People who live in China know that hot and cold soy milk is always on offer at restaurants serving breakfast. Many people drink soy milk before going to work.
Soy milk is made from soy beans, is rich in proteins and low in cholesterol. It is very popular in China and throughout Asia. Both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and modern science acknowledge soy milk as a healthy alternative to milk.
In the Chinese culture, people don’t just drink soy milk because it is breakfast time, but because they want to support their health. Soy milk is particularly suitable for someone who has internal organ defects. This is referred to as deficiency syndrome in TCM.
This kind of a deficiency syndrome makes it difficult for the body to digest fortifying foods. Soy milk is gentle and easily tolerated by the body.
What is a deficiency syndrome?
In TCM, the cause of an illness is either an excess or a deficiency in the body. Having a deficiency means that either the physical body or the internal organs are weak. This can be compared to a car that is damaged and requires repairs to regain optimal functionality.
The deficiency syndrome covers the following categories:
- Qi deficiency of the body
Common symptoms include: lack of energy, shortness of breath, palpitations, mild sweating, frequent urination, weak immune system, a tendency towards contracting a cold or the flu.
- Blood deficiency
Common symptoms include: pale face, pale nails, pale tongue, hair loss, gray hair at a young age, tiredness, dizziness.
- Yin deficiency
Common symptoms include: dry skin, constipation, hard stools, hot flashes and thirst in the evenings, red face, hot body, increased emotionality, darker urine, sparse urination.
- Yang deficiency
Common symptoms include: cold hands and feet, aversion to the cold, swelling of the limbs and heavy limbs, bloating, impotence, low libido.
TCM recommends the inclusion of certain types of food in the diet to combat certain deficiency symptoms. Soy milk is one of the drinks that TCM doctors recommend.
Health Effects of Soy Milk
Soy milk tones and nourishes the body
The well-known Chinese book about nutrition “Gang Mu shi yi” stated that soy milk can tonify and strengthen the body back in the 16th century. The taste of soy milk is sweet and neutral in character, meaning neither hot nor cold in TCM terms. Soy milk has the greatest effect on the lungs and intestinal channels, thereby supporting the respiratory and digestive systems.
Soy milk is beneficial for people of all ages, and especially for those who suffer from any of the previously mentioned deficiency syndromes.
Soy milk is highly recommended when one experiences one of the following conditions:
a) Blood deficiency and lack of blood flow, for example after a long illness, after surgery or after chemotherapy.
b) After birth and during breastfeeding.
c) In case of a weak digestion. Soy milk is a base-forming food that can balance the acidity of rice, bread and meat. It has an alkaline pH and therefore has a balancing effect. This balance helps digestion. Soy milk is especially good for those who cannot tolerate cow milk.
d) To strengthen the immune system. As mentioned above, soy milk has a strong effect on the lungs. In TCM, the lungs are considered the most important organ in our body’s defense. Drinking soy milk strengthens the lungs and thus improves the immune system. In addition, it stimulates the activity of the lymphatic system, which also strengthens the immune system.
e) To promote growth and development in children. TCM points out that soy milk can benefit the development of the brain and teeth.
f) To dissolve mucus in the throat. Some people experience persistent mucus in their throat prompted by heat in the throat and lungs, such as bronchitis or smoking. Drinking soy milk – at room temperature – can help dissolve this mucus in the throat.
Soy milk can help improve the previously described symptoms. In addition, it can also be beneficial for the following issues; dry skin, mouth or tongue ulcers, anxiety or nightmares. These symptoms are best controlled when drinking cold soy milk.
Soy milk is becoming increasingly popular in many stores and supermarkets.
Homemade soy milk made with organic and GMO-free soy beans from Austria are guaranteed to provide you with even more health benefits.
