A: Sometimes. It's better for you than full-fat milk.
差不多，至少比全脂奶要好。
Not so long ago there was only one type of milk: it came in a glass bottle with a shiny top and the milkman left it on your doorstep in the early hours of the morning. This milk came from cows and most people drank it.
不久以前，只有一种奶：送奶工大清早放在你家门口的台阶上的那种——盖着闪亮的盖子的瓶装新鲜牛奶。人们那时候喝的就是从牛奶场直接送来的牛奶。
These days cows' milk is viewed with a certain amount of suspicion and many people believe it's the cause of a range of health issues ranging from high cholesterol (true – if you drink full-fat milk) toexcess mucus production. Our distrust of cows' milk has seen a dramatic increase in the number of alternatives on the market.
而当下，人们对这种新鲜牛奶的疑心多了起来。许多人觉得这东西会致病：从高血脂（这可是真的——假如你全脂奶喝得太多）到鼻涕痰液增多。对牛奶的不信任似乎是戏剧性地增加，特别是当市场上能有其它替代品时。
One of the most popular of these is soy milk, which comes from the soy bean, and is often regarded as a much healthier choice. But is this really the case?
最常见的替代品就是豆奶，大豆制品，人们认为这是个更健康的食品。但，真的吗？
"Soy isn't automatically a better choice than dairy in every case, " says accredited practising dietitian Denise Griffiths.
“从各方面比较，大豆本身并不比乳制品更健康。”营养学家Denise Grififiths说。
"If you're having high-fat dairy, then soy might be a better alternative, but if you're making good choices with your dairy products then there's no need to switch."
“但如果和高脂肪的乳制品相比，大豆是更好的替代品。但假如你能选择正确的乳制品，那也没必要改到豆奶去。”
Complete food
全营养食品
Griffiths says there's nothing in the scientific literature to suggest that it's a good idea for all of us to replace cows' milk with soy milk.
Griffiths说，目前尚无科学证据说明豆奶比牛奶更好。
Both soy milk and cows' milk are good sources of protein and a range of other essential vitamins and minerals, but cows' milk is naturally a better source of calcium.
豆奶和牛奶都是良好的蛋白质和一系列必须维生素、矿物质的来源，牛奶含钙更高些。
"The reason we drink [cows'] milk as humans is because it is one of the most complete foods in our diets and it contains many of the nutrients that we need, " she says.
“人们喝牛奶，是因为它基本上囊括了我们所需要的全部营养成分。”她说。
"The calcium in dairy foods is really easily absorbed by the body, especially in comparison to plant foods that contain calcium, such as broccoli, as the body isn't always able to get the calcium out of these plant foods."
“与植物食品（如，甘蓝）中的钙相比，人体非常容易吸收乳制品中的钙，因为我们的身体不太容易从这些植物中提取钙。”
We need calcium to help us maintain healthy bones and other essential processes in our body, which is why it's recommended that we aim for two to three serves of low-fat dairy every day.
人体需要钙以保证健康的骨骼和机体的其它基本机能，这就是为什么我们建议每天吃二～三次低脂乳制品。
Dairy foods contain vitamins A, B12 and D and other essential nutrients. Unfortunately full-fat dairy also contains a lot of saturated fat, which is one reason why some people make the decision to switch to soy. (You want to avoid saturated fat as it increases your cholesterol levels and your risk of heart disease.)
乳制品包含维生素A，B12，D和其它基本营养。但是，全脂奶也包含饱和脂肪酸，这就是有些人转到和豆奶去的原因。（饱和脂肪酸增加血胆固醇水平，因而有患心脏病的危险）。
But if you're having reduced-fat cows' milk, and other reduced-fat dairy foods including yoghurt and cheese, then you're getting all the goodies you get from full-fat dairy and a little bit extra calcium (there's more calcium in reduced-fat dairy products).
但假如你喝的是低脂牛奶，或其它低脂乳制品，包括酸奶和乳酪，那么就是说，全脂乳制品的好东西你都得到了，并且还能多得一点钙（低脂乳制品钙含量略高），而全脂乳制品的坏处全没有。
However, soy is a great alternative if you're lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy, or for those with ethical issues around consumption of animal products, as long as it's calcium fortified.
然而，假如你有乳糖不耐受症或乳制品过敏，或者，对动物食品有伦理上的排斥，那么大豆就是最好的替代品，当然，还要再多补充一些钙。
Soy's selling points
大豆的卖点
But it doesn't have to be all or nothing when it comes to soy versus dairy.
对于豆奶和牛奶的选择，也不必太绝对。
Soy milk and other soy-based products – including tofu, soy cheese and yoghurt – are good sources of iron, fibre (which you don't get in dairy) and other vitamins.
豆奶和其他大豆制品——包括豆腐，大豆奶酪，和大豆酸奶——都富含铁，纤维素（这可是乳制品里没有的）和其它的维生素。
Soy foods also contain antioxidants known as isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens.
大豆食品也包括抗氧化剂，大豆异黄酮，这是一种植物雌激素。
Phytoestrogens are compounds found in plant foods – such as legumes, flaxseed and soy-based foods – that may mimic the hormone oestrogen in some circumstances. Some research suggests eating foods that contain phytoestrogens may have health benefits including a reduction in risk ofcertain hormonal cancers (breast and prostate) and a lessening of certain symptoms of menopause, for example hot flushes.
植物雌激素是存在于植物中的化合物——如豆类，亚麻籽，和大豆类的食物——在某种情况下有类似雌激素的作用。有研究人员认为，含有雌激素的食物可能有益于健康，因为这可能减少某些雌激素相关的肿瘤（如乳腺癌和前列腺癌）的发生。对更年期综合征也可有所缓解，如潮热。
But one of soy's key selling points is that it's lower in saturated fat than dairy.
大豆的另一个卖点就是，它饱和脂肪酸含量比牛奶低。
"It's a plant-based food ... so it has less saturated fat than animal products, especially dairy products, " Griffiths says.
“这是种植物源食品，比动物源食品的饱和脂肪酸含量要低，特别是比乳制品地。”Griffiths说。
She says we could all benefit from substituting some serves of dairy for soy products – after all, a varied and balanced diet is likely to be a healthy one.
她说，每天不必全部吃乳制品，可以间或吃些豆制品——毕竟，花色多样的平衡饮食才是健康的。
"It's great to include a wide variety of foods in your diet... and making sure that in your shopping trolley you have a range of products so that you're covering all your different nutrients, " she says.
“饮食中应包含各种食物，你的购物车中应包括给提供各种营养的食物。”她说。
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