The health benefits of soy milk are undeniable. However, many people are interested in why it is better than cow’s. Let’s analyze the advantages and disadvantages of soy milk over cow’s milk, based on the composition and quality of nutrients, health benefits, preventive and therapeutic properties.

Benefits of soy milk
Soy milk, unlike cow’s milk, does not contain lactose, so it does not cause intolerance in some people whose bodies do not produce enzymes to process it.
Soy milk contains more protein because it is made from beans and contains significantly more fiber than cow’s milk.
The biggest benefit is the presence of isoflavones in soy milk. These chemicals are very similar to the hormone estrogen. Isoflavones are known to be effective in preventing a range of health problems such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and are effective in combating climate syndrome in women. They have metabolic and anticarcinogenic properties.
Soy milk is not skimmed. It contains slightly more fat than 2% cow’s milk, but it has no cholesterol at all. Since soy milk is made from grain, it contains 9 times less saturated fat than cow’s milk. In addition, it contains 10 times more polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is more beneficial than cow’s milk.
Soy milk does not contain cholesterol. On the other hand, each glass of cow’s milk contains 34 mg of cholesterol. In addition, soy milk lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in the body, while cow’s milk contains LDL cholesterol. Soy milk also provides additional heart protection due to the presence of isoflavones, which are found in abundance in soy milk. Cow’s milk does not contain these beneficial substances.
Soy milk has more than four times the amount of thiamine (vitamin B1) and almost twice the amount of niacin (vitamin B3) compared to cow’s milk. It also contains more magnesium, copper, manganese than cow’s milk. Soy milk also contains 42 times more manganese. Manganese is essential for bone formation. For people with anemia, soy milk is indicated due to the presence of manganese and iron.
Studies have shown that men who drink two servings of soy milk a day 70% less prostate cancer. There are no such results for men who drink cow’s milk.
Disadvantages of soy milk
The biggest disadvantage of soy milk is its low calcium content. It has only about a quarter of the calcium compared to cow’s milk. Many soy milk manufacturers add calcium to their products, but studies show that such supplements are not as beneficial as natural calcium in natural products.
Of the nine essential amino acids needed to sustain life, soy milk and cow’s milk contain almost the same amount. Cow’s milk has only one-fifth of a gram more essential amino acids than soy milk. In particular, it contains more than twice as much methionine.
Excessive consumption of animal protein creates conditions for increased acidity in the blood, the body neutralizes it by taking calcium from the bones. Thus, countries that consume predominantly animal protein have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Soy milk contains higher amounts of other amino acids such as arginine, alanine, aspartic acid, and glycine.
One serving of soy milk contains half as much phosphorus as a serving of cow’s milk. In cow’s milk advertising, this fact is presented as a great advantage, but this is not entirely true. In fact, we consume quite a lot of phosphorus from other products, and milk is by no means its main supplier. Thus, the lower amount of phosphorus in soy milk may even be beneficial for many people.
Soy milk contains about 60% riboflavin relative to cow’s milk. Riboflavin is an essential vitamin, but it is also found in abundance in seeds, nutritional yeast, green leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains. Therefore, cow’s milk is not a necessary source of riboflavin for a balanced diet.
Women who have had breast cancer are advised to limit their intake of soy protein, as some studies indicate possible recurrences. According to other studies, daily consumption of soy products adversely affects the reproductive function of men.