Soy Yogurt, A Healthy Soy Snack
Soy products have enjoyed increasing popularity in the market today because of its touted health benefits. Soy comes from soya beans, a plant known to contain plenty of phenols, natural compounds that are antioxidants and, therefore, reduces oxidative stress in the body, as well as plenty of protein. They also contain isoflavones, known to promote normal growth and development, and calcium for bone growth.
Soy yogurt, anyone?
One of the soy products that is recognized not only for its nutritional benefits, but also of its taste, is soy yogurt. This food is produced following the fermentation of soymilk, using good bacteria like Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Soy yogurt is good for lactose intolerant individuals, since soymilk does not contain lactose but rather raffinose and stachyose, forms of sugars from plants. The bacterial component converts these sugars into lactic acid, which forms the curd-like appearance of soy yogurt. Soy yogurt also contains probiotic bacteria, proven to maintain good digestive health and improve the immune system.
The many benefits of soy yogurt
In studies made by food biologists, soy yogurt was recognized for its potential to reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure. They recommend it to people suffering from diabetes. Furthermore, some of the fruits combined with soy yogurt also contain large amounts of compounds that block the actions of enzymes known to contribute to the development of this prevalent disease.
Many manufacturers have taken advantage of this food’s nutritional quality and have come up with several brands of soy yogurt. Available in the market are the Stonyfield, Silk, Olympic, and the WholeSoy brands. Soy yogurt comes in different flavors, from strawberry, blueberry, peach, vanilla, raspberry, and many more. They even offer chocolate flavored soy yogurt, for those who love chocolates though wants to avoid the calories. Though soy yogurt can be stored in room temperature, WholeSoy also has the frozen soy yogurt variety, in different flavors, of course.
