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Soybean – A Miracle Bean!
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What is Soy bean?
The soybean (U.S.) or Soya bean (UK) (commonly misspelled "Soyabean") (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation.
Fat-free (defatted) soybean meal is a primary, relatively low-cost, source of protein for animal feeds or rations; soy vegetable oil is another valuable product of processing the soybean crop. Soybean products such as TVP textured vegetable protein , for example, are important ingredients in many meat and dairy analogues. Soybeans are also used to make soy sauce, and the oil is used in many industrial applications. The main producers of soy are the United States, Brazil, Argentina, China and India. The beans contain significant amounts of phytic acid, alpha-Linolenic acid, and the isoflavones genistein and daidzein.
Together, oil and protein content account for about 60% of dry soybeans by weight; protein at 40% and oil at 20%. The remainder consists of 35% carbohydrate and about 5% ash. Soybean cultivars comprise approximately 8% seed coat or hull, 90% cotyledons and 2% hypocotyls axis or germ. Most soy protein is a relatively heat-stable storage protein. This heat stability enables soy food products requiring high temperature cooking, such as tofu, soy milk and textured vegetable protein (soy flour) to be made.
Soybeans are considered by many agencies to be a source of complete protein. A complete protein is one that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body's inability to synthesize them. For this reason, soy is a good source of protein, amongst many others, for vegetarians and vegans or for people who cannot afford meat.
Soybean a Miracle Bean! There is no age group better than school going children to teach the value of hood nutrition, to help them develop healthier eating habits that will last life time.Soy foods with their superior quality protein can serve as a good source of complete protein for these critical years of child growth and development. Since children do not compromise on taste the key to making them eat soy food regularly is making soy foods as tasty and as familiar as everyday foods and snacks. The aim is to replace the junk foods, which contain empty calories with great tasting soy foods. Recognizing the value of soy protein in promoting children’s health, the USDA in March 2000 made a ruling that ‘soy protein’ can replace meat or other animal sources of protein as much as 100% of school lunch programs.
Soybean is one of the very few plants that provide a high quality protein with minimum saturated fat. Soybeans help people feel better and live longer with an enhanced quality of life. Soybeans contain all the three macronutrients required for good nutrition, as well as fiber, vitamins and minerals. Soybean protein provides all the essential amino acids in the amount needed for human health. Soybeans have almost 40% protein, making soybeans higher in protein than any other legumes and many animal products. Protein in just 250 grams of soybean is equivalent to protein in 3 liters of milk or 1 kg of mutton or 24 eggs. The quality of soy protein is virtually equivalent in quality to that of milk and egg protein. Unlike many other good sources of protein, soybean not only has higher percentage of oil but also quality fatty acid profile. It has low saturated fat content with hjigh amount of essential fatty acids. Soybean oil is also rich in omega-3 and 6 fatty acids similar to those found in fish oils and cholesterol-free. Soybeans are an excellent source of dietary fiber with both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber may help lower serum cholesterol and blood sugar. Insoluble fiber increases stool bulk, may prevent colon cancer and can help relieve symptoms of some digestive disorders. Soybean has more than two times the amount of most of the minerals, especially calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc, than any other legume and very low sodium content. Soybean has all the important vitamins and is very good source for B complex vitamins and Vitamin E.
Soybean and Health Benefits – In addition to containing rich nutrients, soybean has other beneficial compounds such as, phytosterols, lecithins, etc. Soy protein has a number of health benefits such as, cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, combating osteoporosis and menopause regulation. Human studies suggest that as little as one serving of soy foods each day may be protective against many types of cancers. For the past 30 years, investigators have shown that consumption of soy protein selectively decreases total LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintains HDL (Good) cholesterol in individuals with elevated blood cholesterol levels. Based on the various research findings, United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a health claim for soy protein in October 1999. The health claim states ‘consumption ofn 25gma of soy protein per day with a diet low in saturated fat may lower risk of heart diseases’. Another important aspect of soy protein is combating osteoporosis and relieving menopause symptoms. One factor in bone health is limiting the amount of calcium lost from the body. Although protein especially animal protein contributes to calcium loss, soy protein exhibits less calcium leaching effects. The isoflavones fo9und in soybeans may also directly stop bone deterioration. Recent research has shown that soy foods can relieve most menopausal symptoms, thus reduce risks of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Soybean is considered as a natural alternate for hormone replacement therapy for treating women who are in menopause.
How to use Soy daily?
