chapter three
• Folate – also known as Vitamin B9 , performs various functions within the human body and is especially important during pregnancy
• Copper – a rare mineral in the Western world and deficiency could impact heart health
• Manganese – a trace element found in food and drinking water . It can be difficult to absorb from the soya bean due to high phytic acid levels .
• Phosphorous – this is an essential mineral for the use of carbohydrates and fats . Needed for growth , maintenance , reparation of cells , etc .
• Thiamin – also known as Vitamin B1 , plays an important role in metabolic functions
Soy Isoflavones The three soybean isoflavones , genistein , daidzein and glycitein , are the main isoflavones , which are a subclass of flavonoids , present in soybeans . These three isoflavones and their various glycoside forms account for roughly 50 , 40 and 10 percent of total isoflavone content respectively .
Soy isoflavones have been identified as dietary components having an important role in combating the occurrence rate of of prostate cancer in Asian countries . Asian soy consumption can serve as one guide for Western vegetarian soy intake recommendations . However , there is confusion among health professionals about the amount of soy consumed in Asia . Popular sources have suggested that among Asians , soyfoods are used primarily only as condiments and consumed almost exclusively in fermented forms . Both of these statements are without merit . Not surprisingly , there is a wide range of soy intake among Asian countries and even among regions within the same country .
In Japan , the average isoflavone intake ( by older Japanese men ) equates to 40 mg daily and this is provided by 10-12 g of soy protein . A single serving – ½ cup of edamame or tofu or 1 cup of soymilk- is equivalent to 25 mg of isoflavones or 3.5 mg of isoflavones per gram of protein respectively . Soya products that have been processed have lower levels of isoflavone concentrations .
Isoflavones have a chemical structure similar to the female hormone estrogen , and they bind to estrogen receptors . Isoflavones are most commonly referred to as phytoestrogens . It is worth noting that
10