Soymilk - is it healthy?

[schoolgirl]

Would someone please tell me if light vanilla soymilk is good for you or not. I've heard both ways. I have a recipe book that calls for using this in several recipes, so I bought some and like to use it in my oatmeal. Also I heard if you have thyroid problems (I take meds for it) not to use it. Could someone shed some light on this???

 

[kadesma]

I can't say how it would be with thyroid meds. It's best to check with your doctor.
kadesma.

 

[vyapti]

If you have thyroid problems, talk to your doctor. A coworker has thyroid issues and her prescribed diet is confusing, even to her. She can have soy, but it sounds like diet issues are different for each individual.

Healthwise, soy milk is about 30% fat and 30% protein, about the same as 2% milk. Flavored or sweetened will have more sugar, unsweetened will have less. It's lower in calcium in milk, but is a better source of most other vitamins/minerals and it has a few grams of fiber.

 

[powerplantop]

My wife was having thyroid problems. She was seeing a regular doctor for about a year with no improvment. A friend recomended a doctor who was a specialist in thyroid issues. She cleared up my wifes problem in no time.

 

[DinaFine]

It is my understanding that soy is very hard to digest because it has enzyme inhibitors which make its protein and minerals unavailable. Even soaking doesnt do it. Fermented soy like tempe and miso are supposed to be better, but soy milk is not fermented and therefore hard on the digestion and not as nourishing as we are being told.

 

[froggythefrog]

If you're concerned about soy's interaction with your thyroid, check your store or HFS (health food store) for other kinds of plant milks like rice milk or almond milk. I like almond milk a lot, and it's fairly interchangable with soy milk if you like the texture. Rice milk is kind of thin, but I prefer it for cereal, as I find soymilk to be "slimy" on cereal. The only plant milk that I recommend you only try once is hemp milk. The first time you drink it, it is good, but it seems to quickly thicken after the carton has first been opened.

 

[schoolgirl]

When I use up what I have bought I don't plan to buy anymore. The only way I use it is in my oatmeal and when I make smoothies. When I bought it I thought it was really good for you, but begin to wonder about it. I even read where someone says instead of buying it they add vanilla to skim milk. I could do that because I use skim all the time anyway. Thanks for your replies on my subject.

 

[vyapti]

It is my understanding that soy is very hard to digest because it has enzyme inhibitors which make its protein and minerals unavailable. Even soaking doesnt do it. Fermented soy like tempe and miso are supposed to be better, but soy milk is not fermented and therefore hard on the digestion and not as nourishing as we are being told.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about soy. Do you have a link?

 

[Selkie]

I agree with Froggythefrog. Many of the other "milk" products have texture or flavor issues for many people, but as a hard core dairy milk drinker, Almond Milk is a palitable substitute. It works well with cereal, and in the evening with cookies or other desert.

 

[nikki]

Would someone please tell me if light vanilla soymilk is good for you or not. I've heard both ways. I have a recipe book that calls for using this in several recipes, so I bought some and like to use it in my oatmeal. Also I heard if you have thyroid problems (I take meds for it) not to use it. Could someone shed some light on this???

I'd ditch the soy milk all together, and stick to almond milk. It also comes in chocolate and vanilla, and tastes WAY better than soy milk...

 

[froggythefrog]

Another beverage I recommend trying is the SO Delicious brand Coconut Milk beverage, which is different from coconut milk that you would find in the can. It's nice and creamy and definitely worth a try: Turtle Mountain - So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage

 

[CookLikeJulia]

I like soya Milk , I dreak a lot of it a day and i found it is good for me .I like this milk than those another milk I intake it is because soy milk has long been a popular alternative for people who are unable to drink cow's milk (usually due to lactose intolerance). But rather than drink soy milk because you have to, more and more people are deliberately choosing soy milk because of the added health benefits. The benefits from soy are still being disputed, though it is generally accepted that soy milk contains a high number of very healthy compounds. Soy milk is high in protein, and because it is made from beans, also contains considerably more fiber than cow's milk.

 

[froggythefrog]

@CookLikeJulia: Interesting point about the fiber!

Here are a couple of links to some nutrition information for

Whole Milk: Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat
A popular brand of soy milk: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/10534/2/

It's not a lot of fiber, but it does have more fiber content. (Fiber of soymilk will most likely vary by brand. Animal products don't contain fiber.)

 

[donnasan]

I have had thyroid trouble for about 15 years and take meds, my naturopath told me to avoid processed soy(like soy milk) because it does decrease production of the thyroid hormone, but I can have fermented soy, such as fermented soy sauce or tempe. I am not a big fan of soy, so I avoid it.
Remember that there are alot of products on the market that include soy or soy lecithin, try to eat as little processed foods as you can, and stick to the outer isles in the grocery store, thats where the good stuff is.

 

[ChefJune]

Here is a link to some good information on processed soy, and a lot of other processed foods.

 

[vyapti]

Here is a link to some good information on processed soy, and a lot of other processed foods.

I'm not sure I found a single objective fact in the blog post you linked.

 

[ChefJune]

I'm not sure I found a single objective fact in the blog post you linked.

then you and I read things quite differently.

 

[vyapti]

then you and I read things quite differently.

The article's thesis is "processed soy products are atrociously bad for you" his evidence for this conclusion is "everything [he's] learned over the last decades." He add's a little hyperbole, apparently to reinforce his conclusion. He does, however, give a crisp, black-and-white list of things that are bad and things that are good, such as:

• Processed soy milk is bad. Natural, home-made soy milk is good.
• Processed cow’s milk is bad. Fresh, raw cow’s milk is good.
• Processed cheese is bad. Natural, home-made cheese is far less so.

Incidentally, since all cheese is processed, and all cheese is bad, it is a logical fallacy to propose that home-made cheese is anything but bad. Both statements cannot be accurate.

This blog's only debatable facts, as opposed to unsupported statements of opinion, appear at the end of the blog. His sweeping statements about minerals and phytonutrients can be applied to soy milk, spinach or cat food. I've heard much better arguments about the Kennedy assassination or the Free Mason's control of the world. At least a conspiracy theorist is willing to expose his evidence to scrutiny.

 

[vagriller]

Opinions vary on subjects like this, but lets not let our opinions flare into something that would not be constructive to the discussion. We are all adults here. Let's discuss things in like manner.

 

[Andy M.]

I read the article and the author's background.

He is a wealthy media mogul with no training or education in the field of nutrition.

To me he appears to be a conspiracy theorist who spouts mis-information. People believe him because he spouts loudly.

This is my favorite "fact": "Processed salt is bad. Unprocessed, full-spectrum sea salt is good." This statement makes no sense to me. Salt is 100% sodium chloride (kosher salt). It's the purest form of salt. Full spectrum sea salt is 99+% sodium chloride with other chemical compounds, minerals, etc. left in the mix. It's the least pure form of salt.

Makes no sense.

I see him as a fear monger.