Drinks made with high-protein soymilk, soy yogurt or soy protein powder are plant-based alternatives to traditional dairy drinks, and their health benefits are just as profound. When made with natural, nutrient-rich ingredients, such drinks can help you slim down and stay full, although you'll still have to carefully regulate your calorie intake and practice other healthy weight loss strategies.
Benefits
Soy protein confers the same health benefits as dairy- or meat-based protein, but it often has fewer calories and less fat and cholesterol, which can make it a smarter choice. According to ChooseMyPlate.gov, any lean protein can help build and repair muscle and bone tissues. Lean proteins are also an especially satiating nutrient, which means they have the potential to fill you up on fewer calories than other nutrients and keep you full for longer lengths of time, curving total calorie consumption.
Study Results
In 2003, weight loss researcher Dr. Steven Heymsfield studied the effects of soy-based protein shakes in a 40-week trial, with results published in the "Nutrition Journal." Heymsfield's team separated overweight and obese participants into two groups. One group followed a traditional low-calorie diet for the entire 40-week period, and the other group replaced at least one meal daily with a high-protein, soy-based shake. At the end of the trial, weigh-ins showed that the group who used soy meal replacements had lost more weight on average than the low-calorie diet group.
Limitations
No food or drink is able to "cause" weight loss or burn fat by itself, according to the Weight Control Information Network. Despite the potential benefits of using soy drinks for weight loss, drinking them may not be an effective strategy for everyone. If you choose commercially produced drinks instead of making your own, for example, you may miss out on essential nutrients that you would otherwise get from whole foods at meals. Even if your drink is fortified, it can't provide the same benefits as real foods, according to MayoClinic.com. Replacing too many meals with soy drinks could result in nutrient deficiencies. And if your weight loss diet involves increasing your protein intake in the foods you eat as well as what you drink, you could suffer calcium loss or dehydration due to excess protein consumption.
Considerations
Check with your doctor before using soy drinks as a weight loss method to get approval and personalized health advice. If you do want to try drinks as meal replacements, it can be most nutritious to make your own. Use a base of 1 cup of soymilk, soy yogurt or a mixture of the two. Add one 30 g scoop of soy protein powder and flavor the drink with fresh or frozen fruit and a drizzle of honey, a dash of unsweetened cocoa powder, some wheat germ, ground flaxseed or nut butter.
References
- "Nutrition Journal"; Results of Soy-Based Meal Replacement Formula . . .; November 18, 2003
- ChooseMyPlate.gov; Why Is It Important to Make Lean or Low-Fat Choices from the Protein Foods Group?; May 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Dietary Supplements - Nutrition in a Pill?; June 2010
- Weight Control Information Network; Weight Loss and Nutrition Myths; March 2009
- ACEFitness.org; Are There Any Risks Associated with Excess Protein Consumption?; Cedric X. Bryant; 1999
Member Comments