Is Soy Milk Better Than Milk?

      What's most commonly referred to as simply “milk” is cow's milk. As with all other animal-based foods, it's a complete protein; that is, it supplies people with all the necessary amino acids to form proteins. Cow's milk contains 8 grams of protein and 12 grams of carbohydrates per 8-ounce cup. Cow's milk is a rich source of other nutrients as well. One cup provides adults with about 30 percent of their daily calcium needs and about 50 percent of their vitamin B12 and riboflavin requirements. Often, milk is fortified with vitamin D to facilitate the absorption of calcium. Vitamin A is usually added to milk as well. Depending on the selection, cow's milk can have a significant amount of fat. (See the chart for a comparison of the fat content of some varieties of milk.)


     Lactose, the primary carbohydrate in cow's milk, poses a digestive problem for some people. These folks are deficient in the lactase enzyme that's needed to break down this milk sugar, causing gas, bloating, and diarrhea after consuming some forms of dairy products. The solution is to purchase products with the lactose already broken down, to take the enzyme in the form of a pill or drops, or to find a substitute for these foods. Check out LACTOSE INTOLERANCE for more information.

Product	Calories	Fat(g)	%Fat	Calcium(mg)*	Vit. B12(mcg)*
Cow's Milk:
Whole milk	150	8	48	290	.87
Reduced fat (2%)	120	5	38	297	.89
Low fat (1%)	100	3	27	300	.90
Skim	85	.4	4	302	.93
Soy:
Unfortified	79	4.5	51	10	0
Fortified**	130	3.5	30	585	1.2

     

      Soy milk, like cow's milk, is a good source of protein. It contains nearly 7 grams of protein per cup (240 ml). Unlike cow's milk, however, soy milk is low in fat and carbohydrate. That cup of soy milk offers only 4500 mg of fat with NO CHOLESTEROL and just 4 grams of carb. The carbohydrate in soy milk is sucrose, the same carbohydrate found in sugar cane. Since it breaks down into fructose and glucose instead of lactose and galactose, soy milk is a safe food for people who either lactose- or galactose-intolerant.


      Soy milk is not a very good source of calcium in its natural state, but many manufacturers add calcium and B-vitamin fortification to their commercial products. Some brands add vitamin D and vitamin E as well. Soy milk may help some people reduce their risk for heart disease. Soy naturally contains isoflavones, plant chemicals that help lower LDL ("bad" cholesterol) if taken as part of a "heart healthy" eating plan.


      Benefits of soy milk over cow’s milk:
Soy milk is high in protein, and because it is made from beans, also contains considerably more fiber than cow's milk. The biggest benefit in soy milk is the isoflavones. These are chemicals very similar to the hormone estrogen. Isoflavones are connected to a whole host of health issues, and responsible for the prevention of many cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis and more.

      Soy milk is cholesterol free. On the other hand, each cup of cow’s milk has 34 mg of cholesterol. In addition, soy milk lowers LDL or bad cholesterol while cow’s milk raises LDL cholesterol. Soy milk also provides additional heart protection with phytochemicals, which are found in abundance in soy milk. Cow’s milk does not contain these helpful chemicals.

      Soy milk contains more than four times the amount of thiamin (vitamin B1) and nearly twice the amount of niacin (vitamin B3) as compared to cow's milk. It also contains more magnesium, copper, and manganese than cow's milk. Soy milk also contains 42 times the amount of manganese as does cow's milk. Manganese is needed for bone formation. People with anemia rely upon manganese for iron storage.
Research has demonstrated that men who drink two servings of soy milk every day are 70% less likely to develop prostate cancer. There are no similar findings regarding men who drink cow’s milk.