Soybean is one of the ancient cultivated plants of the popular legume family. The fruits of this unique plant contain more than 30% protein, which is distinguished by the best combination of amino acids. Soybeans are rich in medicinal and nutritional substances.

The plant contains genistein, isoflavonoids and phytic acids. Such elements prevent the negative development of hormone-dependent forms of cancer, suppress the growth of tumors, and also stop the development of cardiovascular diseases.

Soy lecithin contained in this product plays one of the main roles in the body. This substance is involved in the restoration of nerve tissue and brain cells. In addition, it is lecithin that is responsible for thinking, learning, motor activity and memory. It perfectly regulates cholesterol levels in the blood and fat metabolism, allowing you to maintain functions at the unique level of a young body, that is, it helps fight not only diseases, but also aging.

Application of soybeans

Soy is an excellent side dish and base for vegetable stews and soups. Boiled soybeans are used to prepare delicious chops and cutlets. Healthy soy sauce can be an excellent substitute for salt. Natural soy products contain soluble fiber necessary for the human body. Soy meat is an excellent addition to pasta and cereals. Dry soy cream is intended to give soups a specific taste.

Soybean cultivation

Soybean is an unusual annual plant with a taproot thickened at the top and a large number of lateral roots. The fibrous straight stem of a green hue has side shoots. Small flowers have practically no smell. The trifoliate leaves of soybeans are lanceolate in shape.

Flowering directly depends on the growth of the plant. However, in cold weather, soybean flowering stops. The soybean fruit is presented in the form of an oblong bean with a flat, bicuspid shape. It is advisable to choose sunny areas for growing soybeans. It prefers sandy soils with a small arable layer. Soybeans produce an excellent harvest on chernozem or loamy soils that are well fertilized.

This unusual plant does not tolerate acidic and salty soils, as well as very swampy soils. Neutral soils are considered the best option for it. The optimal predecessor of this plant is potatoes, and root vegetables and corn are also suitable. It is not recommended to plant such a herbaceous plant repeatedly in one place.

Before planting, you should dig up the soil to a depth of at least 25 cm. One year before sowing soybeans, you should lim the soil. The plant is usually sown in April or at the very beginning of May, when the soil is warmed to 7 degrees Celsius. The seeding depth should be about 3–4 cm. Soybean seedlings can easily tolerate light frosts. In garden plots, during periods of temperature changes, it is necessary to use temporary film cover.

Soybeans require good moisture and regular weeding, and the soil crust should be systematically broken up. The beans are harvested after the leaves have dropped - around the end of September. At this time, the seeds are perfectly separated from the leaves themselves. After harvesting, dry stems should be cut off at ground level.

Soybean varieties

The correct choice of the variety of such a herbaceous plant as soybean completely influences obtaining a decent harvest. Farms often cultivate several varieties, depending on the length of the growing season and the degree of resistance to pests and diseases. The most common varieties are:

Odesskaya. This variety is considered one of the highest in protein. It is often cultivated in the south of Ukraine. The duration of the growing season of the plant is about 110 days.

Altair. This variety was bred from a special hybrid population by crossing several varieties.

Chernoburai. This variety was obtained during the implementation of a special breeding program. It is bred through individual selection from a unique hybrid population.

Success. The presented variety was created by crossing Canadian and American varieties. It is distinguished by good processability, an optimal growing season for Ukraine, as well as a high content of valuable oil in the seeds.

Maryana. This variety was bred in accordance with a special breeding program through repeated selection.

Hadzhibey. This variety is characterized by good adaptability and high seed productivity. It was obtained by crossing an American and an ultra-early ripening Swedish variety.

Bereginya. The presented variety is characterized by excellent processability, high seed productivity and high oil content. The seeds of this soybean variety are quite large and have a yellowish tint.

Soybean seeds

Soybeans are unique soybean seeds. This common product has a high yield and boasts a high content of extraordinary protein in the seeds. Protein makes up about 40% of the total weight of each seed. It should be noted that varieties have also been bred in which the percentage of protein in the beans reaches 50.

Sprouted soybeans

Extraordinarily healthy soybean sprouts contain active protein and a lot of essential vitamins for humans. Before consuming soybean sprouts, you should blanch them in boiling water for at least 1 minute. These sprouts are useful for every person at any time of the year.

