Eat soya for healing and nutrition
More
often than not, when you have the opportunity to speak with aged people
— say people in their 80s, the most important question that usually
comes to mind is the secret of their longevity, especially in this part
of the world where life expectancy is less than 50.
One thing usually stands out in their
answers, and it’s the fact that they eat more plant foods and less of
animal protein — in addition to other healthy habits that they have
maintained over the years, such as not smoking, and not taking alcoholic
or sugary beverages.
And in these days of ‘preventive
medicine’ which aims at nipping diseases in the bud before they find
time to thrive in the human body, physicians also encourage us to dump
junk and processed foods in favour of natural, lightly cooked foods.
There are many foods which, when taken
in reasonable quantity, can yield maximum health benefits in a lifetime.
One of such foods is soya beans, which nutritionists describe as not
only versatile but also nutritional in many ways than one.
Nutritionists say soya beans are
legumes. Other foods in the legume family include peanut, navy beans,
kidney beans, lima beans, string beans, pinto beans, chickpeas (garbanzo
beans), lentils, peas, black-eyed peas, and licorice.
Soya-based foods
Consultant nutritionist, Dr. Simeon
Oladimeji, notes that soya could be eaten as a meal, or processed into
oil to make what is popularly known as soya bean oil; it can be made
into flour for variety of foods such as bread and cake. And it can also
be used to enrich local staples such as amala, tuwo, semovita/semolina, masara and lafun (cassava flour).
The online portal, whfoods.com,
writes that soya could be processed into dairy foods such as milk,
cheese and yoghurt; or you could have soya burger and soya ice cream.
For vegetarians and vegans, soya also comes handy as meat substitute,
such as the protein-rich tofu (soft cheese-like food).
Soya beans could also be made into truly
nourishing baby formula, experts say. And, as animal feeds, scientists
say soya could be processed into non-fattening animal feed for poultry,
livestock and aquatic animals such as fish.
For malnutrition
Scientists say that in regions where
people are severely malnourished due to lack of access to nourishing
foods, consuming soya-based meals will not only reverse the health
implications of malnutrition, it will also restore good health and help
in maintaining sound health as the victim continues to eat the meals.
This much is confirmed by scientists at
the World Initiative for Soya in Human Health. The WISHH scientists
enthuse, “Bringing soya protein to the over 800 million undernourished
people worldwide, including 200 million children, can make a difference
in lives today and in the future. This is because soya is well suited to
provide the protein, calories and other nutritional needs of such
people.”
Reduced disease risks
Beyond solving the problem of
malnourishment, researchers say, eating soya meals can confer
cardiovascular health on people. Researchers at Deakin University,
Australia, disclose that though oestrogen may protect women against
coronary heart disease during their reproductive years, rates of
coronary heart disease do increase remarkably after menopause.
“Soya beans have been shown to lower
total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, both known risk factors
for coronary heart disease,” the researcher says.
They explain further that in a study,
they discovered that people who ate soya-based meals showed evidence of
lowered blood pressure, and also had improvements in their blood
vessels, such as greater elasticity of artery walls.
“Also, there was evidence of reduced
risk of osteoporosis, protection against various cancers, including
those of the breast, colon, prostate and skin; and in the management of
endometriosis,” the researchers say.
Again, the Marketing Manager of All
Tech Nutrients Limited, a food additives and concentrates company, Mr.
Chimezie Obialor, says scientific researchers have shown variously that
eating soya-based meals can reduce the risk of some health problems,
including coronary heart disease.
“This is because soya beans contain
hormone-like substances called phytoestrogens that mimic the action of
the hormone oestrogen. As such, health benefits for menopausal women may
include fewer hot flushes and lowered risk of osteoporosis,” Obialor
says.
Nutritionist Oladimeji says this is
because whole soya foods such as soya milk, soya yoghurt, soya bread and
tofu are high in phytoestrogens — oestrogen-like chemicals found in
plant foods.
Indeed, the United States agency, Food
and Drug Administration, officially recognised the cholesterol-lowering
effects of soya protein in 1999.
Prevents hair loss, prostate cancer
Men who live in mortal fear of alopecia (hair loss) and prostate cancer also have some hope in soya beans, experts say.
According to a study published in the journal Biology of Reproduction,
both prostate cancer and hair loss in men can be prevented by consuming
soya products. The researchers say this is because eating soya-based
foods leads to the creation of a unique molecule in the intestines
called equol.
“This equol blocks the function of dihydrotestosterone — a male sex hormone responsible for stimulating prostate cancer and causing male pattern baldness,” the researchers say.
Scientists also found that when men eat
soya meals regularly, the isoflavones found in soya can help in lowering
incidence of prostate cancer.
Indeed, a study of human prostate cancer
cells demonstrated that isoflavones block cell cycling, thereby helping
to protect the body from the proliferation of cancerous cells in the
prostate.
“At high concentrations, isoflavones
induce apoptosis, the appropriate self-destruction of worn-out or
abnormal cells. In healthy men, isoflavones protect cells from free
radical damage,” researchers say.
For diabetics
Apart from tofu, another meat-replacement food that can be made from soya is tempeh
(chunky, tender, fermented soybean ‘cake’). Oladimeji says tempeh is an
excellent meal that people who have diabetes can count on.
The online portal, naturalnews.com, notes that the high protein and fibre in tempeh can help to stabilise blood sugar at healthy levels, making it an excellent choice for diabetics.
“Since diabetics are susceptible to atherosclerosis and heart disease, keeping cholesterol levels low with foods like tempeh may be useful for preventing these problems,” nutritionists say.
They also reveal that tempeh
lowers high triglyceride levels. Physicians say triglycerides are a type
of fat that the body generates, in part, when we take in too many
calories than we actually need.
“High triglyceride level may lead to
atherosclerosis (thickening of artery walls), which increases the risk
of heart attack and stroke; while it may also cause inflammation of the
pancreas — the gland that produces juices that help break down food and
hormones that help control blood sugar levels. Eating the soya-based
tempeh will help these organs to function optimally,” Obialor notes.
Mineral magnet
Oladimeji says by replacing meat and
dairy with tofu and tempeh, alongside other soya foods, an individual
can significantly improve his intake of folate, vitamin K, calcium,
magnesium and iron.
He explains further, “At the same time,
replacement of all meat and dairy with soya-based foods will lower your
average cholesterol and saturated fat intake appreciably.”
As infant formula, physicians say,
soya-based baby milk is good for babies. And while many mothers fear
that their babies might not tolerate soya infant formula, researchers
say many infants can outgrow their allergy, but that if the allergic
reactions persist, the formula should be discontinued and medical help
sought. They also warn that a baby that is allergic to soya might also
be allergic to other foods in the legume family.
Last word
To get all the health benefits of soya,
scientists advise, eat it fermented — that is after it may have been
processed into the various types of foods that could be made from the
wonder beans.
http://www.punchng.com/healthwise/eat-soya-for-healing-and-nutrition
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