Soybean: composition, soybean varieties. Dishes from soy. Soy is ...

Soy is one of the most controversial products, because it combines both benefit and harm. Almost every person, even if not specifically, but used to eat soy, because it can contain even the most common products - sausage, chocolate, mayonnaise and so on.

Soy homeland and its composition

Soy is home to East Asia, and the product itself belongs to beans. It was here that soybean was first grown. Whatever negative aspects this plant has, it can still be safely called one of the most valuable cultures in the world. A distinctive feature of soy is its composition, namely the high protein content. The protein component in these beans exceeds 40 percent and it should be noted that the quality of soy protein is not very different from vegetable protein . In addition, the plant is rich in useful minerals and vitamins. In the soybean, you can find iron, magnesium, phosphorus and other elements needed by the human body.

Benefits of soy

Since soy is a cheap enough product, it gained popularity not only due to its composition, but also due to its availability. This factor allows you to simulate products such as milk and meat, which in the traditional version are much more expensive. Now you can meet meat and milk from soybeans not only in vegetarian restaurants, but also in the menu of ordinary meat lovers, experiencing certain difficulties with money. However, it should be borne in mind that in large quantities soy can harm the body.

If we talk about the beneficial properties of soy, first of all, it is worth noting the presence in the composition of isoflavones, which reduce the risk of oncology, namely breast cancer. Also, products containing soy, have a low percentage of fat and carbohydrates. For this reason, the human body easily absorbs them. For example, tofu cheese based on soy is recommended to people who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Since soy is low in calories and does not contain cholesterol, it is often included in diets for those who want to lose weight. In this case, the big advantage is the satiety of these beans and as an added bonus, a large number of minerals and vitamins that are beneficial to health. Also, soy products are recommended to include in the diet to people who have been diagnosed with a second type of diabetes mellitus. This product corrects the metabolism of carbohydrates and normalizes the acid balance in the body. In addition, soy meat and milk can be consumed during fasting, which for many will be a very convenient solution. With proper preparation of soy products, it is very difficult to distinguish them from traditional ones.

Disadvantages of soy

However, despite the fact that soy is a valuable plant culture, this product can carry a danger to human health, therefore, before using it, you should carefully read all contraindications. In particular, soy can exert a depressing effect on the thyroid gland and disrupt the endocrine system. Doctors recommend not to give the children soy milk, as with regular use of them, they can often be diagnosed with thyroid gland diseases. There is also a version that for the female body some elements in the soybean are peculiar contraceptives, therefore, when planning to have a baby, it is better to exclude from the menu dishes from soy.

If you want to sit on a soy diet, it should be taken into account that it should be diluted with traditional food, since a large consumption of these legumes will not give the effect you expect, and even on the contrary, it can affect your health far from being the best. It is also worth mentioning here that the daily use of soybean triggers premature aging in the human body. Completely abandon such products need people suffering from a violation of the exchange of uric acid. It is strictly forbidden to use soya for those who have urolithiasis, because oxalates, which contain these amazing beans, can provoke the appearance of new stones. Also very cautiously to enter soya in a diet it is necessary for people who have an allergic reaction to legumes. In addition, some seriously embarrassed by the fact that soybeans often become an experimental object of geneticists, and accordingly, products from this plant can contain GMOs.

Soy and cholesterol

Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on whether soy is good or harmful, so in any case, when it's eaten, you should be very careful. In 1995, clinical trials were conducted on soybean beans, which led to the conclusion that, consuming about 50 grams of soybeans daily, you can lower cholesterol in the body, and accordingly reduce the risk of various cardiac diseases, including strokes and heart attacks. This norm in translation for finished products equals 680 grams of tofu or 8 glasses of soy milk. Nevertheless, it is not worthwhile to expect to reduce cholesterol alone with soy, as this requires a complex diet.

Soy and Cancer

To this day, scientists are racking their brains over whether soy products really prevent breast cancer. According to one version, on the contrary, they increase the risk of a serious oncological disease, since the soy composition is very diverse and some elements in it have an estrogen-like effect. Nevertheless, most still tend to the fact that regular consumption of products from soybean promotes the activation of anti-estrogenic effect, and accordingly, the risk of getting cancer is reduced to a minimum. Appropriate studies were conducted on Shanghai women, and it turned out that the group that consumed soy in adolescence, after a few years, had a nearly 60 percent lower risk of oncology.

Soy in Cooking

Before the different types of soybeans can be used in cooking, it must be prepared beforehand, namely, to soak the beans for a minimum of 12 hours. After that they are thoroughly washed, boiled until cooked and used for further use.

Among the finished products that contain soy, it is worth noting only tofu, milk and chocolate, but also various sauces, as well as meat.

Popular soy products

In cooking, soybean oil is actively used , which is obtained by cold pressing. They can fill salads, use for frying or baking. According to the taste characteristics, soya oil slightly resembles walnut. Presence of a small deposit in the bottle with soybean oil. For many, soy is the famous soy sauce, which goes well with Japanese cuisine, namely sushi and rolls. This sauce is obtained by fermenting boiled soybeans with ground roasted wheat.

It is worth mentioning and soy meat, which must be soaked before cooking. On sale you can find only dried meat semi-finished products with a content of soy, which in the water swell and take the desired shape.

Thus, it is not yet clear whether soy-based meals are useful, therefore, before eating foods containing these beans, it is worthwhile to weigh the pros and cons well, and it is better to consult a doctor in charge.