Sprouted soybeans contain B vitamins, carotene and vitamin C. With the help of such a product you can effectively combat vitamin deficiency. Sprouts contain essential fiber and amino acids, as well as almost all known microelements. It should be noted that lecithin will protect the bile ducts from the appearance of stones and cholesterol plaques. Sprouted soybeans have a beneficial effect on metabolism, improve memory, concentrate attention, and normalize the functioning of the brain as a whole. For cancer, soybean sprouts are irreplaceable.

Soybean oil

This unique soybean oil contains vitamin E, vitamin C, sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, lecithin, phosphorus and fatty acids, which are necessary for strengthening the immune system, proper metabolism and a full sex life.

If you regularly consume this product, cholesterol will not be able to accumulate in the blood vessels, causing irreversible consequences. Linoleic acid, which is part of the oil, prevents the development of cancer. This product is absorbed by the body almost 100%.

Contraindications to the use of soy

Young children should not be given soy products, since the isoflavones they contain have a depressing effect on the neuroendocrine system, causing thyroid diseases. For adults who suffer from endocrinological diseases, soy dishes are also contraindicated. The high content of special hormone-like compounds makes the use of this plant extremely undesirable for expectant mothers.

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What is soy and how is it useful? This question interests almost everyone. What is this connected with? The fact is that recently more and more of the mentioned ingredient has been added to our usual food products. Thus, it began to gradually replace meat, as well as other components.

So what is soy and how is it beneficial? Photos of this product and its features will be presented below.

General information

Soy - what is it? This annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Cultivated soybean is actively cultivated in Southern Europe, Australia and Asia, as well as in South and North America, South and on the islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Product Features

Soy - what is it? The seeds of this plant are a fairly common food product. According to experts, such fruits have the following characteristics:

• high protein content (up to 50%);
• high productivity;
• the possibility of preventing cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis;
• the presence of a large amount of B vitamins, calcium, iron, polyunsaturated fatty acids and potassium.

How do they use it?

Soybean - what is it and what properties do the fruits in question have? Their unique properties allow the production of a wide range of different products.

Before we tell you why soy is harmful, we should tell you that it is very often used as an inexpensive substitute for meat and dairy products. The fruits are also included in feed for farm animals.

Product benefits

What properties does soy have? The benefits and harms (to health) of this product are the subject of frequent debate among many experts. Moreover, most of them consider such fruits to be unique in a number of respects.

Scientists have found that the product in question contains a huge amount of genestein, phytic acid and isoflavonoids. They have an effect that is similar to the action of such a female sex hormone as estrogen. This feature of soybean determines its some healing properties, namely the ability to reduce the risk of cancer.

It should also be noted that it suppresses the development of benign and malignant tumors, and genestein is a unique substance that slows down the growth of cancer tumors.

Basic properties

Soybean - what is it and what are its properties? which were obtained by fermentation, are very often included in the daily diet of both adults and adolescents. Such dishes are used not only as a preventive measure, but also for the treatment of diathesis, diabetes, various types of allergic reactions, urolithiasis and cholelithiasis. Moreover, soy is indicated for diseases of the cardiovascular system and liver.

Not long ago, experts discovered that the product in question contains lecithin, acetylcholine and phosphatidylcholine. These substances effectively restore and reconstruct brain cells and nervous tissue, and also have a beneficial effect on learning, thinking abilities and memory.

It should also be said that all of the above-mentioned elements play an important role in supporting the sexual function and reproductive system of a person. In addition, they restore strength after mental and moral stress, and also support the patient’s motor activity.

What else is the product in question useful for? Lecithin, which is part of it, is able to control cholesterol levels in the blood, enhance the metabolism of adipose tissue and participate in other metabolic processes of the body. This component also inhibits tissue degradation and the aging process, reduces signs of arteriosclerosis, treats amnesia, muscle dystrophy and glaucoma.

Why is soy harmful in foods?

In addition to the impressive list of beneficial properties of the product in question, it also has a large number of harmful qualities. By the way, the latter can easily negate all the benefits of its use in the daily diet.

Most soy products available in the local market are hazardous to health. The only exception is food that was obtained through fermentation.

The most dangerous is genetically modified soybean. Experts say that such an ingredient is contaminated with herbicide residues and does not contribute at all to maintaining normal health.

How are GM soybeans obtained?

