Nutritional Value Of Soy Milk

Dealing with lactose intolerance can make you miserable, but drinking soy milk may help. Soy milk isn't the same kind of fluid we call milk -- it is not an animal product. Rather, soy milk comes from soy beans. These beans are soaked, ground and strained, and the resulting product bears a resemblance to milk. Many people use it for drinking, cooking and as a replacement for cow milk on cereal. This beverage contains a range of nutritional value, making soy milk a good choice for your diet.

Basic Nutrition

A 1-cup serving of soy milk contains 120 calories and 4.7 g of fat. While cow milk does not contain significantly more calories -- 150 calories per cup of whole-fat cow milk -- it does contain quite a bit more fat, with 8 g per cup. You also take in 12.1 g of carbohydrates per serving of soy milk as well as 11 g of protein. The protein in soy milk does not supply all of the essential amino acids your body needs because it is not a complete protein. Cow milk does serve as a complete protein.

Vitamins

Soy milk is often fortified with vitamins so you won't miss any of the nutritional value contained in cow milk. A 1-cup portion of soy milk serves up 50 percent of the daily recommended intake of vitamin B-12, a vitamin important for your nerves and blood. A serving of soy milk also provides 30 percent of the vitamin A you require each day, as well as smaller amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, niacin, pantothenic acid and vitamin D.

Minerals

One serving of soy milk contains 17 percent of the copper you need daily, which makes soy milk a good choice for the function of many enzymes in your body. A serving also provides a good supply of magnesium, iron and phosphorus. Soy milk has under 10 percent of the potassium, calcium and zinc you need each day as well.

Benefits

Including soy milk in your diet may offer minor protection against high cholesterol and postmenopausal bone loss. A report published in the January 2006 issue of the journal "Circulation" says that high consumption of soy can lower LDL cholesterol -- the "bad" type of cholesterol -- only slightly, and soy's role in bone loss for post-menopausal women is mixed, although some studies do indicate a benefit.

Considerations

Avoid drinking soy milk if you have breast, ovarian or cancer of the uterus. Soy is rich in phytoestrogens that may interfere with the natural estrogen in your body. As these types of cancers react to the hormones in your body, physicians often recommend that you do not consume soy, according to MayoClinic.com. Soy milk may also cause stomach upset and allergies.