Soy 101
Welcome to the exciting and healthy world of soy! Whether you are new to soy foods or have been enjoying them for years, you will be happy to know that there is a lot of good news about soy and what it can do for your health.
We are living longer than ever before. However a longer life increases our risks of developing the chronic diseases that come with aging. Throughout our lives prevention is essential to maintaining a healthy and active life. In any disease prevention program, diet is a vital ingredient.
Eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol are important components to a healthy lifestyle. Soy foods in particular contain no cholesterol, protect against heart disease, and taste great. Exciting new studies indicate that soy foods show promise for boosting mental ability and protection against bone loss and some types of cancer.
As a case-study, worldwide health statistics show that Asian peoples typically enjoy much lower rates of heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis, chronic diseases that plague the United States and other Westernized cultures. Perhaps more telling is the fact that Asians lose this health advantage when they adopt western eating habits. This observation has led researchers and scientists to focus on the health benefits of soy, because soy foods are a primary source of protein in many Asian countries.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that soy protein consumption (at least 25g per day) included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels.
Soy is also a great addition to your weight-loss and weight maintenance program. Soy, a complete protein, has been shown to increase satiety, the feeling of fullness, which means you have less desire to eat more calories during the day! Wholesome soy food can replace foods in your diet that might be adding to your daily caloric intake as well as saturated fat and cholesterol intake. When you need a quick snack, try crunching on guilt-free and flavorful healthy soy chips or soy bars . It’s simple to make Soy foods a healthy component of your weight loss program.
Studies confirm that soy foods boost health at all ages! Whether you are interested in being more heart healthy, wanting to lose weight, or seeking healthful snacks, soy foods can fit into every lifestyle. Scientists continually study the soybean and find exciting new ways soy foods can benefit your general health. So Gain Health, Lose Weight, and Eat Soy!
Soy 101 - FAQs
What exactly is soy?
Soybeans are a high-protein legume, or bean, grown as food for both humans and livestock. The word soy is derived from the Japanese word shoyu (soy sauce/soya sauce). The soy plant has the highest-quality protein of any plant food, and its high level of protein content is considered equivalent to animal foods. Soy is considered to be a complete protein, like meats, meaning that it provides all the essential amino acids your body needs but doesn’t produce on its own.
Where do soy products come from?
Very simply, soy products come from soybeans! Soybeans are vegetables grown and harvested in Asia and have been included in the Asian diet for centuries. The soy bean has now been developed into an ever-increasing array of products for consumption here in the United States. Genisoy is a leading provider of the highest quality, best tasting and most affordable soy products available.
Can soy really help my heart?
The most simple and primary ways to keep your heart healthy are through diet, exercise, stress-reduction and regular medical checkups. As part of your diet, soy is a proven way to help maintain a healthy heart. Researchers have been investigating the effects of soy foods and soy protein on risk factors for heart disease for several decades. A ground-breaking study in 1995 concluded that consuming soy protein rather than animal protein significantly decreases blood levels of total cholesterol and LDL. It is now widely accepted that soy protein does decrease high blood levels of LDL, and consuming as little as 25 grams of soy protein per day has been shown to lower cholesterol in individuals with high cholesterol levels. Again, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that soy protein consumption included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels.
Can soy really help prevent cancer?
Cancer is the second largest killer in the United States and the most dreaded disease. A number of research studies support the idea that soy foods and soy protein and/or the isoflavones in soy have anti-cancer properties. Some research suggests that the isoflavone genistein has antioxidant properties that may explain its anti-cancer effect. Other studies have shown that the isoflavones in soy may help interfere with the growth and multiplication of cancer cells. The practical aspect of soy protein and possible cancer prevention is simple. Soy protein with naturally occurring isoflavones may well help prevent certain types of cancer. And soy isoflavones have not been shown to have any negative effects when they are consumed in the amounts typically present in foods. It’s definitely a “win-win” situation!
How about osteoporosis?
Again, researchers observe that fewer Asian women have Osteoporosis (Fujita ’96), even though they consume less calcium (Messina & Messina ’94). One reason appears to be the amount and type of protein they consume. The more protein we eat, the more calcium we flush out of our body (Kerstetter & Allen ’89). However, vegetable protein, such as soy protein, causes much less calcium reduction, through excretions, than animal protein (Breslau et al., ’88). These and more recent studies indicate a potential role for soy protein with isoflavones in maintaining bone health in postmenopausal women.
Can soy help with symptoms of menopause?
Although menopausal symptoms are rarely life-threatening, sufferers can be miserable from hot flashes; insomnia; heavy sweating; headaches; mood swings; nervousness and irritability, sometimes for many years. While some 85% of women in Western cultures have hot flashes and night sweats, less than 10% of Japanese women have hot flashes and less than 4% have night sweats (Oddens, ’94). This has led researchers to focus on the possible effects of the soy foods so abundant in the Japanese diet. Albertazzi and her colleagues (’98) studied the effect of isolated soy protein on hat flashes in postmenopausal women. The 104 women in the study received either 60 grams of isolated soy protein or 60 grams of milk protein per day for three months. Women in the soy protein group had a 26% reduction in the mean number of hot flashes by week 3, a 33% reduction by week 4, and a 45% reduction by the end of week 12. The study revealed that the soy protein group had significantly fewer hot flashes than the milk protein group.
More Information:
If you are looking for more information about soy, please see the links below.
www.soyfoods.org
www.talksoy.com
References:
Soy Foods Association of America (www.soyfoods.org)