Why are genetically modified soybeans so dangerous? The fact is that in the process of growing it, agricultural producers treat the plantations with a huge amount of such a potent toxic herbicide as Roundup. The latter is intended not only to control weeds, but also to significantly increase yields.

How does it affect human health?

In the course of numerous studies, experts have found that regular consumption of soy products causes the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dysfunction of the thyroid gland, diseases of the immune system, disorders of reproductive function, as well as infertility, heart problems and even cancer.

Here are some of the consequences that have been associated with frequent consumption of soy and soy products:

• mammary cancer;
• stones in the kidneys;
• brain damage;
• food allergies (serious forms);
• disturbances in the functioning of the thyroid gland;
• diseases of the immune system;
• sexual dysfunction in women.

It should also be noted that American scientists found that among those members of the stronger sex who consumed soy products 3 times a week for a long time, the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increased almost 2 times. Also, the abuse of this food often led to weakening of memory, a decrease in brain mass and disruption of thought processes.

Negative impact on humans

As mentioned above, soy contains phytic acid. Its excessive intake into the body helps to block the full absorption of zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium. In addition, using soy products, scientists have learned to control the birth rate of laboratory animals. The fact is that in large quantities, phytoestrogen can suppress the reproductive function of the body and significantly reduce its ability to conceive.

It should also be noted that many manufacturers add soy to infant formula. This often leads to early puberty in girls and developmental (physical) disorders in boys. In this regard, the introduction of soy products into baby food is completely unacceptable.

Some products contain soy. Considering soy to be healthier than meat, many try to replace our usual food with it, without thinking about the question - is soy good for our body?

Soybean is one of the oldest annual plants that belongs to the legume family. It is also called the “miracle plant.” Soybeans were first grown in China. Then soybeans moved to Korea, Japan, and this crop came to Europe in 1740. The French were the first to eat it.

After the research of soybeans by Americans in 1804, mass and targeted cultivation of this plant began. Expedition of V. Poyarkov in 1643 – 1646. visited the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, where they saw soybean crops among the Manchu-Tungus people. But the Russian people did not show much interest in this culture. Only after the World Exhibition was held in Vienna in 1873 did soybeans become of interest to practitioners.

Composition of soybeans

Soybeans are rich in substances useful for human life. They are not only very nutritious, but also medicinal. For example, soy contains isoflavonoids, which prevent the formation and development of certain forms of cancer. And genestein stops cardiovascular disease in the early stages. Soybeans are also rich in lecithin, choline and other substances that play a role in the treatment of many serious diseases, fiber, vitamins B, C and E, omega 3. Soybeans contain the entire set of amino acids, which means that its usefulness is ahead of pork and beef.

Benefits of soy

Soy is rich in plant protein, which it contains more than eggs, fish and meat. Soy protein is very important for the proper functioning of the body. Plant proteins are absorbed by 90%. Soy products contain substances that have a positive effect on the balance of microelements in the body. Lecithin is the healthiest thing in soy. It is very important for the brain and its functioning. Lecithin helps cells recover, monitors blood cholesterol levels, fights Parkinson's disease, atherosclerosis and other human diseases. Also, the presence of lecithin slows down aging, which is why soy is very famous among older people.

Soy lecithin helps produce energy and nourishes the growing body, and this is especially important in childhood.

Soy contains the entire set of amino acids, which means its usefulness is ahead of pork and beef.

Recently, Americans have increasingly begun to add soy to their diet. Studies have shown that consuming soy products has a positive effect on human health. You need to know that only soybean in its pure form is beneficial. This in no way applies to those products in which soy is only an additive.

American researchers are unanimous that if you include 25 to 50 grams of soy protein in your diet during the day, you can reduce the level of “bad cholesterol”. And, as you know, such cholesterol clogs blood vessels, which leads to heart disease.

Positive dynamics with soy consumption were noticed in women during menopause. With age, the process of estrogen production in women slows down, and soy can compensate for their deficiency.

Harm of soybeans

In a documented study of 3,734 older men, it was found that those who ate soy for 50% of their lives had a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Other studies by Asian researchers have shown that men who eat soy in their diet twice a week are more susceptible to mental impairment than those who never eat soy at all.

Some believe that eating soy leads to infertility and obesity.

