Soy as a source of vegetable protein
Soybeans, Glycine max, are a species of plant in the legume family, or Fabaceae. They are cultivated for their seeds, which have a medium oil content and high-quality protein.
Used in China for 5,000 years, 2 they are now present in many traditional and new foods. Traditional preparations include unfermented and fermented.
Soybeans can be used and prepared in a variety of ways: as a legume, in sprouted soybean sprouts, in tofu (beancurd), tempeh (fermented soybeans), soy milk, soybean paste or miso, soy sauce and tamari sauce, and whole soybean flour.
Nutritional properties of soybeans
Soy is an excellent source of quality vegetable protein, as it is very rich in complete protein, 35% by weight. It contains all the essential amino acids, just like animal proteins such as meat, eggs, milk, and fish.
Soybeans are also rich in lecithin, with an extraordinary 2-2.5% content, which places them second only to eggs, which, at 3.7%, are the foods richest in lecithin.
Soy fats do not contain cholesterol and lack purine compounds, so they do not cause the formation of uric acid.
Soy is rich in brain-boosting nutrients, isoflavones, a type of plant estrogen that balances estrogen levels in the body. This makes soy useful during menopause because it increases bone mass and protects against menopause.
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