I've been having possible hot flashes lately. I say possible because I'm not sure if they really are hot flashes, and my internal factory still turns out eggs as regularly as always. It was the newspaper article that finally spurred me to make my own soy milk and put on my Pioneer Woman hat again. Heck, I grow my own vegetables, make my own bread. Might as well make ma own soy milk! Yeeha!
Why Soy Milk?
In a nutshell, I intend to drink a ton of soy milk to help with my hot flashes. Here is an excerpt from the influential article in the Globe and Mail (now I print excerpts because the articles disappear from the internet over time):
"...according to the most comprehensive study to date, eating two servings of soy foods a day may help reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes. ...The interest in soy for hot flashes began when researchers noticed only about 10 per cent of Asian women experience menopausal symptoms. It’s been speculated that Asian women are less likely to have hot flashes due to their high soy consumption.
Soy protein contains isoflavones, natural compounds that can bind weakly to certain estrogen receptors in the body. In so doing, soy isoflavones might help compensate for declining estrogen levels that accompany menopause and offer some relief for hot flashes.
Until now, the evidence for soy has been inconclusive, with some studies showing benefit and others finding no effect.
The current report, published online in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Association, reviewed 19 randomized controlled trials that enrolled more than 1,200 women taking soy isoflavone extracts (not soy foods) or placebos.
When all studies were combined, there was a clear and consistent positive effect for isoflavones.
Compared to taking placebos, consuming at least 54 milligrams daily for six weeks to a year reduced hot flash frequency by 20 per cent and the severity by 26 per cent.
Women who took isoflavones for at least 12 weeks experienced a threefold greater reduction in hot flashes than women who consumed isoflavones for a shorter duration.
Isoflavone supplements with higher levels of genistein – one of the two main types of isoflavones in soybeans – were the most effective at easing hot flashes.
Genistein is the primary isoflavone found in soy foods as well as soybeans, suggesting that adding soy to your diet, or using supplements made from whole soybeans, may work better than synthetic isoflavone supplements.
The fact that isoflavones act like a weak form of estrogen in the body concerns some women, particularly those at high risk for breast cancer. That’s because certain risk factors for breast cancer are related to the length of time breast cells are exposed to the body’s own circulating estrogen. It’s thought that estrogen can promote the growth of breast cancer cells.
However, studies suggest that consuming soy reduces breast cancer risk in Asian populations. In Western women, soy has not been shown to increase or decrease risk. (Western women may not consume enough soy isoflavones to lower breast cancer risk.) Recent studies have also linked a higher intake of soy foods such as tofu, soy beverages and soy flour with a lower risk of breast cancer recurrence.
Soybeans are worth adding to your diet even if you don’t have hot flashes. They’re high in protein, low in saturated fat and offer fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants."
How Much Soy Do I Need Every Day?
The article cites 54 mg daily for at least 12 weeks to reduce hot flashes. According to another article by Dr. Weil, one cup of soy milk contains four to 10 grams of soy protein, and 20 to 40 mg of isoflavones. Penn State University cites 10 mg per 100 mL or 25 mg per 250 mL (1 cup) of soy milk. Since soy milk is made of water and soy beans, likely the variance is due to the dilution.
Roughly, I should drink two cups (500 mL) and a bit a day. Of course, the soy can be taken in other forms such as tofu or edamame. But drinking soy milk is fairly easy to do.
Penn State University cautions against too much soy: Isoflavones are weak estrogens. More is not better. Scientists are worried that these could have bad effects if eaten in large amounts for long periods of time. The safe range of intake is 35–55 milligrams a day. Some suggest an upper limit of 100 milligrams per day.
Why Make Soy Milk at Home?
Dr. Weil's article says this:
"Soy milk provides all the benefits of cow's milk, without the milk protein (casein), which can increase mucus production and irritate the immune system in some people, and milk sugar (lactose), which can cause digestive distress if you lack the enzyme that breaks it down.
