Ingredients Found In Soy Milk

Soy milk is no longer an obscure product found solely in health-food stores. Today, you can find soy milk in most supermarkets. Soy milk offers many health benefits and also offers a good alternative to milk for individuals who are lactose intolerant. Manufacturers offer several formulations of soy milk, and specific ingredients vary by brand.

What is Soy

Soy is a legume that has an edible seed, the soybean, sometimes called just soy. According to the "Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine," soy is one of the most consumed beans in the world. Additionally, soy offers an inexpensive source of vegetable protein. Historically, East Asian cultures have used soy in a variety of products including condiments such as soy sauce and cooked food products such as tofu. More recently, soy has also become a popular food product consumed in Western cultures.

Ingredients

Traditionally, soy milk contained only soybeans and water. Homemade soy milk is made by soaking the beans overnight, then grinding them in hot water, boiling and finally straining to yield a creamy, white liquid. Today, however, manufacturers fortify most soy milk to add to the nutritional content. Soy milk typically contains vitamins A, D2, B2 and B12 and calcium. Additionally, manufacturers usually sweeten soy milk by adding different kinds of sugars to the formulation. Commonly used sweeteners include corn syrup and evaporated cane juice. Further many manufacturers add salt and other natural and artificial flavorings to soy milk. The exact ingredients found in any soy milk product will depend on the manufacturer's specific product formulation.

Types

Because soy has a somewhat bitter taste, many manufacturers add flavoring to soy milk. Popular soy milk flavors include vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Manufacturers also commonly offer specialty flavors such as eggnog, chocolate mint and pumpkin during the holiday season. You can typically find soy milk in both refrigerated and non-refrigerated form. However, you should always refrigerate soy after opening.

Nutritional Content

Soy milk does not contain animal fat or cholesterol, making the beverage a healthy alternative to regular cow milk for people seeking to reduce or avoid these substances. Soy milk contains, on average, 70 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g cholesterol, 105 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate and 6g protein per 8 oz serving. Additionally, soy milk is also a source of dietary fiber containing 1 g of fiber per serving. The specific nutritional content for soy milk will depend on the manufacturer's formulation.