Soy can be used uin many ways in our daily life. Regarding use of soybean imagination is the only limitation. Different sy products such as soybeans, soy flour, and soybean oil can be added to variety of traditional foods. Here are some easy tips and ways to consume soybean protein regularly.
Soybeans: Soybeans can be used like lobia. They can also be added up to 20% in dosas, pesarattu, dahi, bhalla and vedas etc where whole legumes are added. Soak soybeans along with the whole legumes and make the recipe as is usually done. Soybeans can also be added up to 20% in recipe such as chole, rajma and dal makhani.
Wheat-soy flour: This is noything but addition of 10% defatted soy flour to wheat flour to make rotis, chapatis, puris etc. Addition of 10% soy flour to wheat increases protein in wheat flour from 11 to 16%. Several brands of wheat soy flour mix are already available in the market.
Besan-soy flour: Add 20 defatted soy flour to besan and use to make products such as pakora, chilla, kadhi etc. The products made of this mix absorb 20% less oil than the products made out of just besan. Protein content and quality of course is enhanced.
Nuggets and Granules (Soy Bari): Nuggets and granules are made of 100% defatted soy flour which has more than 50% protein and less than1% fat. Nuggets and granules are healthy alternate to meat and can be used easily in Indian cuisine.
Soymilk: Soymilk is extracted from soybeans using modern technology and can be made to taste great while containing all the nutrients of soybean. Although it does not taste like dairy milk it is tasty in its own rights. Soymilk can be handled and used much in the same way as dairy milk. Besides being rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, soymilk is lactose-free, Cholesterol free and low in saturated fat. Soymilk can be made into hot and cold beverages like coffee, tea, fruit shakes, yogurt, ice cream, or can be used as such.
Tofu (Soy Paneer): Tofu is the most popular among all the soymilk products. It is made by coagulating hot soymilk and removing the whey. Tofu is a versatile food and can be converted into a variety of value added products. Tofu easily takes the flavor of the products with which it is cooked. Tofu is highly perishable product just like dairy products. It should be kept immersed in water under proper refrigeration, and water should be changed often.
Soy Papad: Papad is another potential fortification opportunity for soybean in Indian traditional food products. Soy flour can be blended up to 30-40 percent in black gram (urad dal) for manufacture of soy-fortified papad. Fortification of urad flour with soy flour at 30% will increase protein from 21% to 30%.
Soy Nuts: Soy nuts are whole soybeans that have been soaked in water and then baked nutil brown. Most conventional nuts are incredibly high in fat but soy nuts have less fat and more protein compared to conventional nuts. Soy nuts are similar in texture and flavor to peanuts and far less expensive than peanuts. Soy nuts have 50% more protein and 50% less fat than peanuts. Regular consumption of soy products such as soy nuts reduce incidence of various chronic diseases especially heart diseases and cancer.
In the market several other products are available such as noodles, biscuits, bread, etc. to which soy has been added. Therefore read the labels before you buy a product and make sure you included soy products in your daily diet!
Source: American Soybean Association
Nagas and Soybean: Soy bean is nothing new to our Naga people. It has been cultivated for domestic consumption for time immemorial by almost all tribes in Nagaland. The usual food Naga people make out of Soybean is Axone (Sema) and Zacie (Angami), etc. which is a fermented soy bean. It is known that our people also prepare soy flour and soymilk.
Soybean can be future crop for farmers: As has been seen from various perspectives, soybean may become the most important crop in the near future. Our Naga farmers have their indigenous knowledge (Though not documented) on how to grow soybean, when to sow it in which season, how to harvest and how to prepare few food items. It is pertinent and imperative that we encourage our ignorant farmers to cultivate soybean in a more systematic and commercial way.
As a legume plant, it fixes nitrogen in the soil and enriches the soil for other crops and trees to grow. It can be easily intercropped with other crops such as paddy, maize, Colossia (Yam), etc. In such cultivation area, is it not that the farmer gets more than one harvest! When the world is facing the danger of climate change due to slash and burn of forest and other industrial activities it is important that we encourage our farmers to grow such crops like soy. Secondly, our society is becoming more health conscious. But our habit of eating meat and meat items is still at large. It is time that we educate our people to develop new food culture. When soy and soy products has the quality of replacing meat, why not we look into it more seriously and start giving importance on this miracle bean.
Compiled and arranged by: Confederation of Naga Farmers’ union (CONFU)
Secretary,
Confederation of Naga Farmers’ Union (CONFU)
Nagaland.
