There is a lot of misinformation on the internet about soy and its health benefits or risks. This is a food of natural origin that has a high load of beneficial nutrients for the body, since it is made up of vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, copper and ZIncwhich help regulate metabolism.
For its part, it also has some ingredients that can be quite risky for the body, because it contains vegetable substances, which are considered by the Mayo Clinic as ‘natural estrogens’ that can produce adverse factors, of course, if its consumption is in excess.
Thus, some consumers have wondered about its true use. Is it beneficial? Is it used to treat diseases? can i eat it daily? What are the risks of eating soy regularly? Here we will try to solve some doubts, according to some studies.
Soy Benefits
Tofu is made from condensed soy drink and the process is similar to that used to make cheese.
The Argentine Society of Nutrition carried out a study in which some of the essential seed parameters and their potential health benefits, especially for the prevention of coronary diseases.
“In people with moderate hypertension (both men and women) the soybean consumption showed reductions in pressure. In this sense, the most extensive work was done in China with 300 hypertensive patients, who with 40 grams of soybean daily for 12 weeks lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 4 mm, and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 2 mm,” the document states. .
About 100 grams of cooked soybeans provide 127 kilocalories, 11.12 grams of protein, 5.67 fat, 9.95 carbohydrates and 3.8 grams of fiber, so it has properties that can help increase HDL cholesterol, the so-called ‘good’ cholesterol, and in reducing LDL cholesterol, the ‘bad’ cholesterol, while reducing triglycerides.
This can also be beneficial for bone mass, as some studies have mentioned its benefit for the prevention of osteoporosis and other bone-derived diseases.
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In addition, “A lifetime diet rich in soy foods reduces the risk of breast cancer in women. This protective effect is less dramatic in women who eat less soy or start eating soy later in life. Soy contains proteins, isoflavones and fiber, which provide health benefits, ”explains the Mayo Clinic on its official website.
risks
There are several myths about the risks of consuming the seed or products derived from soybeans on a daily basis. The strongest is its alleged link with the development of breast cancer and the decrease in testosterone, due to the fact that they have Isoflavones, molecules that structurally resemble estradiol, The body’s main estrogen, so it can be easily absorbed.
However, there is no need to be alarmed, since the studies carried out so far have not been able to determine the correlation between these diseases and the daily consumption of products derived from the seed.
However, if there are cases in which the excessive use of these inputs has generated serious ailments in patients, causing hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction associated with soy consumption in large quantities and for long periods of time of at least 8 and 12 months.
On the other hand, a study carried out by the University of Granada, through references to various international investigations, established that the “consumption of soy supplements in postmenopausal women or in patients at risk of contracting breast cancer could have null or even harmfuldue to its net proestrogenic effect.” being a fundamental factor the age and the regular use of these products.
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