The soya bean is a member of the legume family (another example of this family is the pea) and is a native of East Asia.
For thousands of years the soya bean has been cultivated by people who seemed to understand its health benefits long before the scientists confirmed them. For example, in China soya was one of the five holy crops. The others were wheat, barley, rice and millet.
Scientists used to claim that complete protein (a food containing all the essential amino acids, the building blocks of proteins used by the body for growth and repair) was only to be found in egg and milk protein. But now they have added soya to their list. It is also an excellent source of fibre.
In addition, soya is a good source of lecithin, vitamin E and magnesium. The first two substances are antioxidants which help to prevent oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol. Magnesium is important for the healthy functioning of the heart, bones and arteries. Soya also contains genistein and daidsein. These molecules are isoflavones and scientists have heralded this family of molecules as playing an important role in health.
The Food and Drink Association (FDA) has stated that foods containing soya
protein may reduce the risk of heart disease. In countries where large quantities of soya are consumed the incidences of cardiovascular diseases are low. Scientists think that soya acts by reducing total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol and also protects against stroke or heart attack by preventing the build-up of plaque in major blood vessels. Genistein is also thought to increase the malleability of blood vessels. There is also some evidence that soya protein helps to lower cholesterol levels in the body by aiding its binding to bile salts that are then excreted.
These isoflavones may also help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This is a dehabilitating condition where, over time, the bones lose mass and become brittle and therefore tend to break more easily. Scientists think that soya isoflavones may help to reduce bone loss. Soya may also help maintain bone health by reducing the amount of calcium that is excreted in the urine and thus it remains in the body and can be used in the bones.
Soya has also been shown to relieve the symptoms of the menopause. In one epidemiological study it was shown that Asian women suffer less from hot flushes and night sweats than do women in the west. It is thought that the isoflavones in some way mimic oestrogen in the body. Oestrogen plays a role in temperature control of the body. So, isoflavones seem to reduce the symptoms of the menopause by behaving like oestrogen.
Soya can add to its list of health benefits an anti-cancer effect. It seems that soya as a regular part of the diet can protect against hormone-related cancers such as breast, prostate and colon cancers.
Unlike some foods, soya has a low glycaemic index (GI) which helps the body to better control its blood sugar levels – there are no 'spikes' in glucose after eating soya protein.
Soya seems to possess all the necessary characteristics to be a food source that provides great health benefits and it is no surprise that more and more people enjoy it in the form of soya sprouts, soya beans or even processed as soya milk, tofu, tempeh, soya sauce or miso.
For recipes and ideas on how to introduce Soya into your diet, check out http://www.alprosoya.co.uk/
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