3 mistakes when drinking soy milk can cause obesity and kidney damage

Nutrition expert Ha Tu Van (Taiwan) recently issued a warning on his personal page about 3 wrong habits when drinking soy milk that many people are making. She emphasized: Don’t consider soy milk as filtered water, be sure to choose the unsweetened type and don’t expect to use soy milk to supplement calcium.

Consider soy milk as filtered water

Unsweetened soy milk is an excellent source of plant-based protein. According to daily dietary guidelines, the “beans, fish, eggs, meat” group is the top priority group for protein intake. A 400 ml bottle of unsweetened soy milk is equivalent to 2 portions of protein, containing natural isoflavones and lecithin, very suitable for people on a muscle gain and fat loss regimen or vegetarians.

However, the biggest mistake is drinking soy milk instead of water. Similar to fresh milk, soy milk is rich in protein. If you drink too much, it will put heavy pressure on the kidneys.

Experts recommend consuming only about 400 ml per day. The remaining protein sources should be diversified from seafood, fish, eggs and meat. Trying to drink up to 2,000 ml of soy milk a day not only causes bloating but is also counterproductive for the body.

Habit of sweet tooth

Expert Ha Tu Van explained that a 400 ml bottle of sweetened soy milk contains about 4-5 sugar cubes, providing 80 to 100 more calories than the unsweetened type. Maintaining the habit of drinking sugary milk regularly will certainly lead to rapid weight gain.

Therefore, the original (sugar-free) option remains the healthiest solution.

Use soy milk to replace fresh milk (calcium supplement)

Many people mistakenly think that the calcium content in soy milk is very high. In fact, in 100 ml of soy milk there is only about 14 mg of calcium. This number is much lower than cow’s milk.

If your goal is to supplement calcium to strengthen bones, experts recommend prioritizing dairy products such as fresh milk, unsweetened yogurt, and cheese. Besides, other food sources such as dark green vegetables, dried tofu, or black sesame are also much more effective calcium supplement options than relying solely on soy milk.

Only by drinking soy milk properly and in the right dosage can you maximize the health benefits that this drink brings.