Is Soy Milk Keto?

Are you not sure whether soy milk is keto or not?

Soy milk is a popular dairy milk substitute. However, soy milk and other soy products are very controversial when it comes to the keto and low-carb diets.

You may be confused and want to know if it is okay to drink if you are on a low-carb or keto diet. Please continue reading to get all the information you need.

What Is Soy Milk?

Soy milk is a plant-based beverage produced from soybeans and water. It is a stable emulsion of protein, oil, and water, which is produced from tofu scraps. The mixture has a creamy colour, a slightly sweet taste, and a creamy consistency.

In the last half of the 20th century, soy milk became popular in North America and Europe as production techniques became more and more sophisticated. Manufacturers began to make soy milk that had the flavour and texture of dairy milk.

Many people from different dietary communities use it nowadays.

Brands may include preservatives, additives, and sweeteners to prolong shelf life and flavor, so if you want to control what is in it, you can make it yourself.

How Do I Make My Own Soy Milk?

There are many recipes for making it at home, but they are all variations on the following process.

Non-GMO organic soybeans must be soaked in filtered water overnight to make the mush part of the milk. Then the mush is blended, boiled for 3 to 6 minutes, and frequently stirred to prevent it from burning. You will know it is ready when a foam rises.

After boiling, you will strain the mixture through a cheesecloth or gauze to remove the milk from the ground up soybeans. Then you will bring the drained liquid to a slight simmer again for a few minutes and then let it cool. This liquid will be your soymilk. You may also add salt, vanilla seeds, or vanilla extract for additional flavor.

You can throw away the bean mush, or you can give it to your dog or dump it onto your plants if you have a garden so it can compost.

A look at soy milk’s nutritional information.

The following table provides the nutritional information on one cup of soy milk.

Soy Milk Nutrition Facts (1 cup)

• Calories: 100 kcal
• Fat: 3.5 grams
• Protein: 6 grams
• Total carbs: 12 grams
• Fiber: 0.5 grams
• Net Carbs: 11.5 grams

However, remember that some brands may add certain things like sweeteners, so if you’re buying your soy milk, make sure to check the carbs yourself.

Is Soy Milk Healthy?

Soy milk is healthy because numerous studies have shown that consuming soy products may help lower LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol.) Another reason soy milk is healthy is the presence of an amino acid in soybeans known as arginine. Arginine lowers blood pressure and thus reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

According to one investigation, soy isoflavones appear to help lower blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure by 3 to 6 mmHg. They may alsolower the risk of dying from heart disease by up to 15%, as well as lower the risk of gastric, colorectal, and lung cancer mortality.

Research on the same chemicals reveals that they may help reduce insulin resistance and blood sugar levels in menopausal women.

However, the connection between consuming soy and its items and lowering blood sugar in healthy individuals and people with type 2 diabetes is unclear, as some studies showed no connection.

An examination found that women undergoing fertility treatments who consumed soy isoflavones had 1.3 to 1.8 greater probabilities of delivering, but a different study on men did not confirm this result. This may be because soy raises the female reproductive hormone, estrogen.

However, another study shows that a high consumption of it may result in a decline in ovarian functioning and fertility.

Also, the presence of large amounts of genetically modified soy is worrisome for overall health.

Also, cow’s milk, a great replacement for soy milk, is frequently fortified with vitamins A, B 12, and vitamin D, as well as calcium, & the carbs are similar to soy milk, so milk isn’t a bad option for keto dieters.

There is a lot of research showing mixed results about the consumption of soy products, including soy milk, in health and diet communities. Scientists are divided in their opinions due to the research results, but in general, soy milk has been shown to be healthy.

Is It Possible To Have Soy Milk On The Ketogenic Diet?

There are 12 grams of carbs in one cup or 244 grams of soy milk, of which 11.5 are net carbs. By looking at the nutritional information, you can see that one cup of it is almost half of a strict keto dieter’s daily carbohydrate allowance. This does not prevent you from including soy milk on keto, but it does make it significantly more difficult.

Conclusion

Soy milk is not strictly ketogenic because it is made from a legume, and thus has around 12 carbs per cup. You can consume it if you want, but make sure you always choose the unsweetened version and make sure you don’t drink too much of it as it can kick you out of ketosis. Also, you can easily make it at home if you prefer to control what goes into your diet.

If you’re interested in finding out other foods that are approved on keto, here’s my list of the best foods to eat for beginners to keto.