We all have heard that soy is a nutrient-packed food that can fulfill a lot of our nutritional needs, but there’s so much to learn and understand about soy and the soybean industry. Here is a little that I picked up recently.
Before I jump into the commercial use and production of Soy, let me briefly explain Soy and its significance in overall nutrition, especially for Vegan and Plant-based dieters.
Soy in Nutrition
- Protein: Soy is a good source of complete protein for those following a plant-based diet since it has a high-quality amino acid profile that is comparable to many animal-based complete proteins.
It’s almost 18 gm/100gm protein making it an excellent choice for consumption.
- Soybean and Heart Health: Studies have confirmed that polyunsaturated fat present in Soy has heart health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol among other things. Omega-3 fats and essential polyunsaturated fats which are heart-friendly lipids are known to be present in minimally processed soy foods.
- Soybean and Anaemia: Contrary to popular belief only iron is not enough to fix anemia. Hemoglobin is made of two parts – Heame which is the iron component and globin which is the protein component. This essentially means that in order to create hemoglobin and treat anemia efficiently, we need to supplement a good amount of protein in our diet and soy protein offers that in a comprehensive way.
- Soy isoflavones and skin – Phytoestrogens present in soy may combat skin aging and other detrimental effects of hypoestrogenism., There are medical reports that state phytoestrogens can boost collagen and water content while protecting the skin from oxidative stress. Soy’s phytoestrogen content may help fight skin aging and other negative impacts of hypoestrogenism.
- Fortified soy milk is also regarded as a superior source of calcium for the body since it is more easily absorbed than calcium derived from animals, which benefits bone health.
Soy is also a better source of nutrition for patients with special conditions such as epilepsy, or autism etc when casein, lactose or gluten can’t be provided.
Now that we are aware of the numerous health advantages of soy, let’s take a closer look at some soy-based items that are easier to incorporate into our diets.
Recently, I had the opportunity to interact with several people in the Soy production supply chain at the US Speciality Food Grade Soybean workshop in Delhi.
Where I learned about the specialty of soy, where soy is manufactured precisely to customer specifications, there is an Identity Preserved (IP) Soy Bean production where a certain kind of soy is grown and it is guaranteed to be 100% organic. IP Soy is a flawless method that offers 100% traceability for all products and ensures food quality and safety in finished goods.
Environmental Impact
And because everything we do has an influence on the environment, the US Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol (SSAP) is used in soy production to produce crops with the least possible environmental impact. The SSAP guarantees biodiversity, high carbon stocks, production methods that safeguard natural resources, and legal compliance with public and worker welfare.
Common Soy Products
Although soy consumption was once restricted to tofu and soy milk, soy is now a common ingredient in a variety of plant-based foods. The event featured demonstrations of soy-based travel-friendly dry milk powder, soy-based curd and lassi, soy-based specialty ice creams, soy-based fortified milk, and tofu cooked with a variety of masalas and textures.
Thanks for sharing beautiful article on Soy. We are Solite tofu manufacturers based out of Gurugram.
I’m very happy to read this. This is the kind of manual that needs to be given and not the accidental misinformation that’s at the other blogs. Appreciate your sharing this greatest doc.