Soy originates from soybean plants, which are a part of the legume family. High in protein, soybeans promote all the essential amino acids needed for optimal health. It also consists of mostly healthy fats and serves as an excellent source of calcium and iron. While calcium builds strong bones and teeth, iron transports oxygen to tissue and muscle cells. Soy additionally consists of isoflavones, which are antioxidants that promote health benefits. Two to three servings of soy-enriched foods a day will enhance a healthy diet. Soybeans, soy ‘milk’, and tofu are common foods to consume that will provide efficient benefits.
Soy does not only have nutritional value, but it also supplies a wide range of other health benefits. It can naturally battle several life-threatening, harmful illnesses that modern medicine still struggles to combat. Not only does it boost heart health and digestion, but it can potentially prevent cancer-breast cancer in particular. Additionally, it might prevent birth defects, control diabetes, improve bone health, circulation, and metabolic activity, and relieve menopausal symptoms and sleep disorders. As it promotes healthy weight gain, you can ensure that your weight gain is likely attributed to the healthy benefits of soy. It’s a rarity to find a natural, healthy food that healthily combats a wide range of diseases and illnesses.
You will want to monitor your consumption of soybeans because an excess of anything can cause issues. Because each person differs, the serving size and reaction to soy will be different. An excess of soybeans can trigger an allergic reaction and kidney stones. However, this is not common nor destined to happen to every person. If you notice symptoms of these two issues, decrease your intake, but you won’t want to obliterate soy from your diet unless need be because of its amazing health factors. If you are facing severe health issues or are pregnant, you will want to consult a doctor to ensure you are consuming an appropriate amount.
1. Prevent Cancer
Soy’s ability to prevent cancer is one of its most amazing advantages. As it’s already been addressed, soybeans are rich in antioxidants that help the body neutralize free radicals in your body that cause cancer. It consists of many phytochemicals and compounds that combat cancer. It contains saponins that potentially lower blood cholesterol, prevent cancer, and affect blood glucose levels.
The phenolic acids in soy are currently being studied to discover if they prevent the spread of cancer cells in the body. Phytic acid exists as a beneficial antioxidant in soy. The enzyme-regulating proteins feature protease inhibitors and protein kinase inhibitors. Sphingolipids are another constituent of this food that aid in regulating cell growth and in the destruction of abnormal cells and the progression of tumors.
With these components in mind, it is safe to say that the product is overflowing with active ingredients to ward off cancer. Soy isoflavones successfully help reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers in particular. Genistein, the most predominant isoflavones found in soy, inhibits the carcinogenesis, making it an excellent chemoprevention and/or treatment of cancer. The specific necessary intake to prevent cancer is not known, but two servings a day is safe to consume.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]2. Boost Heart Health
Soy additionally boosts heart health. As high fat animal foods and dairy products are replaced with soy, heart health is promoted. It is proven that 20 grams of this product’s protein daily reduces LDL cholesterol. Post-menopausal women also may potentially notice a reduction in their blood pressure when it is included in their diets. The fiber content in soybeans can lessen cholesterol absorption in your body and remove layers formed on the surface of your arteries. The fatty acids in soybeans can reduce blood pressure. With lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, you will have a healthier heart and cardiovascular system. It reduces your chances of a heart attack or stroke.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]3. Relieve Menopausal Symptoms
Roughly only 25 percent of women have no symptoms once they reach menopause, leaving the majority of women in a miserable fit of side effects. Menopause can be a dreaded time for women, and they need to consume the most beneficial foods in their diet to help them climb through this period of time. Soybeans’ isoflavones relieve menopausal symptoms for women. The reduction of estrogen levels can create tedious symptoms for a woman, but soybeans help by copying their effect in the body. Soybeans target and relieve symptoms such as hot flashes, moodiness, insomnia, and other painful cumbrances. In fact, some women consistently include soybeans in their diet as a natural, simple alternative to estrogen therapy.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]4. Boost Digestion
As another advantage, soy boosts digestion. Soybeans are packed with high amounts of quality fiber. The fiber imbedded in soybeans is extremely efficient in treating digestive system issues. The fiber content not only boosts digestion, but it also eliminates toxins from your body. Fiber effectively bulks up your stool, allowing it to easily travel through your digestive system. Additionally, the fiber in soybeans prompts peristaltic motion, which is the contraction of the smooth muscles that move the food throughout your system. Soybeans are an excellent remedy for digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, and bloating. These digestive burdens can result in more severe conditions if not treated or relieved. The fiber content in soybeans combats these issues while boosting proper digestion.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]5. Improve Bone Health
