Top 3 reasons to include soy in your diet.
... and the type of soy products you should choose from.
Soy is a type of plant protein derived from soybean - a legume from East Asia. There are several soy products made from soybeans available in the market today such as:
Tofu
Tempeh
Edamame
Soy milk
Soy curd
Soy sauce
Soy flour
Miso
Soy products are gaining popularity among people who are going vegan, exploring plant-based diets, or are lactose intolerant. Let’s find out why -
Soy is a healthier protein source when compared to meat and eggs.
Soy is an excellent replacement for animal protein and does not contain the cholesterol that generally comes with meat. It is also low in saturated fats. Let’s look at the approximate protein content in some of the soy products -
100 grams of soybean contains 16 grams of protein
100 grams of tempeh contains 19 grams of protein
1 cup of unsweetened soy milk contains 7 grams of protein
Not just protein, soy is rich in fiber, phytoestrogens, antioxidants, and isoflavons. Animal protein lacks the same.
But how does it compare with eggs? Eggs should not be a part of your diet at all, watch this to know more:
People outside of Asia started including soy in their diet after noticing that a sizable Asian population tends to live longer and are less prone to chronic disorders. But is this information backed by data? Yes, it is!
Here’s why you must include soy in your diet:
Relieves menopause discomfort
Menopause starts after a woman’s last period and generally happens at the age between 40–50 years. Women going through menopause experience hot flashes along with other symptoms and soy is known to be helpful. The plant estrogen found in soy protects the body from calcium loss happening during this time.
Besides this, soy consumption has been linked to reduced risk of cancers for post menopausal women.
Protection from heart diseases
As mentioned earlier, soy does not have cholesterol, and therefore when it is a part of your regular meal, you don’t have to worry about high cholesterol in your blood test report. This protects from heart diseases.
Soy beans are also fiber- rich, improving gut motility and health. Heart diseases, like all other diseases can be tracked back to gut health.
Protection from cancer and diabetes
Studies have shown that unprocessed soy consumption protected Asian women from breast cancer risk. Soy contains genistein that prevents tumor growth in the body. Benefits of soy have been linked to slight protection from gastrointestinal, colon, and prostate cancer as well.
The nutrient-dense soy products help to manage insulin resistance in diabetic patients. It helps to keep blood sugar and body weight in check.
Ways to include soy in your diet.
Tofu can easily replace paneer in most Indian food preparations - tofu matar, tofu bhurji, palak tofu, chilly tofu, tofu tikka, tofu paratha, tofu roll, tofu fried rice, etc.
You can also replace the dairy milk in your daily chai with soy milk. Soy milk is also a great addition to your green smoothies!
My recommendation…
Soy generally gets a bad reputation because of the presence of estrogen in it. However, quality research has literally proven the very opposite. The phytoestrogen called isoflavon in soy literally helps control oestrogen dominance.
I would avoid ultra processed soy products like soy chunks and processed vegan meals though. Stick to minimally processed soy products like edamame, tofu, soy milk, tempeh and miso.
Minimally processed soy products will help you achieve and maintain your long-term health and fitness goals.