The soybean (U.S.) or Soya bean (UK) (commonly misspelled "Soyabean") (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years to primarily add nitrogen into the soil as part of crop rotation.
Fat-free (defatted) soybean meal is a primary, relatively low-cost, source of protein for animal feeds or rations; soy vegetable oil is another valuable product of processing the soybean crop. Soybean products such as TVP textured vegetable protein , for example, are important ingredients in many meat and dairy analogues. Soybeans are also used to make soy sauce, and the oil is used in many industrial applications. The main producers of soy are the United States, Brazil, Argentina, China and India. The beans contain significant amounts of phytic acid, alpha-Linolenic acid, and the isoflavones genistein and daidzein.
Together, oil and protein content account for about 60% of dry soybeans by weight; protein at 40% and oil at 20%. The remainder consists of 35% carbohydrate and about 5% ash. Soybean cultivars comprise approximately 8% seed coat or hull, 90% cotyledons and 2% hypocotyls axis or germ. Most soy protein is a relatively heat-stable storage protein. This heat stability enables soy food products requiring high temperature cooking, such as tofu, soy milk and textured vegetable protein (soy flour) to be made.
Soybeans are considered by many agencies to be a source of complete protein. A complete protein is one that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body's inability to synthesize them. For this reason, soy is a good source of protein, amongst many others, for vegetarians and vegans or for people who cannot afford meat.
Soybean a Miracle Bean! There is no age group better than school going children to teach the value of hood nutrition, to help them develop healthier eating habits that will last life time.Soy foods with their superior quality protein can serve as a good source of complete protein for these critical years of child growth and development. Since children do not compromise on taste the key to making them eat soy food regularly is making soy foods as tasty and as familiar as everyday foods and snacks. The aim is to replace the junk foods, which contain empty calories with great tasting soy foods. Recognizing the value of soy protein in promoting children’s health, the USDA in March 2000 made a ruling that ‘soy protein’ can replace meat or other animal sources of protein as much as 100% of school lunch programs.
Soybean is one of the very few plants that provide a high quality protein with minimum saturated fat. Soybeans help people feel better and live longer with an enhanced quality of life. Soybeans contain all the three macronutrients required for good nutrition, as well as fiber, vitamins and minerals. Soybean protein provides all the essential amino acids in the amount needed for human health. Soybeans have almost 40% protein, making soybeans higher in protein than any other legumes and many animal products. Protein in just 250 grams of soybean is equivalent to protein in 3 liters of milk or 1 kg of mutton or 24 eggs. The quality of soy protein is virtually equivalent in quality to that of milk and egg protein. Unlike many other good sources of protein, soybean not only has higher percentage of oil but also quality fatty acid profile. It has low saturated fat content with hjigh amount of essential fatty acids. Soybean oil is also rich in omega-3 and 6 fatty acids similar to those found in fish oils and cholesterol-free. Soybeans are an excellent source of dietary fiber with both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber may help lower serum cholesterol and blood sugar. Insoluble fiber increases stool bulk, may prevent colon cancer and can help relieve symptoms of some digestive disorders. Soybean has more than two times the amount of most of the minerals, especially calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc, than any other legume and very low sodium content. Soybean has all the important vitamins and is very good source for B complex vitamins and Vitamin E.
Soybean and Health Benefits – In addition to containing rich nutrients, soybean has other beneficial compounds such as, phytosterols, lecithins, etc. Soy protein has a number of health benefits such as, cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, combating osteoporosis and menopause regulation. Human studies suggest that as little as one serving of soy foods each day may be protective against many types of cancers. For the past 30 years, investigators have shown that consumption of soy protein selectively decreases total LDL (bad) cholesterol and maintains HDL (Good) cholesterol in individuals with elevated blood cholesterol levels. Based on the various research findings, United States Food and Drug Administration has issued a health claim for soy protein in October 1999. The health claim states ‘consumption ofn 25gma of soy protein per day with a diet low in saturated fat may lower risk of heart diseases’. Another important aspect of soy protein is combating osteoporosis and relieving menopause symptoms. One factor in bone health is limiting the amount of calcium lost from the body. Although protein especially animal protein contributes to calcium loss, soy protein exhibits less calcium leaching effects. The isoflavones fo9und in soybeans may also directly stop bone deterioration. Recent research has shown that soy foods can relieve most menopausal symptoms, thus reduce risks of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Soybean is considered as a natural alternate for hormone replacement therapy for treating women who are in menopause.
How to use Soy daily?
