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They call it " Sunny Soybeans "
That
is the name soybeans received in countries where soybeans are
used for thousands of years and is a part of an everyday
menu.
History of soybeans is as old over 4000 years, over
2000 years before birth of Christ. Chinese cultivators are
said to recognize the real health value of this great yellow
jewel. Chinese Emperor Shen-nong declared it as one of the
five sacred crops. He compiled earliest known medical
treatise, which is translated as The Medical Bible of Yellow
Emperor. He researched the healing properties of over 100
plants and considered the soybean as most significant. It has
been an important food ingredient of China, Manchuria, Japan,
Korea, Malaysia, Tibet and Egypt over centuries. Though it
originated from Southwest Asia, now it is grown all over the
world. It is becoming increasingly popular in Europe and US
among health and diet conscious people.
In India Madhya
Pradesh tops the list of soybean producing states. Nearly 88 %
of soybean is produced in the state. During 1997-98 total
soybean production in the state was 49.19 metric tones which
was about 84.2 % of the total produce but since then the
production has gone up because of the more agriculture area
coverage.
Today soybeans play a very important part of
our life. It is recommended by doctors to prevent the growth
of some cancer cells and suppress the growth of existing once.
As a part of your every day diet, it will help to lower your
cholesterol. It is recommended by dietitians to help people
that suffer from obesity or diabetes to loose weight and lower
their sugar levels.
Thus soybeans not only provides
protein rich balanced food for various category of people of
various age groups but also the safe, healthy, nutritive food
as an alternative to number of food material Bauer Comfort
with its accumulated experience, technical expertise provides
best varieties of the ingredients of national and
international standard.
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Soybeans are packed with important nutrients,
including calcium, magnesium, and many B-complex vitamins. Eat
a half cup of boiled soybeans and you have consumed almost
half (about 44 percent) the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
of iron. You will also receive a significant amount of
calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and
vitamin B6 are also present in amounts significant enough to
consider soyabeans a good source these B-complex vitamins.
(Soya does not contain vitamin B-12, however, so vegetarians
must obtain that nutrient from another source.)
It is
also important to look at other chemical substances found in
soybeans, many of which are believed to have a significant
role in preventing cancer or retarding its growth. Many of
these substances are considered antioxidants, which as you may
know, neutralize the effects of free radicals. Free radicals
are potentially harmful molecules produced in the cells; while
there are various types of free radicals, all have the ability
to damage cells and impairs immunity. Nutrients such as
vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene are important antioxidants,
but other substances found in a variety of foods also have
antioxidant properties. Soya contains so many of these
valuable anti-cancer substances that this plant has become the
subject of many cancer prevention studies.
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The group of chemicals listed below belongs to a
family of substances collectively referred to as
phytochemicals. The prefix phyto is used to indicate that the
chemical is found in plants. These chemicals are not nutrients
in the strict sense of the word, yet in many cases, they prove
beneficial for humans in preventing or healing common
conditions or diseases. Consider, for example, that the bark
and leaves of the white willow tree contain a chemical called
salicylic acid. We know this substance as aspirin, the common
remedy for pain. (Aspirin may also play a role in preventing
heart attacks, so its place in medical practice is changing.)
Protease inhibitors:
These chemicals block
the work of an enzyme involved in protein digestion. On the
face of it, it would appear that this is a negative property
of soyabeans (and many other foods, particularly rice,
potatoes, and some beans). In fact, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture once used a process to remove this chemical from
soyabeans, believing it was better for growing children to
consume soy products free of protease inhibitors.
However,
other research has found that protease inhibitors actually
interfere with the damaging activity of much cancer causing
agents. So, rather than representing a risk, protease
inhibitors are potentially important in unraveling the mystery
surrounding the way cancer develops in the body. I will
discuss this issue more fully in a later chapter that deals
specifically with soy and cancer prevention and
treatment.
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Flavonoids :
This group of chemicals is
largely responsible for the yellow, red, or deep blue color in
fruits and flowers. Bioflavonoids are found in citrus fruits
and interest in them increased when Nobel Prize winner, Albert
Szent-Gyorgyi, demonstrated that the Bioflavonoids in citrus
fruits act like a vitamin in the body. Szent-Gyorgyi's
research led to further investigation and Flavonoids have been
discovered in numerous foods, including soyabeans. They are
also found in various vegetable families, cereal grains, green
tea, and some herbs. Flavonoids are thought to have
significant anti-cancer properties and act to inhibit enzymes
that stimulate cancer growth in its early stages.
Isoflavones :
These chemicals are related
to one of the 15 classes of Flavonoids, and are phytoalexins,
chemicals a plant produces to protect itself under stressful
conditions. Isoflavones are particularly important in our
discussion of cancer because they are phytoestrogens, meaning
that they contain the hormone estrogen and are involved in
estrogen metabolism. (Again, the prefix phyto indicates that
these estrogens occur in plants.) The story is more complex,
however, because it appears that isoflavones actually negate
harmful effects of estrogen and may therefore play a role in
preventing breast cancer--and other cancers as well. According
to some experts, Soya is the single most important source of
phytoestrogens, making it potentially one of the premier foods
involved in preventing some forms of cancer. Genistein and
diadzein are two important phytoestrogens found in soyabeans.
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Polyphenols :
These compounds are also
anti-cancer chemicals found in numerous plants, including
soyabeans. They act as a form of chemical garbage collectors
as they go about neutralizing cancer-causing agents in the
body. It is believed that these substances interfere with
other chemicals that promote tumor growth. Therefore, they
play a valuable role in suppressing the growth of cancerous
cells in the body.
Terpenes :
Found in
plant oils and resins, this class of antioxidant interrupts
cancer cell formation, thereby helping to negate the harmful
effects of cancer-causing substances.
Saponins
:
Saponins have antioxidant properties, and further
investigation is needed to determine their specific role in
preventing cancer, specifically colon cancer. These chemicals
may also play a part in controlling cholesterol levels by
interfering with its absorption.
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Phytosterols :
Found only in plants,
phytosterols resemble cholesterol, but these chemicals may
help prevent heart disease rather than contributing to it.
Phytosterols are not absorbed in the intestines and instead
move to the colon, which may account for their potential role
in protecting against colon cancer
Phytate :
The important mineral phosphorus is stored in the body as
phytate. Like protease inhibitors, phytate was thought to be
harmful in that it binds with other minerals, such as iron,
and prevents their absorption in the intestines. However, the
characteristic that was once thought to be harmful may instead
be what gives it its ability to protect against colon cancer.
When phytate binds with iron, free radical formation is
inhibited. In this situation, phytate is acting as an
antioxidant substance. So, rather than being detrimental
because it inhibits iron absorption, phytate may act to keep
iron at a safe level in the body. Phytate may also enhance the
immune system and have a role controlling cell growth (note).
With the exception of isoflavones, many varieties of plant
foods contain these phytochemicals in varying amounts.
Populations, including Seventh Day Adventists in North
America, who eat a plant-based diet, have far lower incidence
of heart disease and many cancers. It is the isoflavone
content of Soya makes it unique among the staple plant foods
consumed by a majority of the world's populations. Soyabeans
offer high-quality protein and an array of protective
phytochemicals, and in addition, they are versatile, as shown
by the wide variety of foods produced from them.
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