What is soy, what it is useful and harmful for the human body

Soy is a legume, which is shrouded in an aura of constant scandal and exaggeration. Known before our era, it became fashionable outside Asia, only in the twentieth century, and immediately speculation began. On the part of those to whom it was profitable to use it, sounded loud and even seems to be proven hypothesis that soy:

• killing bad cholesterol, significantly reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease;
• reduces the likelihood of cancer – and especially breast cancer;
• very useful during menopause, reduces its impact on the body.

The benefits for the mind, improving the absorption of minerals, rich in vitamins and minerals – it looked as if the humanity had fallen the true manna from heaven.

On the other hand, those soybeans were not profitable, sounded quite different. That soy:

• harmful to the thyroid gland and can cause hormone disease;
• leads to dementia and people who do consume in old age will remain Imbeciles;
• does not reduce the chance of cancer, but increases it;
• adversely affects the absorption of minerals and can lead to an imbalance;
• has a negative effect on the ability of women to ovulation and may cause infertility.

From this point of view it looked like unscrupulous manufacturers try to sell consumers a real poison that kills them slowly and painfully.

The truth, as always, somewhere in the middle. If the use of soybeans was as great as was alleged, it has long been prescribed to patients of cardiovascular diseases and the whole world would have used it in an attempt to protect themselves from cancer. If the dangers of soy was so great as was supposed, have long recognized it would be unfit for human consumption and ceased to sell.

What are the advantages of soy for the human body

Despite loud statements often are based on dishonest research, soya helpful – although nothing miraculous in it.

• Soy contains large amounts of protein that can replace animal and be no less effective for the body. It is typical for legumes – fifty grams of soybean contains half of the necessary for an adult per day of protein.

This is the main advantage of soybean. It can replace red meat in nutritional value, without increasing the content in the body of harmful cholesterol.

• There is speculation that soy can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. Scientific studies that conclusively proved it would not exist, but there are observations according to which women who regularly consume soy, suffer from breast cancer are much rarer than others. It depends on the level of estrogen in the body, which affects soybeans. For other types of cancer, however, has no effect.

All the other replicated the "useful properties" of scientific evidence are not in principle. Soya – simply delicious, rich in protein, product that is useful to use instead of fatty red meat and which fits perfectly into the diet of vegans.

There is nothing sacred or miraculous in it. The demonic, however, too.

The possible dangers of soy

Soya threat – but only in a limited sense:

• Soy can affect the thyroid and even lead to the development of goiter and hormonal dysfunction. It contains trace elements that negatively affect metabolism. However, there is a simple antidote, completely terminating their action – iodine. If the person eats balanced, and his diet has enough iodine (if he gets it together with salt, mineral water, or special vitamin complexes), no effect on his thyroid gland of soybeans will not be rendered.
• Soy can negatively affect the absorption of minerals and vitamins – it contains specific substances that slow down the process. However, if one is careful to monitor their diet, to it threatens nothing. A sufficient amount of iron and calcium, vitamins C and D, zinc – if all of this goes into the body in normal amounts, soy reduce assimilation of a fraction of a cent and it will not affect health.

If a person is concerned about the fact that soy will prevent him from properly digesting the useful minerals, nothing prevents him to monitor their condition and carefully track symptoms short. Then, just in case he can quickly deactivate soy from the diet.

In addition to the proven negative impact that can be obtained if you don't watch your diet, there are assumptions about the dangers of soy:

• It is believed that soya can cause dementia, but no scientific evidence exists. Moreover, there are studies that refute this view and argue that people who use soy, brain age is still in the best condition. In fact, neither one nor the other opinion is no different from the implicit hypotheses.
• It is believed that soy can affect ovulation and cause infertility. All that the scientific community can say on this issue – not too well-founded research that claims contained in soy estrogens can slow down ovulation. Question in any case is not studied enough to declare products with soy reliable way to get hold problems with conception.

There are manyways to include soy in the diet – it comes in many forms.

