Soy Milk Is Linked To Alzheimer’s, Cancer, And Vitamin Deficiencies. Here's An Alternative

Last updated on 6 FEB 2016

Many people mistakenly think soy milk is a healthier alternative to dairy milk. Those opting for a vegan diet often use soy milk and soy products as plant-based alternatives to dairy and meat-based proteins.

There is growing evidence that suggests you might be doing more damage than good to your body by switching to this supposedly beneficial alternative. Here are some reasons that may make you want to hop off the soy-milk bandwagon.

Are Soy Beans All Bad?

Whole, organic soybeans contain beneficial nutrients like most other beans and can be very nutritious when prepared properly. In Asian cultures, organic soy and whole soy beans that are consumed in moderation, have been observed to offer some health benefits such as lowering high cholesterol and reducing risk of certain cancers.

However, in the US, a majority of the soy crops are genetically modified and used to produce soybean oil. The remains are “waste products” that is then used to produce soy protein for human consumption.

Commercially prepared soy milk is processed at a high temperature that denatures some of the proteins and nutrients, thus reducing their quality.

9 Reasons To Avoid Commercially-Prepared Soy Milk

1. Phytoestrogens:  Soy milk has very high content of phytoestrogen that causes hormonal imbalance. An estrogen dominance condition may cause many other health problems, such as endometriosis, fibroids in breasts and uterus, infertility, thyroid issues, irregular menstruation cycles in women, and weight gain.
2. Haemagglutinin:  Soy contains a substance called haemagglutinin that unnaturally clots your blood by causing red blood cells to clump together.
3. GMO:  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of 2012, 94% of soy grown in the U.S. was genetically modified.
4. Phytic Acid:  Soy beans contain phytic acid (phytate), a substance that reduces the absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Eating the wrong kind of foods that inhibit nutrient absorption in the long run may cause severe deficiencies that lead to many health complications.
5. Aluminum:  Commercially-prepared soy milk are said to be processed in aluminum vessels that contaminate the milk. Aluminum poisoning can cause mental problems, liver and kidney damage, and retard your bodily metabolic functions.
6. Goitrogens:  The high phytoestrogen content in soy milk and formula acts as goitrogens that suppress thyroid functions. Soy consumption have been linked with autoimmune, thyroidism issues and many other health problems.
7. Uric Acid:  Soy milk has very high uric acid content and must not be consumed in excess. Individuals who drink soy milk daily have reported having their toes tingling from drinking 1 liter of soy milk daily for more than a week. Gout sufferers also have reported gout attacks from drinking soy milk.
8. Carrageenan and Xanthan Gum:  Carrageenan and xanthan gum are thickening agents that have no nutritional value. They are often added into commercially-prepared beverages as emulsifiers and can cause inflammation that leads to heart diseases and intestinal damages.
9. Vitamins: Although there is vitamin A listed in the nutrition facts, this is a dangerous form of synthentic vitamin that can potentially be toxic to your system as your delicate body cells are not able to recognize nor assimilate synthetic vitamins.

Safer And Healthier Alternatives

There are many other safer and healthier options to soy milk. See some alternative milk suggestions here.

Another healthy alternative to soy milk is the underrated almond milk, and the best thing about it is that you can easily make it at home using all natural ingredients.

5 Easy Steps For Making Your Own Almond Milk

Step 1: Soak 1 cup of raw almonds for a minimum of eight hours.

Step 2: Drain the almonds and place them in a blender with 4 cups of fresh water.

Step 3: Add any additional flavouring components to the blender (cinnamon, vanilla extract etc.)

Step 4: Blend on the highest speed your blender can go.

Step 5: Use a mesh straining bag to pour the contents through over a bowl. Squeeze every last bit of liquid out of the bag.

And there you have it! A simple, 5-step recipe that you can use to make your own healthy and all-natural milk alternative.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9839524
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7193385
https://phys.org/news/2013-06-gmo-corn-soybeans-dominate.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3361685
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074428/

About Sara Ding

Sara Ding is the founder of Juicing-for-Health.com. She is a certified Wellness Health Coach, Nutritional Consultant and a Detox Specialist. She helps busy men and women identify their health issues at the root cause, in order to eliminate the problems for optimum physical/mental health and wellbeing.

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