# Soymilk - is it healthy?



## schoolgirl (Feb 8, 2010)

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???


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## kadesma (Feb 8, 2010)

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


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## vyapti (Feb 8, 2010)

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.


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## powerplantop (Feb 8, 2010)

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.


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## DinaFine (Feb 9, 2010)

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.


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## froggythefrog (Feb 9, 2010)

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.


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## schoolgirl (Feb 9, 2010)

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.


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## vyapti (Feb 10, 2010)

DinaFine said:


> 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?


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## Selkie (Feb 10, 2010)

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.


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## nikki (Feb 17, 2010)

schoolgirl said:


> 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...


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## froggythefrog (Feb 17, 2010)

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


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## CookLikeJulia (Feb 22, 2010)

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.


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## froggythefrog (Feb 22, 2010)

@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.)


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## donnasan (Mar 31, 2010)

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.


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## ChefJune (Mar 31, 2010)

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


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## vyapti (Mar 31, 2010)

ChefJune said:


> *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.


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## ChefJune (Apr 1, 2010)

vyapti said:


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


 
then you and I read things quite differently.


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## vyapti (Apr 1, 2010)

ChefJune said:


> 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.


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## vagriller (Apr 1, 2010)

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.


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## Andy M. (Apr 1, 2010)

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.


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## vyapti (Apr 1, 2010)

The blog post links to a website.  And that website had a number equally vacuous articles with inflammatory headlines.  If nothing else, its a reminder that we should understand who we're reading as much as what they're saying.


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## DinaFine (Apr 5, 2010)

www.rwood.com/Articles/*Soy*_Toxin_or_Tonic.htm

here is an article that I find to be a reasonable discussion of the pros and cons of soy products.


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## cmarchibald (Apr 12, 2010)

I started using soy milk as an alternative to creamer in my coffee awhile ago.  However, after watching Food Inc I started shopping for organic soy milk that specifically does not contain GMOs!  From what I read on the labels, if you stick to the organic soy products you get the benefits of soy without some of the negative effects of the sweetened or flavored soy.  And that's my marginally informed, non-expert two cents!


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## aarenlainey (May 31, 2010)

I think soy-milk is a better option over milk, because most milk has so many preservatives in it. It contains vitamins, antioxidants and is often fortified with much more. There are more hormones in a cows milk than in soy milk.


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## Selkie (May 31, 2010)

There are no preservatives in milk. (Read the ingredients label)

Milk is pasteurized (Heated to the point of killing 99% of harmful bacteria before it's bottled.) And that's also why there is an expiration date on all dairy products, to let you know to use it before the 1% of remaining bacteria can multiply to the point of spoiling.

And not all cow's milk has hormones in it.

You say, "_There are more hormones in a cows milk than in soy milk._"
That's because there are *NO* hormones in soy milk. Soy milk doesn't come from an animal. It comes from a bean (legume). Raw soybean plants have no hormones that are digestible by humans and are processed out with the bulk material.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 31, 2010)

I drank whole milk for the first 30 years of my life.  I have no cavities in my teeth, and have never broken a bone.  Now I'm not saying that milk is solely responsible for this, but I believe it's helped.  My sisters have had numerous cavities, and two have broken bones.  They didn't drink a lot of milk, though we ate the same meals while growing up.  I also love cheese (again, I'm the only one of four kids who does).  To give you an idea of what this means, I have accidently driven off of a thirty foot cliff while dirt-biking, have been struck by a car while driving a motor cycle, have been in a serious car crash where I broke the steering column with my chest, have gone head over heels tumbling down a steep ski slope, have accidently stepped off of a 2-story roof while painting (twice in the same day), have been tossed through a glass table, have fallen twenty feet from a tree limb (as a child), and have taken sprains while sledding that should have resulted in broken bones.  I also participated in judo and was thrown onto a hard-wood floor (we were too close to the edge of the mat), and have taken some bad spills on ice.  I have been thrown over the handle bars of a motorcycle at least twice in my life, and the list continues.  What I'm trying to state is that there have been many instances in my 54 years of life where I could have had broken bones, but ended up badly bruised or with an ankle sprain instead.  at about age thirty, I switched to 2% and 1% milk.  But I still enjoy a glass of whole milk once in a while, and once a month, I purchase pasturised milk that isn't homogenized from a place called The Grain Train in Petoskey Michigan.  I am a big fan of milk.  I also drink soy milk because I enjoy its flavor.  I use unsweetened soy milk and sometimes add a bit of vanilla, nutmeg, and Splenda or Stevia to it, making it taste very similar to egg nog.  