Soy is also beneficial for people of all ages. The isoflavones present in soybeans are very similar in composition to the female hormone estrogen, and frequent consumption of soy can upset the balance of hormones in the body. And this can be dangerous for women who are preparing to conceive, planning a pregnancy, but especially for pregnant women.

Pediatrician scientists at Cornell University are confident that thyroid hormone deficiency can occur precisely from frequent consumption of soy products. You become overweight, suffer from constipation and fatigue. All this leads to general apathy.

The presence of soy, according to some researchers, leads to brain volume and weight loss.

As numerous studies have shown, soybeans contain both nutrients that are beneficial to the body and anti-nutrients that can be harmful to health. The anticoagulant properties, pronounced in raw soybeans, neutralize vitamin K, which ensures the level of coagulation and is also involved in the absorption of calcium. Unlimited consumption of soy can lead to mineral deficiency and pancreatic hypertrophy.

Soybeans contain lectins, which cause blood cells to stick together, inhibiting their growth. And this is fraught with consequences for the body.

Conclusion

To this day, the world of science cannot come to a consensus on the benefits and harms of soybeans.

If soybean is not classified as a genetically modified product, but is grown naturally, then its beneficial properties significantly exceed the harmful ones.

From all of the above, the conclusion suggests itself that whether or not to consume soy products should be decided by each person independently, regardless of the opinion of others.

Soy, Soy products - Video

Soy is one of the richest plant foods in protein. This property allows soybeans to be used for preparing and enriching various dishes, as well as as a basis for plant-based substitutes for animal products.

Soybeans are unique because they are a source of large amounts of a miracle drug called genistein. Genistein is a powerful antioxidant that has broad biological effects against aging and cancer. For example, genistein interferes with major cancer processes at every stage. It blocks the enzyme that “turns on” cancer genes, thereby destroying cancer at the very beginning of its development. It inhibits angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels needed to nourish a cancerous tumor. In the laboratory, it stops the growth of all types of cancer cells - breast, colon, lung, prostate, skin and blood (leukemia). It also has anti-hormonal effects, which give it particular benefits in the fight against breast and possibly prostate cancer.

On other anti-aging fronts, genistein saves arteries because, similar to slowing the spread of cancer cells, it prevents smooth muscle cells from multiplying in artery walls (this proliferation usually leads to plaque buildup and clogged arteries). Genistein reduces the activity of the enzyme thrombin, which increases blood clotting, thereby causing heart attacks and strokes. What's remarkable is that genistein also appears to be able to reduce the number of cells that divide in the breast. This gives enzymes more time to repair damaged DNA so that the damage is not passed on to new cells in the form of mutations that accelerate aging and cancer.

What's even more striking is that brief exposure to genistein in early life may act as a kind of vaccine against cancer. Research at the University of Alabama, led by Dr. Barnes's colleague Coral Lamentiniere, showed that even very low doses of genistein given shortly after birth to female rats delayed the appearance, size and number of cancerous tumors in middle and old age. During the experiment, a group of newborn rat pups was given a substance that subsequently causes mammary cancer. Some were also given genistein, while others were given an inactive substance. Of those given genistein at birth, only 60% developed breast cancer. Those who received the fake pill got sick, every single one. This may mean that if babies consume soybean-based infant formula today, they are receiving a dose of cancer vaccine that gives them partial immunity from developing cancer in the future, Dr. Barnes said. However, such a test has not yet been carried out on humans, and confirmation of this assumption has not been received.

Genistein is so effective that scientists consider it a potential cancer cure. But why wait? You can take this medicine now by eating soybeans.

Another compound found in soybeans, daidzein, shares some, but not all, of the properties of genistein. It also blocks the development of cancer in animals and is also an isoflavone with an anti-estrogenic effect. These two compounds - genistein and daidzein - are excellent tools to combat the rapid onset of aging and, in particular, cancer.

Alarming facts
The United States grows half the world's soybeans. A third of them are exported, mainly to Japan. Almost everything that remains is spent on food for domestic and farm animals.
The Japanese, who are the longest living nation on the planet, eat approximately 30 grams of soy per day. Americans are incomparably smaller. In America, breast cancer is four times more fatal and prostate cancer is five times more fatal than in Japan.

