Soy milk

Studies in people

• Open question

  Blood cholesterol levels³

  Studies in people disagree on whether soy milk lowers cholesterol, and scientists do not yet know for sure.

• Benefit

  Blood clotting in diabetes⁵

  In people with diabetes and kidney disease, drinking soy milk for four weeks lowered a blood marker linked to clotting.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels⁶

  In people with high cholesterol, drinking soy milk daily lowered LDL cholesterol slightly compared with dairy milk.

• Benefit

  Children's bone health⁷

  In boys aged 12 to 14, drinking soy milk powder daily for two months was linked to better bone mass retention.

• Benefit

  Prostate cancer risk⁸

  Men who drank soy milk often were less likely to get prostate cancer, but scientists say more research is needed.

• Benefit

  Fatty liver disease⁹

  In people with fatty liver, soy milk daily with a low-calorie diet lowered two blood markers, but only these.

• Benefit

  Knee joint health¹⁰

  People who drank soy milk often were less likely to have knee bone spurs, but not other knee changes.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar after meals¹¹

  Drinking soy milk before bread lowered blood sugar more than drinking it with the bread.

• Benefit

  Blood pressure in diabetes¹²

  In people with diabetes and kidney trouble, soy milk was linked to lower blood pressure than cow's milk.

• Open question

  Weight loss in women¹³

  In women on a diet, soy milk and skim milk led to similar weight, belly fat and body fat changes.

• Benefit

  Gut bacteria balance¹⁴

  In people, fermented soy milk raised helpful gut bacteria and lowered coliform organisms compared with regular soy milk.

• Benefit

  Cholesterol levels in people¹⁵

  In people with high cholesterol, drinking soy milk lowered bad cholesterol and raised good cholesterol compared with non-fat cow milk.

Study type not stated

• Concern

  Tooth enamel risk¹⁶

  Soy milk with tea powder had the most fluoride, which may raise children's risk of fluorosis.

Found in some samples or products

These come from where it was grown, how it was processed or cooked, or what it was made into. They are not about the ingredient itself, so the signal does not count them.

• Thyroid health⁴

  Soy milk made with kombu seaweed can contain high iodine, which was linked to thyroid problems in adults and babies.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.