Soybeans are enriched with vitamin and mineral content that promote healthy bones. Soybeans improve bone health through the sufficient levels of zinc, magnesium, calcium, copper, and selenium. Each of these components are necessary for the growth of new bones and for the healing process of damaged or broken bones. The significant amounts of antioxidants in soybeans potentially increase your bone density, which naturally results in stronger bones. These vitamins and minerals in soybeans improve bone health by solving problems such as osteoporosis, which commonly affects you as you age. A diet enriched with soy especially prevents osteoporosis in menopausal women due to the isoflavones.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]6. Prevent Birth Defects
Pregnant women undoubtedly need to include soybeans into their diet. Soybeans are enriched with high levels of vitamin B complex and folic acid, which are crucial components in a pregnant woman’s diet. Folic acid actively prevents neural tube defects in babies. Congenital disabilities can be associated with low levels of folic acid and vitamin B complex. Therefore, increased consumption of soybeans can reduce these disabilities. While pregnant, you will want to be extra diligent to monitor your intake since you have to take into account both your and your baby’s health. While soybean products do prevent birth defects, you wouldn’t want it to trigger another issue. Moderation is key, and one to two servings daily is an adequate, safe amount. It is important that you consult your doctor first to ensure that you aren’t consuming too much or too little.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]7. Improve Circulation
Soybeans consist of iron and copper in abundance. Both of these minerals are crucial to the formation of red blood cells. In order for your body to function properly, it needs a sufficient amount of red blood cells so that the organ systems can receive the blood flow and oxygen that is essential to them. This increases energy levels and metabolic activity, and it prevents harmful illnesses such as anemia. The healthy level of red blood cells not only prevents anemia but also poor circulation. Poor circulation affects every important organ in your body. The copper and iron in soybeans effectively regulate blood circulation. When blood circulation is regulated, it is also improved.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]8. Control Diabetes
Controlling diabetes is another healthy advantage of soy. Diabetes has been on a constant increase worldwide. Luckily, the isoflavones and magnesium found in soybeans can improve the sensitivity of insulin in your body, which controls diabetes. Soybeans are known to increase the insulin receptors in the body, which effectively manage the disease more efficiently or prevent it all together. Those who suffer from diabetes typically have a lower level of magnesium in their body. An increased intake of soybeans can boost this level of magnesium. With both increased insulin receptors and magnesium levels, you will be able to manage or control diabetes more victoriously.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]9. Relieve Sleep Disorders
Are you struggling with insomnia or another common sleep disorder? Soybeans might effectively combat this issue for you! Magnesium is known to enhance the quality and duration of your sleep. Since magnesium is heavily imbedded into soybeans, these could be a great food to include in your daily diet. Because many menopausal women suffer from insomnia, the soybeans can combat this tedious symptom for them. Far surpassing just menopausal women, the isoflavones are beneficial components that relieve sleep disorders in every person. While soy is not 100 percent guaranteed to relieve sleep disorders, nothing is. The levels of magnesium and isoflavones found in soybeans have reduced sleep disorders in many people.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]10. Healthy Weight Gain
Soybeans can be utilized to lose or gain weight. Seems contradictory, right? While soy-products have often been associated with suppressing appetites, they are also very rich in healthy fiber and protein content. When you consume soybeans in significant amounts, you will likely gain weight, but you will gain it in a healthy, nutritional way. Since soybeans aren’t high in fat or cholesterol, the weight gain is healthy. With this method of healthy weight gain, you will avoid harmful cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. As with anything, whether you lose or gain weight is contingent upon your portion sizes. For healthy weight gain, you will want to increase your consumption, but you don’t want to eat it in excess. Consult your doctor for his recommended amount.
[nextpage title=“Next” ]11. Improve Metabolic Activity
As you have realized, soybeans are high in protein content. Protein and metabolic activity often go hand-in-hand. When you have excellent sources of protein in your body, your metabolic activity and system are significantly improved and boosted. Cells, blood vessels, and nearly every part of the body have protein as their building blocks. The protein content imbedded in soybeans promotes the repairment or regrowth of damaged cells while maintaining optimal health. It is amazing to realize that you can receive the same amount of protein found in foods such as red meat and chicken in something as simple as soybeans. If you are a vegetarian, soy is an excellent source of protein for you. As the proteins improve metabolic activity, you will be feeling more energized and healthier overall.