What are soy products

The person who decided to begin to eat soy, you may find that just do not know what species it is – still on the territory of Russia is not the most common product. Meanwhile, there are:

• Soy meal. Oven from it – not a good idea, but it is used in the production of sausages, and based on it make most soy products.
• Milk and dairy products. Soy yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese – all this is quite possible and useful not only for vegans and people who want to replace animal fat in the diet, but for those who suffer from lactose intolerance. The taste of the milk is sweeter than cow's, but differs not too much. It can be used in baking, and over time, it sours.
• Soy meat. Can be ground to crumbs in this embodiment, it is used to replace meat. Can be pieces of different sizes, in this embodiment, it is used in various stews and porridges. The main advantage of this meat is that it is cheap and swells nearly four times, while retaining nutritional value. The taste is certainly different from real meat and more like mushrooms, but if you combine it with tomato or cream sauce will still be delicious.
• Soybean oil. Used as a replacement for conventional vegetable, the taste is no different from an ordinary refined oil. Somewhat easier to digest.
• Tofu. Soy cheese, one of the main ingredients for Asian dishes. It can make soup, add it to soba and udono, pickle it, braise it, broil it. Pronounced taste of it no, because it goes well with sauces.
• The soy sauce. Cheap salty sauce, which is also used in Asian cuisine. They can fill virtually anything – from a combination of noodle with meat to the banal boiled rice. It is considered useful is usually served with sushi.
• Tempeh, Yuba, miso, natto. All the ingredients of Asian cuisine, which can be used to make many delicious and healthy dishes, which seem very original.

Soy products, if skillfully to use them in cooking, can add variety to the diet and make it much more interesting.

Recipes with soy products

The most interesting and original recipe is the recipe of miso soup in Japan is very popular, but in Russia not too common. The ingredients you need to buy in advance – at the local supermarket they definitely will not. This is best done on special websites via the Internet will be cheaper and you can get a discount for a bulk order.

You will need:

• five tablespoons of wakame seaweed;
• four tablespoons of Dashi broth;
• four tablespoons of miso paste;
• fifteen pieces dried shiitake mushrooms;
• three hundred grams of tofu;
• two liters of water.

Wakame – dried seaweed, which are extensively used in Japanese cuisine. Rich in micronutrients and are considered useful. Dasi – rich fish broth, which is sold in a concentrated dry form. Miso paste from soy beans. Shitake mushrooms, the taste is a little different from the usual Russians. Tofu is soy cheese.

Instruction is not very complicated:

• mushrooms in a bowl, pour boiling water and leave for ten minutes;
• seaweed in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave for ten minutes;
• miso, pour a glass of warm water and mix thoroughly;
• tofu carefully cut into cubes – it crumbles and falls apart if you press;
• from algae to drain the water, squeeze them to the relative dryness;
• mushrooms put them in a saucepan, pour a liter of hot water and boil ten minutes;
• remove the pan from the heat, cover the soup and dry soup mix as follows;
• pour in miso soup and stir again;
• add to the soup seaweed and stir again.
• return the pot to the heat and bring to a boil, turn off and infuse for five minutes;
• before serving in each bowl you can add a handful of green onions.

It looks like the basic recipe is miso, which you can change and modify at will. If you add a variety of greens, put the egg instead of mushrooms, add pork or finely chopped fish, put chicken or potatoes, add vegetables – taste of is clearly not to deteriorate. This is the main advantage of miso soup – it is not only useful, but also gives a scope for experiments.

Much more familiar will seem the person who wants to try soy, vegetable stew recipe for cooking that you will need:

• two hundred grams of soy meat;
• carrot, onion, sweet pepper and tomato on one piece;
• two hundred grams of mushrooms;
• garlic – two cloves;
• dill – beam;
• pounds of potatoes;
• a small ginger root;
• soy sauce;
• spices – curry, oregano, Basil;
• a tablespoon of wine and vegetable oil.

We must act consistently:

• chop the mushrooms, pepper, carrot and onion;
• sauté for two minutes over high heat;
• soy meat five minutes to boil in water with a spoon of soy sauce;
• potatoes clean and cut;
• tomatoes cut into rings;
• peel and grate the ginger and garlic;
• add to vegetables and mushrooms ginger, garlic, spices and a spoonful of wine;
• mix all together in a deep pan, cover with foil andput in the oven for half an hour, at a temperature of two hundred degrees;
• a minute before you get the pan, remove the foil to get a Golden crust.

The dish will not become worse if in the end sprinkle it with herbs and pepper.

Soya – a diverse, interesting product that can significantly enhance the diet and an assortment of used dishes.