blood, reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides, prevent arteriosclerosis, lower blood fat, thereby reducing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, the soy lecithin in soy milk is a type of phospholipids. Phospholipids can transport nutrients through the cell membrane and excrete unnecessary waste from the cells to maintain the normal cell membrane. The unique emulsifying effect of lecithin (promoting the mutual dissolution of water and oil) can also promote blood circulation, making it the best helper in preventing cardiovascular diseases.

No. 6 / Relieve menopausal discomfort

Soybeans are rich in soy isoflavones and are the best companion for menopausal women. However, why can soy isoflavones improve menopausal symptoms? Yang Yutai said that because soy isoflavones are a type of plant hormone, the chemical structure of isoflavones is quite similar to that of estrogen and can exert similar hormone-regulating effects. Isoflavones are most abundant in soybeans, so they are named soy isoflavones.

No. 7 / Delaying human aging

According to traditional Chinese medicine, human lifespan can be up to 120 years, but due to environmental pollution, human pressure, improper diet, etc., lifespan is getting shorter and shorter. If you want to delay aging, in addition to improving your own physiological habits, you must supplement antioxidants in food; the plant saponins in soy milk are important ingredients for preventing cell aging, because they have the effect of inhibiting active oxygen and anti-oxidation, they are very helpful for the prevention of metabolic syndrome and the inhibition of cancer cells.

However, Yang Yutai also pointed out that Chinese medicine believes that anti-aging is a holistic concept. It is not just about supplementing a single specific nutrient, but a multi-pronged approach. There is a corresponding balanced therapy for each age group, whether it is diet, exercise, lifestyle, etc., all must be balanced.

To be continued...

[For the full content, please see Changchun Monthly Issue 398]