Different Types of Soy Milk

Soy milk comes in a chocolate variety.glass of chocolate milk image by Milan Kapasi from Fotolia.com

Advocates say soy milk provides a litany of health benefits. The Mayo Clinic claims that strong scientific evidence supports the role of soy in lowering cholesterol. On most other counts, ranging from heart disease to diabetes, Mayo doctors believe the research is inconclusive. Vanderbilt University discovered that high intake of soy foods, including soy milk, lowered breast cancer death and recurrence among women in China. Soy milk comes in a variety of flavors and styles.

Refrigerated Versus Shelf-Stable

Soy milk comes in two types of packages: refrigerated and shelf-stable. Refrigerated packages are stored cold at the grocery store. Soy milk producer Silk explains that you use and store refrigerated soy milk just as you do cow's milk. It stays good, unopened, until the date on the container. Once opened, Silk--and most other companies--guarantee it stays fresh for seven to 10 days. Shelf-stable soy milk comes in specially-designed sterile packages that use technology similar to canned foods. They only require refrigeration when opened. They stay fresh for seven to 10 days after opening, according to Silk.

Soy milk is rich in dietary protein and amino acids, reports the Mayo Clinic. A one-cup serving of Silk's plain soy milk, which is similar to other brands, contains 100 calories, 7 grams of protein and as much calcium as regular milk (30 percent of your recommended daily intake). Silk's calcium comes in the form of calcium carbonate. They, like other soy milk makers, also enrich their product with several vitamins, including vitamins D, B12, B6 and B2. Soy milk that goes a step further is also available. Silk, for example, makes a type of soy milk that contains additional calcium (40 percent of the recommended daily intake and 30 percent more than what is in milk, according to Silk) and 32mg of DHA omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are thought to enhance brain function and heart health, contends Silk. Several soy milk companies add additional fiber and other nutrients to their products.

Soy milk comes in an increasingly wide variety of flavors. While most brands offer full-fat and low-fat original versions, most market at least chocolate soy milk. Some chocolate soy milk contains small amounts of caffeine. Silk chocolate soy milk, for example, contains 3.6 mg for every 8 ounces. A cup of regular coffee, notes Silk, has between 115 and 175 mg of caffeine. Vitasoy, another soy milk producer, notes that their full-fat chocolate soy milk has 8 mg, while the low-fat choice has 6 mg per 8 ounce serving. Vanilla flavor is also a commonly seen type of soy milk. Like with most other foods, the varieties are expansive and just keep growing. Other flavored soy milks include Vitasoy's green tea soy milk and Silk's holiday varieties, nog and pumpkin spice.