I have about 4 grocery stores in my vicinity and they all stock maybe 1 kind of soy milk and then like a dozen kinds of almond or oat milk. To me though the soy milk is by far the tastiest and has way more protein than the rest. I’m wondering if there’s some reason perhaps it’s not as popular? Is it just the stigma of soy turning men into women? The Silk Dark Chocolate in particular is particularly good.
People think that soy has dangerous estrogens but it has phytoestrogens not the kind of estrogens humans have. I’m a nutrition student and just learned that it actually does the opposite; it reduces chances of breast cancer when consumed frequently . Asians who consume high leaves of soy since childhood are less a likely to get breast cancer and have less aggressive forms of prostate cancer than westerners.
Soybean prices have been very high since 2020. (Highest price in 20 years by far) https://www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=soybeans&months=60&currency=cad
This would naturally cause less production or more expensive soymilk leading to less stock in stores.
That said my local shops have multiple brands of soymilk so could be a local supply issue.
Soy milk is a great milk alternative.
Abstract:
Soybeans are a rich source of isoflavones, which are classified as phytoestrogens. Despite numerous proposed benefits, isoflavones are often classified as endocrine disruptors, based primarily on animal studies. However, there are ample human data regarding the health effects of isoflavones. We conducted a technical review, systematically searching Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (from inception through January 2021). We included clinical studies, observational studies, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRMA) that examined the relationship between soy and/or isoflavone intake and endocrine-related endpoints. 417 reports (229 observational studies, 157 clinical studies and 32 SRMAs) met our eligibility criteria. The available evidence indicates that isoflavone intake does not adversely affect thyroid function. Adverse effects are also not seen on breast or endometrial tissue or estrogen levels in women, or testosterone or estrogen levels, or sperm or semen parameters in men. Although menstrual cycle length may be slightly increased, ovulation is not prevented. Limited insight could be gained about possible impacts of in utero isoflavone exposure, but the existing data are reassuring. Adverse effects of isoflavone intake were not identified in children, but limited research has been conducted. After extensive review, the evidence does not support classifying isoflavones as endocrine disruptors.
The compounds in soy, in sufficient doses, can cause problems. No human (to my knowledge) is remotely capable of consuming soy at doses required to cause problems. As it is, all of the complaints about soy causing something are not borne out in studies. It’s hugely beneficial. I drink a soy chocolate milk that has been fortified, from target. Its 10x better than milk.
Besides the fact that a lot of rainforest is still being cut down because of soy plants
Soy has some proporties that if you eat it a lot you can develop an allergy for it. (I think this is just for people with an allergic predisposition) I havent done complete research on this topic so feel free to add to this if you know more
The propaganda against soy is largely due to a threatened meat industry.
If you are looking for the plant milk with the lowest environmental impact, Oat is your answer.
But no, it’s won’t turn you into a woman.
My understanding is that soy milk has a greater carbon footprint than oat or almond milk, but requires less water than almond. Overall, oat has the lowest environmental impact (before considering the investments etc made by the companies making it which is another issue). Dairy is significantly higher impact in all ways. So not a nutrition answer to your question but a consideration maybe.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042.amp
Wow, okay some good and bad in the comments, but as I have been studying nutrition now for years (for a handful of reasons, one being related to my job): overall soy milk is about the same as other milks you get, but it isn’t necessarily the highest in nutrition or the best sustainably. Let’s dive in!:
So, in conclusion: It’s perfectly fine to use which ever alternative milk you prefer. However, if you are super low on nutrition (i.e. hardly eat or live in a developing area) then I would say stick with cow’s milk or find a milk you can easily substitute the missing nutrients into your diet. I should also mention, for most people living in the US, an alternative milk is the best option! You are getting enough vitamins/minerals from the rest of your food, you don’t have to rely on cow’s milk for that.
This estrogen thing has been debunked so don’t worry about that.
I’ve been vegan for 23 years. Back then EVERYTHING was soy in terms of alternatives. Because everything was soy (milk, cheese, fake meat, etc) it could mess up your stomach a bit. Everything in moderation. I love Soy Milk but back in the day when I had that an everything else it could make me gassy. So now with Almond Milk I don’t have the issue. My main soy intake now is Tofu. If I go to Starbucks I always get soy. Steamed almond milk is bitter to me.
I believe the big move away from soy had to do with allergies. Most mock meat now is made of pea protein. I don’t know if it is because of allergies alone but I know that is a big thing. A lot of packages say “soy free” for that reason.
