Ankeny, Iowa, March 22, 2018—April is National Soyfoods Month, a time for celebrating the versatility, sustainability and all-around high satisfaction factor of tofu comfort food recipes.
Soyfoods are affordable, readily available ingredients that make it easy to incorporate plant protein into your favorite recipes.
Like other soyfoods that provide approximately 7 to 15 grams of high-quality protein per serving, tofu is a complete protein. It offers all eight of the essential amino acids needed for healthy growth, without the large amount of saturated fat that typically comes with animal sources of protein. Tofu is especially versatile because it comes in several forms. In fact, it just might qualify as an emerging American comfort food.
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Silken tofu works well for party dips, creamy soups, smoothies and rich desserts. Water-packed tofu (available in soft, firm and extra-firm textures) can be added to casseroles, stir-fry dishes or pastas and salads. It’s also a favorite for grilling season.
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National Soyfoods Month in April is the ideal time for discovering tofu’s comfort food potential. Think of it as soymilk’s cheese equivalent. Tofu is bean curd, made from soymilk. In Asia, tofu has been a staple since ancient times, with its use in ancient China going back more than 2,000 years.
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Tofu itself is bland, and comes in a variety of textures that lend themselves to numerous comfort-food recipes. Tofu takes on flavors, and can be marinated, basted, baked, fried, grilled, crumbled, used in cheesecakes and other desserts, in creamy salad dressings, soups and in vegetable dishes. Here are some ideas from The Soyfoods Council.
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Get out your air fryer and have some tofu fun: Next time you’re entertaining, offer your guests a protein rich, flavor-packed snack of Tofu Bites. They’re tiny bursts of flavor made with firm water-packed tofu. Drain the tofu, press out extra liquid and cut tofu into cubes. Marinate the tofu in any prepared sweet and spicy sauce you prefer. Just before guests arrive, roll the marinated tofu in panko breadcrumbs and cook for 6 minutes in the air fryer, shaking the basket halfway through the cooking time.
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Meat lovers rejoice: Creamy Lemon Poppy Seed Salad Dressing made with tofu is the perfect complement for luxurious steak dinners. To make the dressing, simply combine soft silken tofu is combined with mayonnaise, soybean oil, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, fresh and bottled lemon juices, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Toss with salad greens of choice. If you prefer pork to beef, try “Creamy” Mango Habañero Dressing, made with soft silken tofu, ripe mangos, minced half (or whole) habañero chile, lime juice, tamari soy sauce, honey and soybean oil, seasoned to taste with salt and pepper. In a blender, puree all ingredients except soybean oil and the salt and pepper. With the blender still running, slowly add the oil to emulsify, and then adjust seasoning to taste. Serve a salad of mixed greens, avocado, hearts of plan and red peppers with a main course of Jamaican jerk pork.
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Fire up the grill and prepare for a tofu revelation: Extra-firm water-packed tofu and grills were made for each other. Because tofu takes on other flavors such as marinades or barbecue sauces, it’s a quick, cholesterol-free food to add to an outdoor grill or make in a grill pan on the stove. The Soyfoods Council offers recipes such as Grilled Tofu Fries, Grilled Tofu BLTs, and Grilled Tofu with Chimichurri Sauce and Grilled Garlic Bread. For tofu fries, drain and pat dry extra-firm water-packed tofu. Slice the tofu into ½-inch french fry shapes, lay the slices on a platter, and pour ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce over them. Transfer to another platter and brush with soybean oil or your vegetable oil of choice. Place tofu fries on a preheated grill. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn and grill for another 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with warmed barbecue sauce for dipping.
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Don’t scrimp on dessert: Silken tofu adds a luxurious note to comfort food classic desserts such as cheesecake and mousse. Decadent Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake, for example, combines a chocolate graham cracker crumb crust with a filling of melted bittersweet chocolate bars, soy cream cheese, extra-firm tofu, sugar, cocoa, eggs and vanilla extract. The cheesecake is baked for 60 to 70 minutes, and then served with drizzles of melted white and dark chocolate.
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For details about tofu and other soyfoods, visit the Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. You’ll also find recipes, ideas for incorporating more soyfoods into your diet, nutrition information, cooking tips and the latest research about the health benefits of soyfoods.
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About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
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About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties. Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.
Serves 4
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This delicious dressing tastes decadent without the added calories of mayonnaise or sour cream. Perfect on any salad, pork or grilled fish.
