"Twelve Myths about Soybeans

In the ancient Greek sacred land, Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, gave her daughter Psiphenia, who was on a long journey, a soybean, saying that it could "eliminate evil and cure all diseases." But soon, the kind-hearted Pusiferney left this soybean to the human world for propagation and reproduction, making it a major crop in the world. Nowadays, the extremely high nutritional value and excellent health benefits of soybeans (yellow beans and black beans) are increasingly regarded as "modern divine vitality". Myth 1: "Smart Power" Soybeans are rich in phospholipids, a natural nutrient activator and an important substance for building a smart brain. Since 20 to 30 percent of the human brain is composed of phospholipids, consuming more phospholipid-rich foods such as soybeans can increase the release of acetylcholine in the brain, thereby enhancing one's memory and acceptance ability. In addition, soy phospholipids contain nutrients such as phosphatidylinositol and sterols, which can enhance nerve function and vitality and have good health care functions. Myth 2: "Anti-Acid Effect" Soy phospholipids contain 85% to 90% phosphatidylcholine, squamylethanolamine, phospholipid glycosides, etc., which have excellent health care effects on human organs. Recent research findings indicate that various tissues and organs in the human body contain a large amount of lipids. Soy lecithin can enhance tissue function, reduce bile enzymes, improve lipid metabolism, prevent and treat cerebral artery and coronary artery hardening. It is also beneficial to liver health and has certain therapeutic effects on hepatitis and fatty liver. In addition, soy phospholipids can also promote the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and prevent the acidification of the body and various tissues and organs. Myth 3: "Multi-Functional Benefits" The plant protein in soybeans is also an important health substance because it is the basic raw material for the brain to engage in complex intellectual activities. Increasing the content of soy protein in food can enhance the excitation and inhibition functions of the cerebral cortex and improve learning and working efficiency. Avoid the deep development of depression and despondency. Some scholars have conducted comparative studies and found that people who often consume plant protein have an average cholesterol level that is 12% lower than that of the control group. American scholars divided people with normal cholesterol levels into two groups, A and B, for a clinical experiment. Group A's diet mainly consisted of milk and animal protein, while group B's diet mainly included soy protein, and they also consumed 500 milligrams of cholesterol daily. Two weeks later, the experimental results showed that in group B, not only did the low-density lipoprotein significantly decrease, but the high-density lipoprotein also increased by 15%. It has been fully proven that soy protein does indeed play an important role in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Myth 4: "Beauty Guardian" Currently, medical experts are developing an external beauty product that not only has beauty and skin care value but also avoids some side effects - a phytoestrogen preparation. This phytoestrogen is a substance similar to isoflavones extracted from soybeans and is known as a health messenger for maintaining and protecting the complexion. It has an estrogen-like effect without the toxic and side effects of estrogen such as nausea, loss of appetite, breast swelling, and menstrual disorders. It is an excellent choice for beauty and anti-aging of the skin. After research, British and American scientists have revealed the mystery behind the fact that Eastern women are more beautiful in appearance, have smoother skin and a lower incidence of breast cancer compared to those in Europe and America. Eastern soy products are the "distinguished guests" and "seated guests" on the dining table, and soybeans (yellow beans) can be called the "king of estrogen". Myth 5: "Whitening the Skin" A trend is currently popular among Japanese women: "Eating bean paste to whiten the skin." The Research Laboratory of the Food Function Division of the Food Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan has confirmed that soybean paste contains a substance that can inhibit the synthesis of melanin. Melanin is a pigment that can darken the skin. When the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays, it promotes the secretion of melanin in the skin, causing it to darken. They conducted experiments on mice. When they added substances extracted from soybean paste to the melanin-synthesizing cells of the mice, they found that the black cells turned white. According to researchers. Its component is linoleic acid. Melanin is synthesized from tyrosine, one of the amino acids. Linoleic acid has the function of preventing cells from producing the enzymes necessary for this synthesis. Myth 6: "Five-Effect Anti-Cancer" The Japanese love for tofu is truly well-deserved. There are 30,000 tofu shops across the