Does Soy Milk Make You Gain Weight?

Over are the days when cow’s milk was the only known milk kind. Ever since there was an increased suspicion related to the quality of cow’s milk and the range of health concerns its excess consumption can cause, the market has been flooded with alternatives.

Soy milk is among the available alternatives; it comes from soy bean and is regarded as a healthier option. Doctors around the world have often regarded soy milk as a better choice than full-fat dairy. With an increased consumption of soy milk, there are apprehensions regarding the fat and calorie content of soy milk and its potential to cause weight gain. Take a look at this comprehensive note below on the nutritional value of soy milk to find out if it can make you fat.

Fat Content

Fat content in per serving of soy milk is comparatively lower than that in per serving of cow’s milk. In soy milk, the fat is 2 to 4 grams per serving whereas in per serving of cow’s milk, it is around 8 grams, however, one must note that skimmed cow’s milk has negligible amount of fat content.  The good thing about soy milk is that it has no saturated fats. If one takes excess amount of milk irrespective of its kind, he/she tends to put on weight. Low amount of soy milk, which has polyunsaturated fat, is beneficial in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and enhancing metabolism.

Calories

On a scale of total calories, cow milk wins the upper hand compared with soy milk. Per serving of soy milk provides 100 to 140 calories that can be an issue among weight conscious people. Skimmed cow milk has 80 calories per serving whereas whole cow’s milk has 150 calories. If a person is drinking soy milk instead of skimmed milk, he/she surely is taking in more calories per cup, however, he/she can balance his/her caloric intake by taking slightly less amount of soy milk. By doing so, the soy milk will not add extra pounds to the person’s current weight.

Nutrition

• Soy milk is a rich source of protein.
• It has good amount of iron.
• It is loaded with B-vitamins and heart-healthy fats.
• Soy milk provides all the amino acids that are required by the body for complete protein.
• Soy milk is low on unhealthy fats, which reduces LDL cholesterol and raises HDL (good) cholesterol.
• It also provides calcium, however, the amount is lesser than what natural cow milk provides.

Soy milk does not add to a person’s weight if small amounts are consumed. The number of calories in soy milk must not be an issue if the amount of soy milk is a little lesser than one serving of skimmed cow milk.

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