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Ingredients
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1 12-ounce package Mori-Nu soft silken tofu, drained well
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2 ripe mangos, peeled, roughly chopped
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1/2 to 1 fresh habanero chile, minced (depending on how spicy you want it)
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Juice of 2 limes
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2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
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2 tablespoons honey
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1/2 cup soybean oil
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Salt and pepper
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Instructions
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Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Blend to puree with a hand wand or in a blender. Slowly add oil to emulsify while still blending. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
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Served over mixed local greens with avocados, hearts of palm, red peppers and Jamaican jerk pork
Each March, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics sponsors National Nutrition Month. One of the 2018 objectives is to encourage consumers to make more informed food choices. The Soyfoods Council invites consumers to explore the following good reasons for including soyfoods among the ingredients they choose to eat and keep in their pantry or refrigerator.
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Make More Informed Choices
Soyfoods make sense as part of a healthful diet, with a variety of affordable choices and versatile ingredients.
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Did you know that among nondairy milks, soymilk is the only one mentioned specifically in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as being comparable to dairy milk? According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, “Soy beverages fortified with calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D, are included as part of the dairy group because they are similar to milk, based on nutrient composition and in their use in meals.”
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Did you know that soy is a complete protein offering all eight of the essential amino acids needed for healthy growth? One serving of soyfoods—1 cup of soymilk, ½ cup tofu, ½ cup shelled edamame or ¼ cup of soynuts—offers approximately 7 to 15 grams of high-quality protein without the large amount of saturated fat that typically comes with animal sources of protein.
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Did you know that soybean oil may contribute to heart health? Choosing healthy fats is one way to establish a more healthful eating pattern. Although a number of oils are high in polyunsaturated fat—soybean oil, corn oil and safflower oil among them—only soybean oil provides both types of essential polyunsaturated fats, including omega-6, polyunsaturated fat linoleic acid, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fat, alpha-linolenic acid.
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Keep Soyfoods on Hand in the Pantry and the Refrigerator
The following soyfoods offer convenient ways to create quick, nutritious snacks and meals.
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Soymilk is available in shelf-stable aseptic cartons that do not need to be refrigerated until they’re opened. Options include plain soymilk, vanilla soymilk and chocolate soymilk in light or original versions. All are lactose-free, dairy free, cholesterol free and low in saturated fat, offering approximately 6 grams of soy protein per serving.
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TSP (Textured Soy Protein, also known as TVP or Textured Vegetable Protein) is a pantry item that can be used as a topping for fruit cobblers, an add-in for oatmeal, soups or stews, and an extender for ground meats. It adds texture, and takes on flavor, making it a versatile ingredient.
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Soybean oil, with its neutral flavor and high smoke point, is an affordable, multi-purpose cooking oil to keep on hand. Use it for sautéing, in salad dressings and for baking, too.
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Soy nuts and dry roasted edamame are ideal for snacks, for adding to salads, or for creating your own snack mixes with raisins and dried cranberries. Soynut butter can be used in sandwiches, cookie recipes and as a snack with raw fruit slices.
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Canned soybeans are ideal for chili and other bean-based recipes. For example, the Soyfoods Council offers recipes such as Black and Tan Chili, incorporating one can each of tan soybeans and black soybeans. Other ingredients in the chili recipe include green pepper, onion, garlic, diced jalapenos, canned diced tomatoes, vegetable juice, chili powder and ground cumin.
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Water-packed and silken tofu varieties can be used in recipes ranging from stir-fries to smoothies, from dressings and sauces to desserts. Keep tofu on hand in your refrigerator to make fruit shakes, dips and quick desserts.
Explore Soy Protein for Your Favorite Recipes
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When you add TSP (Textured Soy Protein) to ground beef, you not only extend your food dollar, you also acquire the health benefits of soy protein. TSP is high in protein, has no fat, no cholesterol and no sodium. It provides iron and calcium, too. Replace a portion of the ground meat in recipes (25% to 50%) with hydrated TSP to get all the flavor of beef. Textured Soy Protein stretches ground beef for hamburger patties, tacos and sloppy joes. Also, use it in your spaghetti sauce and chili recipes. Make Taco Burgers with beef broth, TSP, canned black soybeans, chopped onion, seasoning mix, eggs, cornmeal, flour and soybean oil.
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Make appetizers that offer soy protein, such as Black Soybean Dip. In a blender, mix canned black soybeans, canned tan soybeans, and soybean oil. Flavor the dip with minced garlic, chopped onion, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and ground cumin. Serve with tortilla chips or raw vegetables.
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Add pureed soft silken tofu and soymilk to mashed potatoes for Tofu Mashed Potatoes that reduce the cholesterol and increase the protein. Also, add a little plant protein to dips, such as Sundried Tomato Tofu Dip. In a blender or food processor, process soft tofu until smooth. In a mixing bowl, combine the tofu with a package of cream cheese and a package of Ranch seasoning dressing mix, chopped and drained marinated sundried tomatoes, minced onion and garlic powder. Once the ingredients are incorporated, chill for one hour. Serve with raw vegetables.