country, and on average, each person consumes over 20 kilograms of tofu per year. Among Japanese Americans living in Hawaii, those who frequently consume tofu have a one-third lower risk of stomach cancer than Americans who do not eat tofu. The medical department of Hawaii conducted a 20-year follow-up investigation on 8,000 Japanese Americans and found that those who ate tofu only once a week or once every two or three weeks had a prostate cancer rate three times higher than those who ate tofu every day. After long-term experiments, experts have presented a large amount of data to prove that at least five substances in soybeans have anti-cancer effects. They are: 1. Protease inhibitor; 2. Inositol hexaphosphatase 3. Phytosterols; 4. Saponins; 5. Isoflavones. Among them, isoflavones were discovered in 1986, which aroused great interest in the medical community internationally. Myth 7: "Physiological Activity" Soy saponins have antioxidant and lipid reduction effects by increasing the content of SOD and eliminating free radicals. Soy saponins have the effect of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells, directly acting on toxic cells, immune-regulating human body functions, and can also destroy the structure of tumor cell membranes or inhibit DNA synthesis. Soy saponins can control thrombocytopenia and thrombofibrin formation caused by thrombin, and have antithrombotic effects. The multiple physiological functions of soy saponins, such as lowering blood lipids, antioxidation, anti-atherosclerosis and immune regulation, determine their broad prospects for application in the field of medicine. Myth 8: "The Mystery of Phosphatase" Soybeans contain inositol hexaphosphatase, and phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for the human body. However, the medical community used to believe that inositol hexaphosphatase would fix calcium and iron in the intestines of the human body, making it difficult for these minerals to be absorbed. It was later discovered that although inositol hexaphosphatase solidifies calcium and iron in the intestines and affects human absorption, it can inhibit the occurrence of colon cancer. Inositol hexaphosphatase is usually found in high-iron plants. Soybeans have a high iron content and are also rich in cellulose. Cellulose can prevent colon cancer. After the discovery of inositol hexaphosphatase, people's confidence that soybeans can prevent colon cancer has been further strengthened. Myth 9: "Sterol Transmission" Animal foods contain cholesterol, while plant foods contain phytosterols. The main product of cholesterol decomposition in the human body after intake is bile acid, which is harmful to health. After entering the human body, plant sterols compete with cholesterol in the intestines and can be absorbed more by the intestines, thereby reducing cholesterol. They not only can inhibit colon cancer but also are beneficial for the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Myth 10: "Enzyme Wonders" Among crops such as beans, grains and potatoes, there is a substance called protease inhibitor. If it is eaten raw by animals as feed, it will affect protein digestion. Experts consider this a troublesome thing. A scholar from New York University in the United States discovered through experiments that protease inhibitors in soybeans can inhibit skin cancer and bladder cancer, and the inhibitory effect on breast cancer is even more significant, reaching up to 50%. It has also been reported that protease inhibitors can exert inhibitory effects on colon cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer and lumen cancer. Myth 11: "Preventing Deafness" Among people over 60 years old, there are quite a few who suffer from presbycusis due to hearing loss. Nutrition experts believe that supplementing iron in the human body can dilate microvessels, soften red blood cells, ensure blood supply to the ears, and effectively prevent hearing loss. The iron and zinc content in soybeans is much higher than that in other foods. Therefore, eating soy products frequently is beneficial for preventing presbycusis. Myth 12: "Preventing Stroke" The root cause of stroke is high blood pressure and cerebral arteriosclerosis, which are its main causes and pathological basis. A survey conducted by the American medical community among 2,000 middle-aged Americans found that patients with high blood pressure had increased sodium in their urine and decreased potassium in their urine. This indicates that in the dietary structure of patients with hypertension, the intake of sodium is excessive and the intake of potassium is insufficient. Therefore, they must consume high-potassium foods to promote the excretion of excessive sodium salts in the body. There are many kinds of potassium-rich foods. Nutritionists believe that vegetables such as soy products, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes and potatoes, and fruits such as bananas, pomelos, tangerines and sweet oranges all play an indispensable role in maintaining human health. (Excerpted from the "Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry News"