What is So Great About Soybeans?
There is a growing awareness of the nutritional benefits of consuming foods made from soybeans.
But for many, the question is: What are they? Soy beans, aka soya beans, are a species of legume and are often classified as an oilseed.
Soya beans are known to have existed in China some 5000 years ago and have been consumed and used in medical preparations for at least the last 2000 years.
From China the cultivation of soy beans spread slowly to neighboring countries in Asia.
However, it was many centuries later before soya beans were grown commercially in the western world.
In fact, it took until 1906 in the USA and 1910 in Europe before there was deemed to be a sufficiently large enough market to encourage farmers to grow soya beans in significant enough quantities.
No doubt we need to thank Chinese migrants to the USA and Europe for stimulating demand for the first soya bean crop.
Today soybeans are grown in many countries around the world with some of the biggest producers being China, India, Thailand, Argentina, Italy and the USA.
Searching the USDA National Nutrient Database for the composition of raw mature soybean seeds reveals that there is 36.
94g of protein and 19.
94g fat per 100g of seeds.
And the list of vitamins and minerals is long.
It is also worthy to note that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized the health claim ten years ago that linked soy protein, when consumed as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
So there you have it: a great food nutritionally that comes with benefits for your heath.
The phrase "follow the money" comes to mind and often with undesirable consequences.
At least two significant outputs from soybeans are soy protein and oil that can be used in food preparation and as bio-fuel.
The global market for soybeans is enormous.
The USA now cultivates close to half the global output of soya beans.
However, close to 85% of this output is the genetically modified organism (GMO) variety that makes the soybean plant insect and herbicide resistant.
Can we be truly certain that there is no impact on human and animal life in using these GMO variant seeds? System dynamics teaches us that the consequences of policy decisions and actions are often separated by time and space.
Another consequence of the growing demand for soya beans is that many countries have cleared massive areas of land of their natural forests, particularly in South and Central America, in order to grow soybeans.
As a consumer there are many things you can do with soy beans.
But for peace of mind you may just want to ensure that your source of soybeans fits with your comfort zone.
Of course you can purchase ready made products such as soy milk and tofu from your local supermarket or health store but you can also make these foods at home.
If lack of time is an issue, you can purchase an automatic soy milk maker and make soya milk at home just like you would make a pot of coffee.
The process once started needs no supervision and can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
And once you have made your soy milk, you can add the required amount of coagulant to make your own tofu.
With a little creativity, you can make some good flavorsome dishes from tofu.
If you are stuck there are many books to inspire you.
But for many, the question is: What are they? Soy beans, aka soya beans, are a species of legume and are often classified as an oilseed.
Soya beans are known to have existed in China some 5000 years ago and have been consumed and used in medical preparations for at least the last 2000 years.
From China the cultivation of soy beans spread slowly to neighboring countries in Asia.
However, it was many centuries later before soya beans were grown commercially in the western world.
In fact, it took until 1906 in the USA and 1910 in Europe before there was deemed to be a sufficiently large enough market to encourage farmers to grow soya beans in significant enough quantities.
No doubt we need to thank Chinese migrants to the USA and Europe for stimulating demand for the first soya bean crop.
Today soybeans are grown in many countries around the world with some of the biggest producers being China, India, Thailand, Argentina, Italy and the USA.
Searching the USDA National Nutrient Database for the composition of raw mature soybean seeds reveals that there is 36.
94g of protein and 19.
94g fat per 100g of seeds.
And the list of vitamins and minerals is long.
It is also worthy to note that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognized the health claim ten years ago that linked soy protein, when consumed as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and reduced risk of coronary heart disease.
So there you have it: a great food nutritionally that comes with benefits for your heath.
The phrase "follow the money" comes to mind and often with undesirable consequences.
At least two significant outputs from soybeans are soy protein and oil that can be used in food preparation and as bio-fuel.
The global market for soybeans is enormous.
The USA now cultivates close to half the global output of soya beans.
However, close to 85% of this output is the genetically modified organism (GMO) variety that makes the soybean plant insect and herbicide resistant.
Can we be truly certain that there is no impact on human and animal life in using these GMO variant seeds? System dynamics teaches us that the consequences of policy decisions and actions are often separated by time and space.
Another consequence of the growing demand for soya beans is that many countries have cleared massive areas of land of their natural forests, particularly in South and Central America, in order to grow soybeans.
As a consumer there are many things you can do with soy beans.
But for peace of mind you may just want to ensure that your source of soybeans fits with your comfort zone.
Of course you can purchase ready made products such as soy milk and tofu from your local supermarket or health store but you can also make these foods at home.
If lack of time is an issue, you can purchase an automatic soy milk maker and make soya milk at home just like you would make a pot of coffee.
The process once started needs no supervision and can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
And once you have made your soy milk, you can add the required amount of coagulant to make your own tofu.
With a little creativity, you can make some good flavorsome dishes from tofu.
If you are stuck there are many books to inspire you.
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