Soy is great. There is a lot of sugar in Silk Chocolate so just don’t overdo it.
Any of the nut milks are fine, soy is too. It’s fortified so you get calcium. There’s nothing wrong with cows milk either in my opinion, I just drink alternative milk to save on calories. The whole estrogen thing with soy is overblown.
From an environmental perspective soy milk has a number of negatives that are frequently overlooked. 1./ The air miles that are clocked up to first import the raw soy to processing facilities, and then on to consumers is significantly greater than standard dairy and oat milk. This is something that seldom factors into comparisons between milk substitutes and their respective environmental effect.2./ A lot of the land area in brazil, who are large growers of soybeans, is land that is reclaimed from rainforests. Many countries have indigenous dairy and oat industries which do not lead to deforestation.
I branch away from facts/ statistics now. I don’t know much about Almond milk but I have heard that it is the least environmentally friendly of the milk substitutes. It is grown in regions which require intense irrigation and apparently can consume a freshwater input of 600 litres to yield 1 litre of almond milk.
no idea why everyone is saying that the disruptive effects soybean has on the masculine hormonal system are a “myth”, these effects are quite consistently confirmed in experimental studies
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24015701/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1997115/
https://www.nature.com/articles/1601495
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11103227/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15735098/
the question should be if there’s any upside to soy milk. it’s not nutritious, its protein is of poor biological value and it disrupts male sex hormones to some extent, it looks gross and tastes like dirty water
Soy is an estrogen-mimicking chemical in the body. Vegetarians who eat and drink tons of soy for protein have higher estrogen-related cancers than average people. It definitely increases your risk. That said, it takes TONS of soy in your diet to achieve this. So if you’re just having a couple glasses a week it’s probably fine. But if you’re drinking a gallon a day, probably not a good idea.
It’s a highly contentious product in the health/nutrition community. Personally I avoid soy, I don’t know if it’s beneficial or bad but I would rather not risk it for something I would have to go out if my way to consume. I get my protein from meat, and drink normal milk. I used to be lactose intolerant and would drink oat milk but I got myself back onto cows milk.
It’s not real milk. It’s soy left over mixed with cheap oil. Same as other non-milk milk. Personally, I think it’s bunch of sham corporations created to promote cheaper alternative drink. Cheap ingredients but fancy marketing image.
I have heard that soy milk isin´t very good for men, makes them grow breasts and all that, but I´ve never been a fan of those vegetable drinks or whatever they call them, they just look like a heavily processed version of milk.
Soy is so awful. It raises estrogen levels much higher than you realize. I have a condition that makes it noticeable and I only breakout when eating soy. It is much worse than dairy (and that’s saying a lot). Get your protein from other foods and stay away!!
Men should not drink too much soy milk. I don’t have the article but a quick Google search can find that soy has high levels of x that is known to produce estrogen. This can lead to some funny things nothing damaging but I read about changes in body structure or something… iunni, just don’t drink soy milk if you are a man and if you think I’m dumb go Google it.
I find that it has a weird taste (specially raw for ex. the Alpro one un-sweetened) , I find oat milk has a milder. That’s actually what also my roomates say which since Oatly came out have stopped buying it. But at the end I also prefer it, it has lotcha proteins, and when I cook it as a porridge it tastes better. From what I see (in germany) oat milk has a big hype and most supermarkets have been showcasing it instead of soy one.
I’m pro soy milk :)
Taste wise: I personally like Silk regular. The brand does matter! It is great with cereal, peanut butter, or by itself. Some taste horrible; sorry Trader Joe’s! I wouldn’t drink it with coffee , it does not froth as well as oat milk.
Although soy milk can be considered a complete protein, an (amino acid) AA profile will show that it might not satisfy as a long-term high-quality protein if you’re looking at it form a plant-focused perspective.
https://vegfaqs.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/soy-amino-acid-profile-1.png
Nonetheless, this is JUST a hypothetical, and an individual typically consumes more than just soy milk as a lifestyle choice… I hope?
Not sure if people know this, but some Asian supermarkets sell soy milk maker machine. Once you make your own soy milk, the price is reduced drastically. And you can control the sugar level.
The downside of making your own soy milk is of course it’s not vitamin D fortified, so you do have to get vitamin D supplements elsewhere.
Well I am not a nutritionist but one time I was thirsty and drank soy milk and god that thing was sooo sweet it was killer, I couldn’t continue drinking it cause of how sweet it was.
But another redditor did comment that unless you’re drinking it like water, you should have no problem. So my problem was because I was dinking like water
