called soymilk, soya milk, soybean milk, soy beanmilk, or soy drink) is a beverage produced from soybeans.Soy milk originated in East Asia, a region where soybeanconsumption in food and beverages is common. Although itsEnglish name uses the word "milk", due to its common use as amilk substitute in Western societies, it is actually a juiceextracted from soybeans after soaking, grinding, cooking andstraining. It is generally opaque, white or off-white in color,and approximately the same consistency as cow's milk.Soy Low in fat, rich in protein, soy has become a staple invegetarian diets. Soy contains essential fatty acids,phytoestrogens, vitamin E and natural anti-inflammatory agents.Eating enough soy protein and soy isoflavones is essential toobtain soy's full benefits. An international panel of leadingsoy researchers determined that 100 to 160 milligrams of soyisofla...

...vones per day are likely needed to achieve all of thepotential benefits of soy isoflavones. The FDA states that 25grams of soy protein per day, with a diet low in saturated fatand cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Studies show soy isoflavones, the active components of soybean,help increases bone density, thus maintain bone health. Soyisoflavones act as mild estrogens that provide support throughmenopause. In addition, soy isoflavones promote healthycholesterol levels without lowering levels of beneficial HDLcholesterol.Another study shows that soy consumption supports healthiermetabolism of dihydrotestosterone and testosterone in youngermen. This is critical for support of healthier prostate tissuesand prostate function. I hope you have a good weekend.RESEARCH UPDATE: Soy Protein Exerts Minor Effects on SerumReproductive Hormones in Healthy Young Men OBJECTIVE. Theobjective of this study was to examine the effect of dietary soywith different isoflavone concentrations on serum hormones inhealthy young men.STUDY DESIGN. This study was conducted as a randomized,crossover trial with three groups. Young adult men 20 - 40 yearsof age were randomly assigned to consume either (1) a milkprotein isolate (MPI) (0 mg isoflavones/day), (2) alow-isoflavone soy protein isolate (SPI) (~2 mgisoflavones/day), or (3) a high-isoflavone SPI (~62 mgisoflavones/day) for 57 days. Blood samples were collected ondays 1, 29, and 57 of the study and serum reproductive hormoneswere quantified.RESULTS. Both the low- and high-isoflavone soy groups had lowerlevels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and lower ratios ofDHT/testosterone compared to the group receiving the milkprotein isolate.CONCLUSION. The results of this clinical trial indicate that soywith low or high isoflavone content can lower serumconcentrations of DHT and reduce the DHT/testosterone ratio. Theauthors suggest that these changes may have beneficial effectson prostate health support, but that this requires furtherinvestigation. MEDICAL REFERENCE: Dillingham BL, McVeigh BL,Lampe JW, Duncan AM. Soy protein isolates of varying isoflavonecontent exert minor effects on serum reproductive hormones inhealthy young men. Journal of Nutrition 2005; 135:584-591.Soy milk is found in many vegan and vegetarian food products andbe used as a replacement for cow's milk in most recipes. Suchsubstitution has a low impact on foods like pancakes, but thereis a noticeable difference when making foods such as macaroniand cheese or quiche."Sweet" and "salty" soy milk are both traditional Chinesebreakfast foods, usually accompanied by breads like mantou(steamed rolls), youtiao (fried crullers), and shaobing (sesameflatbread). The soy milk is typically sweetened by adding canesugar or, sometimes, simple syrup. Tofu is produced from soymilk by further steps of curdling and then draining.Health benefits aside, I love Soy and it's various products.Especially the soy drinks. I find they work perfect into mypersonal diet. They're also low in calories and carbs. They havebecome my personal favorite protein.Medical Disclaimer: This site is designed for educationalpurposes only and should not be used in any other manner. Thisinformation is not intended to substitute for informed medicaladvice....