Oh, and one more thing about milk, because of a general fear of hormones and anti-biotics, many dairy farms post on their product that they don't use them.  This is probably a selling point, but is still true.  Goats milk is easier to digest, but to me, just doesn't taste as good.  I'm fortunate that I'm not lactose intolerant, or allergic to dairy products.  I wouldn't know what to drink if I didn't have milk available.  

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## missM (Jun 2, 2010)

If you are menopausal,then soy is a recommended food option.   I am - menopausal - but it made me horribly nauseated, - have no idea why because I didn't find it unpalatable,  so I give it a miss these days. 
Just be aware that all foods are not good for everyone.


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## missM (Jun 2, 2010)

Ps:  Selkie, there ARE hormones in soy milk, which is why menopausal women are advised to drink it.   It contains phytoestrogens, which should be good for women at this stage of their lives, but not for me.


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## Selkie (Jun 2, 2010)

missM said:


> Ps:  Selkie, there ARE hormones in soy milk, which is why menopausal women are advised to drink it.   It contains phytoestrogens, which should be good for women at this stage of their lives, but not for me.



I'm only going by, in part, what Wikipedia says:
"_Soybeans contain isoflavones called genistein  and daidzein,  which are one source of phytoestrogens in the human diet. Because  most naturally occurring estrogenic substances show weak activity,  normal consumption of foods that contain these phytoestrogens should not  provide sufficient amounts to elicit a physiological response in  humans._"

Of course, as you point out for yourself, everyone is different. Have you tried almond milk?

May you be blessed.


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## missM (Jun 2, 2010)

)I am not wrapped in milk of any kind Selkie.  Are you suggesting almond milk for my face??   Have you seen it!!   I think you might agree that it's past the point of anyone really caring, much less dousing it with almond milk, which is an old and totally disproved remedy for wrinkles) In my case of course, they are character lines...so there!
 Seriously, soy products all contain phytochemicals the major group being isoflavens in quite heavy concentration and despite what Wiki says, they are "*known*" (??) to have either adverse or advantageous effects on the human body depending on which 'expert' one is listening to at the time.
Almond milk, soy milk, whatever, Listen to your body.  I just know that it is not for me and it is certainly not good for most babies.
oops! I will probably cop a few brickbats for that last bit.
Ducking!


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## babetoo (Jun 2, 2010)

good or bad, i don't have a clue. i just think it tastes like doo doo. had that rhymes. lol


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## Claire (Jun 6, 2010)

Ha, what a laugh.  I happen to dislike milk.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I like every form of milk, especially cheese, and yogurt and .... well, you get it.  But one of the very, very, very few foods I really dislike is a glass of milk.  I grew up with my friends' moms and my mom's friends saying to me, "Drink your milk, Claire, or you won't up to be big and strong."  I started laughing when they had to look up at me to say it.  God alone knows how much my mother went through to try to get me and my next younger sister to drink milk.  My husband still tells me that I'm going to regret not drinking milk as a child (by the way, he's 63 and lost 2" this year.  I'm 55 and am as tall as I ever was).  Get that calcium any way you can ..... But it seems most of my friends and family members who have bone loss have actually loved milk.  It probably doesn't hurt that I'm just big.


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