Advantages and disadvantages of soy

  

Date Posted: 9/8/2011 8:41:31 AM

Posted By: Wishstar  Membership Level: Gold  Total Points: 7507

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The soy bean is possibly the richest natural food that exists in proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

As most if not everything must have its positive and negative aspects, so does soy.

Positive aspects of soy include:

1. Soy consumption reduces the risk of various types of cancer, particularly breast, prostate and colon cancer

2. Regular consumption of soy prevents the narrowing and hardening of the arteries known as arteriosclerosis

3. Soy reduces the risk of coronary thrombosis and heart attack.

4. Soy increases calcium density and prevents osteoporosis.

Women benefit particularly from soy's remineralizing capability, particularly during menopause.

5. Soy and its derivatives contain no cholesterol, as is the case with all plant-based food. It is also rich in unsaturated fatty acids that help reduce cholesterol production within the body.

6. Provides proteins:

- More than any other plant-based food

- Of excellent biological quality that is an excellent substitute for animal proteins

- Which is easily digested and absorbed

Negative aspects of soy include:

1. All legumes produce uric acid, with soy producing the most.

Soy's uric acid poses no health risk, particularly if the diet is rich in vegetables that alkalize the urine and facilitate excretion

2. Lack of vitamin B 12 as is the case with all vegetable foods. Fortunately, soy products are supplemented with this vitamin.

3. Very low content of provitamin A and vitamin C. Consequently, soy and its products must always be accompanied by fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in provitamin A and vitamin C. This vitamins facilitate the absorption of the iron in soy, among other functions

4. The dust from soybeans may provoke serious respiratory allergies in sensitive individuals

5. Soybeans, as all legumes, contain oligosaccharide type of hydrocarbon in their skin that provokes digestive flatulence.

Soaking and cooking eliminates most of this.

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