The Wonders of the Soy Bean - Their Essential Health Benefits

I was hungry the other day and started to munch on crunchy soy nuts - and wondered what gives with their health benefits. So I already knew and have read that they were healthy for woman and men, but especially women and wanted to know further what really gives as to their healthy benefits for us women. What was inside these little crunchy 'nuts' which were really beans, and how does it help one's body?

So after uncovering a fewtidbits of information and some useful links I share this with you.

Soy Nuts are really roasted soy beans, they are not nuts at all. A one ounce serving has four (4) grams of fat of which three (3) grams are unsaturated fats. A serving may contain 120 calories, but it has over 10 grams of protein. Soy nuts comes in a variety of flavored options such as salted, unsalted, BBQ and many other flavors. Watch out for salt content, if you are watching your salt and remember because of the calorie amounts should you be counting those as well, they can easily add some weight to your belly if you are not watching the amount you are shoveling into your mouth.

This does not mean you should avoid them at all, quite the contrary! Soy nuts also contain isoflavones which are phytochemicals that help prevent heart disease and a variety of cancers. And due to the amount of fiber and protein, these little puppies pack a nice amount of nutrition to help you stave your appetite until lunch and dinner time.

Roasted soy nuts are great to add to a salad, to yogurt and to your baked goods such as breads and muffins. The amount of isoflavones for one serving is roughly 80 mg of isoflavones and is nearly doubled the amount initially recommended for women to eat on a daily basis in helping their health, especially premenopausal and menopausal women. In perimenopausal women, it also helps to keep that libido going - and for those of you there already, you know exactly what I mean. And did you know this stuff called isoflavones helps with preventing hot flashes? But the current recommended amount is now 80 mg per day of soy isoflavones, which is the amount 'considered helpful for hormonal imbalance'. Women in Asia easily intake this amount in their daily diet, it is no wonder they have low breast cancer rates.

And just as a side note, the soy bean is the only complete plant protein, it contains B vitamins, calcium and even known super healthy omega-3 fatty acids. You really can't get a much healthier plant product - it is also long been known as one of the five sacred plants and the soy bean can be made into a variety of products which some you may already know and have tried: soy milk, soy sauce, tofu, edamame, tempeh - used as a meat or poultry substitute, soy cheese, miso, and even soy flour. The one exception to this is soy bean oil, which frankly should be treated as one would use corn oil, not very often.

If you are a vegetarian, a vegan or even someone who wishes to better themselves with healthy protein alternatives, the wondrous soy bean is your answer. And not only are soy bean products extremely affordable, it is simply silly not to have them handy in your cupboards and refrigerator. Soy protein shakes and even soy bars are a great way to add the ever so important isoflavones into your daily diet.

Be creative the next time you think soy, if you haven't been already converted by this article - you can add soy beans in its many forms in a variety of ways. The important part is to realize you are helping yourself to prevent heart disease, adding a neat plant protein which is easily digested by your body unlike red meat, helping to keep your hormones in balance - and heck as a woman, you know how important that is.

So remember to add soy beans to your varied diet for the best health along with loads of fresh vegetables, fruits and other legumes for optimum health

by Leah Quinn - 26 Jun 2009

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