Soy milk is made by soaking dried beans in water, grinding them, heating them in water, pressing them, and straining the milk. Soy milk makers for home use are widely available, and people who use them say fresh, homemade soy milk is much better tasting than packaged products. And it will have no additives."
These are the reasons as I see them:
- It tastes better;
- There are no additives;
- It is better for the environment avoiding packaging and transport of the heavy liquid to your grocery store and home; and
- It is cheaper.
Let's look at reasons 2 and 4.
There are No Additives
So Nice organic unsweetened fortified "soy beverage" has the following ingredients, other than water and soybeans:
- tricalcium phosphate: Likely added as a Calcium supplement.
- natural flavour: Huh? What natural flavour is this referring to?
- salt
- carrageenan: Derived from seaweed, a thickening gel agent.
- sodium bicarbonate: Um, baking soda. Yum!
- zinc gluconate: Usually a dietary supplement (Zinc).
- ascorbic acid: Vitamin C. An antioxidant food additive.
- niacin: Vitamin B3
- pantothenate: Vitamin B5
- riboflavin: Vitamin B2
- vitamin B6
- vitamin A palmitate
- thiamine: Vitamin B1
- folacin: Vitamin B9, folic acid
- vitamin D2
- vitamin B12
This is like having soy milk plus a vitamin pill. If that's what you want, great, but I read that vitamins taken as supplements have dubious benefits. Like this?
From the article: Women taking multivitamins don’t live longer than those who get their nutrients from food alone, according to a U.S. study that found they in fact appear to have slightly higher death rates... “There is very little evidence showing that common dietary supplements would be beneficial in prevention of major chronic diseases,” said Jaakko Mursu of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, who worked on the study.
“Unless you are deficient, there is hardly any reason to take them,” he told Reuters Health.
It is Cheaper
I bought non-GMO organic soybeans for about $2.63/kg or $1.19/pound. This works out to $0.20 for each batch, a batch being 1400 mL of finished soymilk. This is $0.14/L.
The machine which I purchased based on reviews and recommendations was the SoyaPower Plus. Reviews here, here, and here. I bought it for $110 (all inclusive) from SanLinx through Amazon, because Amazon offered $10 off and a 2 year warranty. Based on online reviews, I can expect it to last for around 5 years of regular use. Yearly cost is $22, not counting electricity.
I need to make 540 mL to get 54 mg recommended isoflavones per day, so each batch of 1400 mL lasts me 2.6 days. So, I would need to use the machine at least twice a week, lowering the cost per batch for the machine. Each year I need 140 batches, so the machine cost per batch is $0.16.
Total cost is $0.30/L. $2.69 for 946 mL for organic unsweetened enriched soy milk, brand Natur-A, which is $2.84/L. Not sure whether it is worth the premium for the "enrichment.".
What About My Time? Time is Money!
It takes very little time. Making a batch involves:
Measuring dry soybeans, rinsing and soaking them in water to rehydrate them;
Waiting 8-10 hours (overnight) for rehydration;
Filling the machine with water;
Pouring out the excess water from the rinsed beans and pouring beans into the machine;
Pressing a button and waiting 15 minutes for cycle to end; and
Cleaning the machine and sieve (8 minutes);
Waiting for the soy milk to cool and pouring into containers.
Active preparation and cleanup time is about 20 minutes for a novice. Maybe you can beat my time?
Where to Buy Soybeans?
I searched in vain for a Canadian supplier of organic soybeans. If you know of one, please comment below. There are many growers in Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba, but I could not find any in BC. None of the growers online appeared to retail to the Canadian public, but cater to overseas sales, particularly Japan.
Canadians can buy from US online supplier laurabeans.com, $60 for 20 pounds, which includes postage. That is $3/pound, which is cheaper than my local supplier (Choices) at $3.17/pound!!! The beans are different even visually, but I will leave the blind taste test for another post.
I will post another article on where to buy soybeans when I run out of my current $6 supply, which according to my calculations, should be in 26 days! For reference, I actually measured out the soybeans I bought using the supplied measuring cup from my machine and figured out that it takes 78 g to make one batch (1400 mL) of soymilk.
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