Soy
...ical class. Phytochemicals are found only in plants. Isoflavones are contained. They have antioxidant properties which allow the protection of the cardiovascular system from oxidation of LDL cholesterol or what is known as bad cholesterol. Isoflavones also help prevent the buildup of arterial plaque, which reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. There are three types of isoflavones, daidzein, genistein and glycitein.Two of the most beneficial of the Isoflavones is daidzein and genistein. They both prevent bones from breaking down and genistein has been found to hold back breast cancer and prostate cancer as well as inhibit the growth of cells that form artery clogging plaque in atherosclerosis. Glycitein which is a lesser-known isoflavone that makes up about 40 percent of the phytoestrogens in soy germ which is the outer coating of the bean that is removed in the milling process. Glycitein functions to balance hormonal changes in the body and is easily utilized by the body as well. In general soy is very beneficial for the health of the human body. Some of these benefits include: decreasing the prevalence of prostate, breast and thyroid cancers, the reduction of the incidence of osteoarthritis and it reduces bone loss in women 65 years of age and older. Soy can also be useful in the treatment of tumors in men that are already diagnosed with prostate cancer. Soy protein also lowers cholesterol in hypercholesterolemic individuals. To be more specific, the benefits of soy for men include function towards a healthy prostate, balances testosterone production, helps to retain muscle mass, enhances strength, stamina and energy. Some particular benefits of soy in women are that it suppresses premenstrual and menopausal symptoms (hot flashes), helps in weight management and soy isoflavones helps to regulate estrogen in a woman’s body when estrogen is declining or fluctuating, which helps to lessen many menopausal and pre-menstrual symptoms. In conclusion, Soy protein is an excellent choice of protein for all men and women who do not want animal based protein in their diet. There are three major groups of soy foods. Traditional soy foods which include: tofu, soy milk, whole soy flour, whole dried soy beans, green soybeans, fermented soy foods such as tempeh, miso and soy sauce. Modern soy foods are: defatted soy flour, textured soy protein (or textured vegetable protein), soy concentrate, isolated soy proteins. Second generation of soy foods include the tofu burgers (or veggie burgers) and hot dogs, soymilk cheese, soy yogurt, soy ice cream. This happens to be my personal favorite. Despite what most people might say about the taste of soy foods, it is actually very good. To me it’s all how you cook it. The second generation of soy foods taste the best because they taste just like regular meat, but healthier. I feel very comfortable knowing I can receive the amount of healthy protein I need without the risks of diseases and other food types that are not beneficial to my health and body, that’s why I am grateful for soy. Because of the high agricultural value...