Soy milk has long been a popular alternative to dairy milk for people with lactose intolerance, but a study published yesterday found it is also effective in assisting with weight loss and muscle mass gains.
Research carried out by the Chinese Taipei Association for the Study of Obesity, requested half of its 60 participants with a body mass index of 25 or higher drink a bottle of 450ml sugar-free soy milk 30 minutes before lunch and dinner, as well as 30 minutes after a workout, for three consecutive months. The remaining 30 participants were in a control group.
“Participants in the experiment group noticed a significant decrease in their waistline, body-fat ratio, visceral fat, blood sugar level and blood pressure by the end of the research,” association director-general Hsiao Tun-jen (蕭敦仁) told a press conference yesterday.
Hsiao, who oversaw the study, said participants’ body fat dropped nearly 3 percent on average and that they lost 1.4kg more than those in the control group.
The test results suggested that for every bottle of sugar-free soy milk consumed participants had a 0.012kg weight loss.
One study participant, a male surnamed Liu (劉), had gained weight after years of late-night snacking and very little exercise, and weighed 103kg at the time of the study, Hsiao said.
“However, during the three month period, Liu lost 13.7kg and saw his body-fat ratio fall from 27.3 percent to 23.5 percent,” Hsiao said.
Hsiao said many people resorted to extreme diets to lose weight, an approach that can yield short-term results and can make them more prone to regaining weight, as the loss is usually a result of losing water and muscle mass.
Hsiao said the only viable way to stay in shape is by gaining muscle mass as it increases one’s resting metabolic rate which makes the body less likely to gain weight.
“Because soy milk is naturally high in protein, it can give the body a sense of fullness if consumed before meals and promote greater muscle growth when drunk after exercising,” he said.
However, Hsiao advised people not to drink more than 900ml of soy milk each day as the drink is abundant in isoflavones, which can cause enlargement of the male breast tissue and spikes in uric acid.
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