Soy Drink – Milk Replacement: Preparation, Allergies and Newborns
Soy milk contains good percentages of iron , present in double quantities compared to whole cow’s milk . However, there is a lack of calcium and vitamin B12 , often added to raise the nutritional and health profile of the food.
Homemade Soy Milk
At home, soy milk is obtained by grinding the seeds, previously left to soak overnight (in order to remove some anti-nutritional factors). After eliminating the water, we proceed with the fine grinding of the seeds (for example with the aid of a blender), which are then brought to the boil for about twenty minutes together with the cooking water (the weight ratio of water /soy should be 10:1). The remaining puree, called okara, can be used in the preparation of soups, stews and muesli .
The passage through the sieve and the subsequent cooling constitute the last stages of the home process, today replaced on an industrial level with faster and more innovative techniques. Starting from the defatted soy flour , a double extraction with solvent is carried out which has the aim of removing the lipids responsible for the bean flavour. The lipid fraction will then be replenished together with a modest percentage of sugar (2%).
To prepare soy milk directly at home, simply put into practice what is explained in our video recipe ” Homemade Soy Milk “.
Homemade soy milk
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In newborn feeding
Soy milk, newborns , allergies and lactose intolerance
Suitably treated, for example, the addition of L- methionine , L- carnitine and taurine is necessary , soy milk can be used to feed children who are allergic to cow’s milk proteins . In this sense it can represent a valid alternative to high hydrolysis or semi-elementary milk formulations, which are still preferred by many paediatricians due to the fear that soy could in turn cause sensitization (see soy allergy ).
Then there is the problem of the transgenic origin of this food, while the economic aspect is strongly in its favour.
An alternative to the alternative, it must be said, is represented by rice milk , which is gaining positive acclaim for its good nutritional value and very low allergenic potential (it is no coincidence that it is the first cereal to be introduced during weaning ).
Soy milk, thanks to the absence of lactose, is indicated for re-feeding children after gastrointestinal disorders ( diarrhoea ) of bacterial or viral origin . These situations can cause abrasion of the intestinal mucosa , resulting in a deficiency of the lactase enzyme . Due to this enzymatic deficiency, undigested lactose would draw liquids into the intestinal lumen, further aggravating the diarrheal manifestations. If used in this sense, soy milk must be considered a transition food , to be used only for the time strictly necessary to overcome the acute phase of diarrhea.
