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Healing Recipes The Healing Power of Soy
Soy has been proven to have very powerful anti-cancer properties. Especially valued for the prevention of breast and other cancers in women.
The common soybean, and many foods made from it, are rich in genistein, a naturally occurring (isoflavone) substance or chemical found in soy foods. It appears that consuming just modest amounts of soyfoods provides enough genistein to exert beneficial effects. The idea that soybeans may be protective against cancer is gaining wide support. But the health benefits of soyfoods include more than just their anti-cancer powers. Soybeans are revered in Asian culture. In China, the word for soybean is ta-tou, which means "greater bean." Soyfoods have been eaten for centuries in countries such as China, Japan, and Indonesia, and are becoming increasingly popular with health-conscious American consumers. But it is only within the past few years that scientists have begun to discover the effects of soyfoods on heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. They may also be particularly helpful for menopausal women. Until recently, soybeans have received attention primarily for their nutritional profile. High Quality Protein Since the turn of the century, soyfoods have been recognized as a good source of high-quality protein and as a protein source that comes without the health-threatening package of saturated fat and cholesterol found in most animal protein foods. But the quality of soy protein was actually undervalued. Methods of measuring protein quality were based on growth of rats. Because rats use soy less efficiently than humans, the true potential of soy protein to support growth wasn't recognized. Under newly adopted guidelines for rating proteins, the Food and Drug Administration now gives soy the highest possible protein "score." While the abundance of high-quality protein in soybeans is one benefit of eating this food, it is probably the least important of its virtues. Protein needs are easily met by nearly all people who consume adequate calories, including strict vegetarians. But soy protein does appear to offer other significant benefits. One of these has to do with bone health. Boost to Bone Health In many western countries, including the United States, osteoporosis is an epidemic. Surprisingly, populations that consume relatively little calcium actually have the lowest rates of osteoporosis. At least part of the explanation for this paradox appears to be tied to protein. Protein causes calcium to be excreted in urine. The more calcium excreted, the less retained to support bone strength. This relationship holds true, however, only for certain types of proteins, especially those found in animal foods. Soy protein doesn't cause calcium to be excreted in the urine to the extent that animal proteins do. In one study, for example, when subjects consumed all of their protein in the form of animal products, such as beef, fish and chicken, they excreted about 150 milligrams of calcium per day. But when all of their protein came from soy, they excreted only 103 milligrams of calcium. This difference of 47 milligrams could have a significant effect on the bone health over several decades. Another link between soy and bone health has to do with phytochemicals in soybeans called isoflavones. The drug we mentioned earlier, genistein, is one type of isoflavone. A drug that has been used successfully in Europe and Asia to treat osteoporosis is very similar to isoflavone. It is called ipriflavone, and it actually stops bones from breaking down. To be most effective, ipriflavone must first be metabolized; one of the products of the process is another chemical called daidzein. Both genistein and daidzein inhibit bone breakdown in animals, and both are found in soybeans. So soybeans directly affect bone health because the type of protein in soybeans spares calcium in the body and because they contain chemicals that act directly on bones to slow their breakdown. Another advantage to consuming soybeans is that they also offer a source for calcium (see chart). Cholesterol Fighter Soyfoods make a smart addition to the diet of anyone who wants to lower their blood cholesterol since they are low in saturated fat and are free of cholesterol. But there is another heart-healthy aspect to the soybean. Soy protein directly lowers blood cholesterol. In fact, soy protein is so effective in this respect that the National Health Service in Italy provides soy protein free of charge to physicians for the treatment of high blood cholesterol in their patients. More than 30 scientific studies have revealed the cholesterol-lowering power of soy protein. On average, cholesterol levels decrease by 10-15% when soy protein is added to the diet. This drop in blood cholesterol levels represents a 20-30% reduction in heart disease risk. In addition, soy protein lowers only the LDL cholesterol or "bad cholesterol." Most approaches to cholesterol reduction lower both the bad and the good (HDL) cholesterol. Adding soy to the diet also reduces the amount of cholesterol in the body that is oxidized. Cholesterol must first react with oxygen (a process called "oxidation") before it can do any damage to the arteries. In one study, subjects who ate soy every day for six months experienced a 50% reduction in the amount of blood cholesterol that was oxidized compared to those who didn't eat soy. Even so, the scientific community has been slow to embrace soy as a means of fighting heart disease. One reason may be that we don't yet know exactly how soy protein exerts this effect, or whether it is actually some other component of soy that is beneficial. This is one case where you don't need to wait for a prescription from your physician, however. Adding soy products to the diet is one way to guard against heart disease and is an option that is available to anybody. The following sweet treats are an excellent way to reap the benefits of soy while enjoying great taste Soy Muffin Recipes By Laura Nilsen By Laura
Nilsen Optional: 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper liners or spray bottoms with cooking spray. 2. In a food processor, process oatmeal until it resembles coarse flour, about 15 seconds. Add flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. 3. In processor, pulse bananas until coarsely mashed. Add soy yogurt and oil. Process until smooth. 4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir by hand, quickly and lightly, until just mixed. (Batter will be thick.) 5. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with coconut, if desired. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes Makes 12 1-1/2 cups
