Intrinsic ingredient of soy sauce fights back disease

Kristin's Kitchen
Wednesday, 01 April 2009
Source: theapp.appstate.edu

Stir fry welcomes it as one of its main flavor ingredients. It is used in many meat marinades and crock pot recipes.

Oh, the versatility of soy sauce.

This black sauce, native to Asia, has become a staple in many cabinets across America.

Interestingly enough, though the name implies a connection, soy sauce is made from a long-time Asian tradition, one which is prepared in my apartment quite often, actually.

There she goes again. My roommate is steaming those green pods thingies.

“Oh, she’s eating snow peas,” I thought. But I was wrong.

I head over to my nutrition class. My professor keeps mentioning alternate protein sources from plants that will reduce fat and calorie intakes from meat products.

Turns out, ‘soybean’ is the buzzword.

Though soybeans have been a prevalent item on this campus for some time, I just tried them this year at the sushi counter and from my roommate’s stash. After experiencing their salty, light and almost creamy taste, I followed in my roommate’s footsteps and bought some frozen ones for the freezer.

Japan-101 said it’s used in production of soaps, cosmetics, plastics, inks and biodiesel fuel.

So why are we consuming this product?

It’s not only for lactose-intolerant people, but for health professionals and consumers looking for a healthier lifestyle.

Ah, a return to the legumes. Why not? They’re one of the best things out there for you.

The taste is something difficult to describe, but that’s what makes them a refreshing part of the diet.

In 1999, the “Food and Drug Administration gave food manufacturers permission to put labels on products high in soy protein indicating that these foods may help lower heart disease risk,” according to the FDA Consumer Magazine.

The label often contains the Soy Health Claim, which says diets with 25 grams of daily soy protein, combined with low cholesterol and saturated fat intakes, can reduce heart disease risk.

According to the FDA, the product must contain at least 6.25 grams of soy protein, less than 3 grams fat, less than 1 gram of saturated fat, less than 20 milligrams of cholesterol and within a sodium range of 480 milligrams to 960 milligrams, depending on the size, to advertise the claim.

Pictsweet deluxe steamables edamame in the pod: a delicious option when you’re sick of your other frozen vegetables.

One half-cup serving of these babies contains 110 calories, 3 1/2 grams fat, zero saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, 8 grams of carbohydrate, 5 grams of dietary fiber and 5 grams protein.

This equates to 20 percent of daily fiber needs and helps fulfill a good amount of protein requirements, depending on daily needs.

I found out how much protein I personally need in a day from my nutrition class. You can take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. You then multiple that number by 0.8 grams per kilogram, the RDA for protein, to get your recommended daily amount in grams.

Just like fat, protein is a nutrient that should be consumed in moderation. If you’re not a body builder and need the extra protein to create healthy body (muscle) mass, you should be sure to stay in the recommended range because excess protein can be stored as fat and cause weight gain, nutritionists say.

Other benefits are that “soybeans contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition, which must be supplied in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the human body,” the magazine said based on research.

Also, the FDA concluded four soy servings each day “can reduce levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), the so-called ‘bad cholesterol’ that builds up in blood vessels, by as much as 10 percent. This number is significant because heart experts generally agree that a 1 percent drop in total cholesterol can equal a 2 percent drop in heart disease risk.”

You guys should know, however, these soy products are not “super foods” which will magically create health, according to the Center for Food Safety. They simply offer another healthy option to contribute towards a healthy diet.

In the last 10 years, some controversy has surfaced about how beneficial soy really is. It depends upon the person. Though protein benefits are fairly clear, FDA Consumer Magazine said researchers started raising questions in 2000.

The concern was not in whole foods with an intact soy protein such as soymilk or tofu, but in the chemical isoflavones soy products contain, often used in over-the-counter drugs to ease menopausal symptoms because of their estrogen-like compound.

So, at the time, it was inconclusive whether soy caused or prevented things like breast cancer. To be safe, consumption of soy as a whole food was the recommendation.

Reliable websites today like isoflavones.info reveal controversy still exists, but most of 1700 scientific publications discussing isoflavones recognize at least some benefit from them. Claims such as protection against prostate and breast cancer, ease in menopausal symptoms, heart disease and even osteoporosis are becoming more accepted.

Isoflavones are structured similarly to a body’s own estrogen, according to isoflavones.info.

“They can interfere with the action of our own estrogen. Depending on the type of estrogen receptor on the cells, isoflavones may reduce or activate the activity of estrogen.”

And the research continues. One thing’s for sure: whole soy foods are certainly beneficial.

If you’ve ever wondered about those green pods with the sushi and how they taste, go explore.

Don’t be fooled by the somewhat hairy exterior, though; and don’t judge a soybean by its cover. You won’t be eating the outside, just popping out the delightful, pea-sized beans.

If you don’t like them, you can always give them to your vegetarian friend.