How soybeans fight aging
Prevent breast cancer. A person may be more vulnerable to breast cancer not because they eat fat, but because they don't eat soy, says Dr. Barnes. His research shows that consuming soybeans or their essential component genistein reduces the likelihood of cancer in animals by 40-65%. Japanese women who regularly eat soybeans are four times less likely to develop cancer than American women. A recent study found that Singapore women who ate the most soy protein products before menopause were half as likely to develop breast cancer as those who ate the most soy protein.

Secrets of anti-aging experts
Dr. Andrew Weil, University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Dr. Weil is one of the most respected practitioners of "alternative" medicine. He prefers to prevent and treat disease and aging with natural substances and antioxidants.

Here's what Dr. Weil takes every day and recommends to others as a "good, safe daily formula":

Beta-carotene - 25000 IU (15 mg)
Vitamin E (natural) - 400 IU before forty years and 800 IU after forty.
Selenium - 200 milligrams.
Vitamin C - 1000 to 2000 mg, twice a day.

Compounds found in soybeans fight breast cancer in at least two ways: they have an anti-cancer effect directly on the cells, and they also manipulate estrogen in a way similar to the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen - that is, they block the ability of estrogens to stimulate malignant changes in the breast. breast tissue. Thus, soybeans prevent the appearance and development of breast cancer in women both before and after menopause.

Slows down the development of prostate cancer. Soybeans may explain another mystery: why Japanese men get prostate cancer but don't die from it as often as men in the West. Yes, Japanese people are indeed susceptible to developing these small latent tumors, just like Europeans. But in the Japanese, the tumor does not grow so quickly as to cause death. It's all about soybeans, says Finnish researcher Herman Adlerkreutz. During one study, he found that the blood of Japanese men contained 110 times more substances that make up soybeans than the blood of Finns. It is well known, he says, that eating soy dramatically reduces prostate cancer in laboratory animals. What's more, one of the components in soybeans, genistein, can actually stop tumor cells from spreading in a test tube. Dr. Adlerkreutz suggests that substances contained in soybeans have an anti-hormonal effect, which slows down the growth of cancer cells in the prostate, and fatal tumors do not form.

Your risk of getting cancer doubles if you don't eat soybeans regularly. - Dr. Mark Messina, co-author of Simple Soybeans and Your Health.

They save the arteries. Soybeans are an antidote to aging arteries. Soy protein itself actually inhibits and even reverses the development of arterial disease. Extensive research conducted in Italy at the University of Milan showed that consuming soy protein instead of meat and milk caused a 21% reduction in blood cholesterol levels in just three weeks. Soybeans worked even when patients ate a high-cholesterol diet. Moreover, soybeans increased good-type cholesterol by approximately 15% and decreased triglycerides. Doctors also recorded the fact that the blood supply to the patients’ hearts improved, which most likely indicates rejuvenation of the arteries.

Further: soy milk, like vitamin E, blocks the oxidation of “bad type” cholesterol, thereby preventing it from damaging the arteries. These data were obtained as a result of a recent Japanese study.

Regulate blood sugar levels. You can rest assured: soybeans will cope with insulin and will keep blood sugar levels at the desired level, that is, they will delay the onset of diabetes and heart disease. In particular, soybeans are rich in two amino acids, glycine and arginine, which reduce insulin levels in the blood. In a study conducted by Dr. David Jenkins of the University of Toronto, soybeans were found to be the best after peanuts for creating an adequate sugar response and lowering insulin levels in the body. High levels of insulin and sugar destroy cells and cause aging.

Creates stronger bones. Eating plenty of soy protein, such as soy milk, beans and tofu, as Asian women do, helps build strong bones. So says Dr. Mark Messina, formerly of the National Cancer Institute and now a scientific consultant in the field of nutrition. First, eating animal protein removes much more calcium from the body through urine than eating soy protein. One study found that women who ate meat lost 50 mg more calcium per day than when they consumed the same amount of protein in the form of soy milk. "The difference of losing 50 mg of calcium every day for twenty years can destroy bone tissue very significantly," says Dr. Messina. Furthermore, animal studies have shown that soy components have a positive effect on bone health.

What about food? To reap the anti-aging benefits of soybeans, you need to eat soy protein, which is found in soy milk, soy flour, whole beans, tofu, miso, tempeh, etc. Soy sauce and soy oil contain substances that actively fight with aging, very little. Small amounts of genistein have also been found in other legumes, but the concentration is much higher in soybeans. Not all soybeans are white. Recently, genistein was discovered in black beans, but they turned out to be just black soybeans.