Soy can be used uin many ways in our daily life. Regarding use of soybean imagination is the only limitation. Different sy products such as soybeans, soy flour, and soybean oil can be added to variety of traditional foods. Here are some easy tips and ways to consume soybean protein regularly.
Soybeans: Soybeans can be used like lobia. They can also be added up to 20% in dosas, pesarattu, dahi, bhalla and vedas etc where whole legumes are added. Soak soybeans along with the whole legumes and make the recipe as is usually done. Soybeans can also be added up to 20% in recipe such as chole, rajma and dal makhani.
Wheat-soy flour: This is noything but addition of 10% defatted soy flour to wheat flour to make rotis, chapatis, puris etc. Addition of 10% soy flour to wheat increases protein in wheat flour from 11 to 16%. Several brands of wheat soy flour mix are already available in the market.
Besan-soy flour: Add 20 defatted soy flour to besan and use to make products such as pakora, chilla, kadhi etc. The products made of this mix absorb 20% less oil than the products made out of just besan. Protein content and quality of course is enhanced.
Nuggets and Granules (Soy Bari): Nuggets and granules are made of 100% defatted soy flour which has more than 50% protein and less than1% fat. Nuggets and granules are healthy alternate to meat and can be used easily in Indian cuisine.
Soymilk: Soymilk is extracted from soybeans using modern technology and can be made to taste great while containing all the nutrients of soybean. Although it does not taste like dairy milk it is tasty in its own rights. Soymilk can be handled and used much in the same way as dairy milk. Besides being rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, soymilk is lactose-free, Cholesterol free and low in saturated fat. Soymilk can be made into hot and cold beverages like coffee, tea, fruit shakes, yogurt, ice cream, or can be used as such.
Tofu (Soy Paneer): Tofu is the most popular among all the soymilk products. It is made by coagulating hot soymilk and removing the whey. Tofu is a versatile food and can be converted into a variety of value added products. Tofu easily takes the flavor of the products with which it is cooked. Tofu is highly perishable product just like dairy products. It should be kept immersed in water under proper refrigeration, and water should be changed often.
Soy Papad: Papad is another potential fortification opportunity for soybean in Indian traditional food products. Soy flour can be blended up to 30-40 percent in black gram (urad dal) for manufacture of soy-fortified papad. Fortification of urad flour with soy flour at 30% will increase protein from 21% to 30%.
Soy Nuts: Soy nuts are whole soybeans that have been soaked in water and then baked nutil brown. Most conventional nuts are incredibly high in fat but soy nuts have less fat and more protein compared to conventional nuts. Soy nuts are similar in texture and flavor to peanuts and far less expensive than peanuts. Soy nuts have 50% more protein and 50% less fat than peanuts. Regular consumption of soy products such as soy nuts reduce incidence of various chronic diseases especially heart diseases and cancer.
In the market several other products are available such as noodles, biscuits, bread, etc. to which soy has been added. Therefore read the labels before you buy a product and make sure you included soy products in your daily diet!
Source: American Soybean Association
Nagas and Soybean: Soy bean is nothing new to our Naga people. It has been cultivated for domestic consumption for time immemorial by almost all tribes in Nagaland. The usual food Naga people make out of Soybean is Axone (Sema) and Zacie (Angami), etc. which is a fermented soy bean. It is known that our people also prepare soy flour and soymilk.
Soybean can be future crop for farmers: As has been seen from various perspectives, soybean may become the most important crop in the near future. Our Naga farmers have their indigenous knowledge (Though not documented) on how to grow soybean, when to sow it in which season, how to harvest and how to prepare few food items. It is pertinent and imperative that we encourage our ignorant farmers to cultivate soybean in a more systematic and commercial way.
As a legume plant, it fixes nitrogen in the soil and enriches the soil for other crops and trees to grow. It can be easily intercropped with other crops such as paddy, maize, Colossia (Yam), etc. In such cultivation area, is it not that the farmer gets more than one harvest! When the world is facing the danger of climate change due to slash and burn of forest and other industrial activities it is important that we encourage our farmers to grow such crops like soy. Secondly, our society is becoming more health conscious. But our habit of eating meat and meat items is still at large. It is time that we educate our people to develop new food culture. When soy and soy products has the quality of replacing meat, why not we look into it more seriously and start giving importance on this miracle bean.
Compiled and arranged by: Confederation of Naga Farmers’ union (CONFU)
Secretary,
Confederation of Naga Farmers’ Union (CONFU)
Nagaland.
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