Those at the top end of sports and fitness are always looking for the latest dietary research and advice to utilize to improve their performance. They know that what we eat affects the body in all kinds of ways. Diet can be used for good general health but also to give optimum health and additional performance. Here we are looking at how soy protein benefits the body.
Meat has traditionally been thought of as the main way to get complete proteins into the body and athletes tend to eat a lot of it. However, in recent years there has been a trend away from this as meat also contains harmful elements, especially when it is produced on a large scale. Many are now looking to plants as an alternative and the legume family is now consumed in large quantities instead.
Soy contains all of these nine missing amino acids and is therefore called complete. There are only a few plants which are complete and so consumption has grown massively in recent years as vegetarians became aware of this. It is also high in other essential nutrients; fatty acids, micronutrients, fiber, calcium and B vitamins. At the same time it is low in fat and cholesterol and so is a great way to get lots of benefits without much harm.
In the East in countries such as Japan, Malaysia and China where people eat lots of soy it has been observed that their health outcomes are much better than for people in the west. For example, Okinawa has the highest concentration of people over one hundred years old in the world. They have lower incidence of cancer and heart disease and are more physically active throughout their lives.
Cholesterol has become a controversial issue in recent years. After decades of official dietary advice that everyone should try to lower it there is now growing evidence that too little can also be detrimental. Some of this controversy has come about due to misunderstanding as there are different types of cholesterol, ldl is thought to be the most dangerous. Soy contains phytosterols which help block absorption of it thus keeping overall levels in the body lower.
Soy powders are used by more and more body builders and sports people to aid in recovery after a workout. It was maligned for many years as research suggested that maybe soy lowered testosterone levels but this has now been shown to be negligible. The benefits outweigh the negatives. Soy is really the only plant with complete proteins and so can be used to build muscle mass.
Fermented soy foods are a better option as they are easier to digest and also contain probiotics which aid absorption of nutrients. These are found in a variety of forms such as, miso, tempeh and nattoo. Miso is an extremely versatile ingredient and can be eaten in soup but also used as a flavoring for other meals as it has lots of umami and is almost like beef in its taste.
Eating soy is a great way to get protein without having to eat meat. It is complete and so contains all the amino acids needed by the body for proper function. In countries where the residents consume lots of it their health outcomes and life expectancy are much better than in the west. It can also be obtained as a supplement in powder form for those who need to build muscle mass.
Meat has traditionally been thought of as the main way to get complete proteins into the body and athletes tend to eat a lot of it. However, in recent years there has been a trend away from this as meat also contains harmful elements, especially when it is produced on a large scale. Many are now looking to plants as an alternative and the legume family is now consumed in large quantities instead.
Soy contains all of these nine missing amino acids and is therefore called complete. There are only a few plants which are complete and so consumption has grown massively in recent years as vegetarians became aware of this. It is also high in other essential nutrients; fatty acids, micronutrients, fiber, calcium and B vitamins. At the same time it is low in fat and cholesterol and so is a great way to get lots of benefits without much harm.
In the East in countries such as Japan, Malaysia and China where people eat lots of soy it has been observed that their health outcomes are much better than for people in the west. For example, Okinawa has the highest concentration of people over one hundred years old in the world. They have lower incidence of cancer and heart disease and are more physically active throughout their lives.
Cholesterol has become a controversial issue in recent years. After decades of official dietary advice that everyone should try to lower it there is now growing evidence that too little can also be detrimental. Some of this controversy has come about due to misunderstanding as there are different types of cholesterol, ldl is thought to be the most dangerous. Soy contains phytosterols which help block absorption of it thus keeping overall levels in the body lower.
Soy powders are used by more and more body builders and sports people to aid in recovery after a workout. It was maligned for many years as research suggested that maybe soy lowered testosterone levels but this has now been shown to be negligible. The benefits outweigh the negatives. Soy is really the only plant with complete proteins and so can be used to build muscle mass.
Fermented soy foods are a better option as they are easier to digest and also contain probiotics which aid absorption of nutrients. These are found in a variety of forms such as, miso, tempeh and nattoo. Miso is an extremely versatile ingredient and can be eaten in soup but also used as a flavoring for other meals as it has lots of umami and is almost like beef in its taste.
Eating soy is a great way to get protein without having to eat meat. It is complete and so contains all the amino acids needed by the body for proper function. In countries where the residents consume lots of it their health outcomes and life expectancy are much better than in the west. It can also be obtained as a supplement in powder form for those who need to build muscle mass.