unbleached white flour Optional: 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper liners or spray bottoms with cooking spray. 2. In a food processor, combine flours, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. 3. In food processor, process soy milk, soy yogurt, oil, and vanilla until smooth. 4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir by hand, quickly and lightly, until just mixed. 5. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if desired. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 6
tablespoons flaxseeds, ground in a coffee or spice grinder Optional: 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper liners or spray bottoms with cooking spray. 2. In a food processor, combine ground flaxseeds, flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse a few times to mix. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. 3. In food processor, pulse apple chunks until finely chopped. Add soy milk and oil and process a few seconds to combine. 4. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir by hand, quickly and lightly, until just mixed. 5. Divide batter evenly between twelve prepared muffin cups. If desired, top each muffin with a walnut half and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 1 cup
unbleached white flour Optional: 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper liners or spray bottoms with cooking spray. 2. In a food processor, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, zest, salt, and nutmeg. Pulse a few times to mix. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. 3. In processor, pulse sweet potato until mashed. Add sugar, orange juice, oil, and molasses. Process until mixed. Gradually add soy milk and process until smooth. 4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir by hand, quickly and lightly, until just mixed. In a small bowl, mix together pecans and brown sugar, if using. 5. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with pecan mixture, if desired. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 24 1-1/3 cup
unbleached white flour Optional: 1. Preheat oven to 375°. Line 24 mini-muffin cups with paper liners or spray bottoms with cooking spray. 2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, ground tea, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 3. In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, oil, and zest. 4. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir by hand, quickly and lightly, until just mixed. 5. Divide batter evenly between 24 prepared mini-muffin cups. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. 6. If desired, prepare a honey-lemon glaze for the muffins by combining honey and lemon juice, heating for 10 seconds in a microwave, and stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over hot muffins before removing from muffin pans. Cancer Prevention Mark Messina, MS, PhD,
and Virginia Messina, MPH, RD are consultants The area where soybeans have really caught the attention of the medical community is in cancer prevention. The anti-leukemia smart bomb is just the latest in a stream of studies that show soybeans to have some amazing potential to prevent cancer, and perhaps even to treat it. The chief component of interest in soybeans has been genistein. Genistein is a phytoestrogen, which is a plant compound with some very weak estrogen-like characteristics. Of course, estrogen has been linked with a greater risk of cancer in women. But genistein, because it is a weak estrogen, actually ends up functioning like an anti-estrogen. In breast cancer, it plugs into estrogen receptors on the breast cells. In doing so, it effectively blocks the real estrogen hormone from hooking up to those receptors. But genistein is so weak that it doesn't exert any of the usual effects of estrogen. These weak estrogen effects of genistein may also benefit menopausal women. When the ovaries stop producing estrogen common menopausal symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats may occur. Interestingly, Japanese women are only one-third as likely to report these symptoms as American women; Japanese women also commonly consume soyfoods. A recent study found that adding soyfoods to the diets of women who did not commonly consume them resulted in a dramatic decrease in hot flashes. Soyfoods may represent a natural alternative to estrogen replacement therapy. But there is clearly more to the anti-cancer effects of soybeans than can be explained by estrogen-like effects. Leukemia isn't affected by estrogen but it appears to respond to genistein. Indeed, a whole host of cancers that aren't estrogen dependent, including cancers of the stomach, rectum, lung and colon, all occur less frequently in populations where soy is commonly consumed. This is because genistein has other anti-cancer effects that have nothing to do with estrogen. Genistein inhibits the activity of enzymes responsible for converting normal cells into cancer cells. In fact, more than 150 studies have shown that when genistein is added to cancer cells growing in a test tube, their growth is inhibited. This applies to all types of cancer cells. Based on studies of populations and their diets, it seems that as little as one serving of soyfoods each day could be enough to reduce cancer risk. Soyfoods are not a miracle food. Adding soyfoods to your diet is not a magic bullet that will automatically prevent you from ever developing disease. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a miracle food. Good health depends on a whole package of factors that include many different aspects of diet and lifestyle. Eating a low-fat, fiber-rich plant-based diet is the smartest place to start. From there, a number of habits can lend strength to your health profile and lower your risk for developing a chronic disease. There is plenty of evidence that adding soyfoods to your diet could very well be one of the most effective ones.
TOFU
TOFU/TEMPEH
TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (TVP)
SOYMILK
SOY FLOUR
SOY PROTEIN POWDER
SOYBEANS
This makes a great sauce for Asian salad made by combining red cabbage, mung bean sprouts, grated carrots, snow peas, chopped green onions, red bell peppers and cilantro. 4 oz.
silken soft tofu Combine all ingredients and blenderize in blender or food processor until smooth. Yield: 12/3 cups. PER 1 OZ. SERVING: 35 calories; 1.5g protein; 2.7g carb; 2g fat; .4g saturated fat; 286mg sodium; .1mg cholesterol; .6g fiber. 10.5 oz.
silken extra firm tofu
2. Brush graham cracker crust with slightly beaten egg white. Bake at 375° for 5 minutes. 3. Allow to Cool. 4. Pour lemon filling into cooled pie crust. Chill. When ready to serve, garnish with fresh berries or other fruits. Can also be frozen. Yield: 8 servings PER SERVING: 262 calories; 5g protein; 36g carb; 9g fat; 4g saturated fat; 179mg sodium; 0mg cholesterol; .3g fiber. Buy your favorite herbalism,
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