The Truth About Soy – Over 5000 Years Old and Going Strong
There’s been a lot of negative press about soy, but soy products have many health benefits that are very important for great health, and soy has been a basis for the Asian culture for 5000 years.
Soy has been talked about by the Mayo Clinic as an important non-animal based protein that’s important for weight loss, helping with menopause symptoms, helps with inflammation, boosts athletic performance, builds a strong heart and lungs, prevents cardiovascular disease such as atherosclerosis, lowers the risk of prostate cancer and breast cancer, and enhances the function of the nervous system. Plus it also builds strong bones… and lowers the risk of cancer.
Soy contains lots of great isoflavones, protein, and fiber that help with colon health. There needs to be a good balance of estrogen and testosterone in the body… and soy helps keep that balance in check.
Soy is a staple in almost every Asian country… and they don’t have any more risk of cancer and other diseases… than what’s found in any other developed countries. In fact in the “China Study” it was found that those who consumed plant based protein including soy had a 95% lower chance of coming down with cancer, heart disease, and other diseases. But those who consumed animal based protein had a large increase in cancer… compared to those who consumed plant based foods.
Even the FDA approved soy as a way of lowering LDL cholesterol because of human trials with both men and women. Plus soy lowers the risk of coming down with osteoporosis. And the University of Minnesota has shown that soy may be a cure for children with leukemia. And at the University of Hawaii studies show that eating soy can lower the risk of uterine cancer.
And Soy contains lots of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that are important for lowering your risk of cancer… and for great cardiovascular health and for great looking skin. Plus Omega oils also are powerful antioxidants that help with inflammation, and remove free radicals from the body… thus helping to prevent disease. At the same time soy improves flexibility of blood vessels, and makes blood vessels able to change with changing blood pressure while exercising.
Soy milk is very low in sugar with only 7 grams of sugar per cup… compared to over 12 grams of sugar in cow’s milk. And soy milk is lower in calories with only 80 calories per cup which is similar to non-fat milk.
Soy is full of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids that lower cholesterol, and also lowers triglycerides… and they help to increase HDL high density lipids… thus creating cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of other diseases. The University of Kentucky did a study showing that eating 30 grams of soy per day lowered LDL or bad cholesterol… and was deemed important for good cardiovascular health.
Prostate health – With 1 in 6 men in the US coming down with prostate cancer every year… Soy products have their place by lowering testosterone production… and thus helping to reduce prostate enlargement and cancer.
Some feel that soy is the number “ONE” beneficial food on the market with great abilities for maintaining cardiovascular health, prostate health, strong bones, and boosts the immune system for a better health and vitality.
Of course stay away from processed foods that contain soy, any processed food is not going to do your body good… and thus will end up causing disease. And GMO soy has a long list of terrible disease causing attributes that should be eliminated from your diet… make sure you eat nothing but Non-GMO soy foods and even sprouted Non-GMO Soy Foods. And there are lots of None GMO soy foods on the market now.
And research shows that even though soy protein is lower in protein than meat or eggs… when digested it was exactly comparable to that of meat and eggs.
Soy also contains powerful antioxidants such as genistein that increases glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, gultathione peroxidase which are all important boosting your immune system. And genistein has been shown to slow tumor growth and formation thus helping to prevent breast cancer and prostate cancer. This works together with proper nutrition with fresh fruits and veggies which is important for prevent cancer. And in the American Diet there’s a lack of fresh fruits and veggies… which is a big reason we have so much cancer, along with all the GMO foods.
Also soy contains glycinins, lunasin, and conglycinins that regulate blood sugar, regulate blood pressure, and boost the immune system. Also the American Diabetes Association recommends taking in soy for good blood sugar regulation, and consuming 200 grams of soy per day has shown to prevent Type II Diabetes.
Soy also contains phenolic compounds similar to green tea… also phytosterols for lowering cholesterol, peptides needed for boosting immune health, and saponins that are important immunity and lowering cholesterol.
In the Asia soy beans are consumed as whole beans and fermented products that are doubly good for the body. In Asia soy is sprouted, roasted, and fermented and the whole food is then consumed. In the US much of the soy is process, with the outer hull removed, and that outer hull is important for health. And chemicals may be used in the processing of soy in the US… which is not the case in Asia and Europe… make sure to ask for whole soy bean products for good health.
In Asia people consume up to 200 grams of soy a day… and have no adverse health effects, and in the US we eat less than 20 grams per day. In fact some of the oldest people on earth live in the rural areas of Japan and consume soy… and they live to be over 100 years old on a regular basis.
Soy contains lots of nutrition including – B Vitamins for energy and mood enhancement, potassium for cardiovascular function, copper and iron for anemia, manganese for clotting and memory, tryptophan for a good night’s rest, phosphorus for strong bones, Vitamin K for keeping blood moving along smoothly, fiber for colon health, and molybdenum for enzyme formation and cancer prevention.
Some people digest soy well and others not… in Asia people digest soy and they break it down into equol which is a phytonutrient that’s similar to isoflavan. Only 30% of the people in the US have the ability to break down soy in this way. This is probably because of poor colon health… meaning we lack the needed probiotics to manage soy. This is not a problem with soy… but a problem with the overall colon health of the American people… and another reason we have lots of colon cancer.
Also in Japan where they eat lots of fermented soy products people have high amounts of Vitamin K in their tissues, and in the US this is not true, most people lack lots of Vitamin K which is also found in green veggies. And Vitamin K is important for preventing osteoporosis and promoting good bone density. And osteoporosis is very common in the US… but uncommon countries like Japan that consume lots of soy.
Some of the soy foods that I love are sprouted tofu, soy bean sprouts, tempeh, natto, miso, cooked soy beans, and soy sauce. Most of them are fermented soy which has additional powerful health benefits.
And I also happen to know friends in Japan who have wonderful health and vitality and they eat soy every day.
You can find soy products just about everywhere.
Click HERE to Connect with your Daily Horoscope!
Dr. Paul Haider – Master Herbalist and Spiritual Teacher for over 20 years, helping people to recover and feel healthy. You can also find Dr. Haider on FB under Dr. Paul Haider, Healing Herbs, Shambala Spiritual Transformation Institute, Meditation for the Soul, and Relax Into Success, Punjab teas, and at www.paulhaider.com – feel free to contact him any time. Also check out Dr. Haider’s radio show at http://www.thesourcecenterradio.com/The-Relaxed-Soul.html June show to be about “Divine Particles”
Dr. Paul Haider is a Master Herbalist and Spiritual Teacher for over 20 years, helping people to recover and feel healthy. You can also find Dr. Haider on FB under Dr. Paul Haider, Healing Herbs, and at www.paulhaider.com - feel free to contact him any time.