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Make you own tofu-based salad dressings, such as Sesame Ginger Tofu Dressing. Simply mix together rice wine vinegar and white vinegar with sugar for about 10 to 15 seconds. Then, add the vinegar mixture to a blender with soft silken tofu, ground ginger, ground mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and black pepper. Gradually add soybean oil to emulsify. Serve over a salad of kale, candied walnuts, sweet potatoes and bacon.
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For nutrition information and recipes featuring soyfoods, visit The Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. You’ll also find tips for cooking with soyfoods, and recent studies about soyfoods and health.
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About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
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About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties. Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.
Ankeny, Iowa, January 24, 2018— Although they’ve been discreet about it, soy and chocolate are a loving couple. And when it comes to Valentine’s Day, nothing says you care like making better-for-you homemade treats that combine chocolate and soyfoods. There’s more good news, too: You don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen when working with versatile soyfoods such as soynuts, tofu, soymilk and miso. The Soyfoods Council offers ideas to help you incorporate more plant-based foods—and yes, we’re including chocolate desserts— into your diet. One cup of soymilk, a half-cup of tofu and an ounce of soynuts are each considered a single serving of soy. One serving of soy offers approximately 7 to 15 grams of high-quality protein without the large amount of saturated fat that typically comes with animal sources of protein.
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Now, on to those soy and chocolate suggestions, and Happy Valentine’s Day from The Soyfoods Council.
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Crunchy and chocolate-covered: Make your own chocolate covered dry-roasted edamame or roasted soynuts. These soyfoods are widely available at stores such as Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Costco and local supermarkets. Simply melt a chocolate bar in the microwave, stir dry-roasted edamame or roasted soynuts into the melted chocolate, and allow mixture to cool on wax paper or parchment paper.
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Cool and creamy: Make the easy recipe for Elizabeth’s Chocolate Pudding Pies with one 16-oz. container of silken firm tofu, one cup of highest-quality cocoa powder, one cup of confectioner’s sugar, one Tablespoon each of vanilla extract and corn syrup. Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Chill for one hour, and then spoon the mixture into six individual-sized prepared graham cracker crusts. Garnish with whipped cream, fresh berries and shaved chocolate or mini chocolate chips before serving.
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Warm and dreamy: How about making your own hot fudge for sundaes by microwaving dark chocolate chips and vanilla soymilk for 35 seconds? You’ll probably want to make a test batch of this sauce (after all, you owe it to yourself). In a microwave-safe small bowl, pour 1 Tbsp. vanilla soymilk over 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips. Microwave, and then stir the warm mixture to make hot fudge. Serve over soymilk ice cream.
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You, me and umami: Have you ever tried the combo of white miso and chocolate sauce? Stirring a teaspoon of miso into your favorite homemade chocolate sauce recipe adds a new dimension to desserts such as angel food cake with banana slices, or vanilla bean ice cream.
The Soyfoods Council offers a variety of recipes pairing chocolate and soyfoods. For recipes, ideas for incorporating more soyfoods into your diet, and the latest research about soyfoods and your health, visit the Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. You’ll also find nutrition information and cooking tips.
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About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties. Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.
FDA’S SOY-HEART HEALTH CLAIM: 25G OF SOY PROTEIN PER DAY REMAINS CLINICALLY RELEVANT, SAYS DUPONT
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22-Jan-2018 By Stephen Daniells
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The FDA is not meeting its mandate for providing clear, evidence-based guidance that is practical and actionable, says DuPont in comments on the Agency’s proposal to revoke the soy protein heart health claim. Read more here.
Should You Sip Soymilk to Improve Your Skin Health?
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Ankeny, Iowa, January 9, 2018— A new clinical study from Japan draws attention to one of the lesser-known potential health effects of consuming soyfoods: the benefits of soy for skin health. Results of this study are consistent with previously published research. For this latest study, postmenopausal women consumed one cup of soymilk a day for eight weeks. The women filled out facial skin questionnaires three times—at the beginning of the study, eight weeks after consuming the soymilk, and four weeks after they were no longer consuming soy—answering questions about the condition of their facial skin. Questions covered dryness, elasticity, moisture, coarseness, pigmentation, and overall satisfaction.
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At the beginning and end of the study, samples were also taken of skin underneath the forearm from each study participant. After eight weeks of drinking soymilk, the results showed that for all six questions, the condition of the skin significantly improved. Furthermore, the skin samples taken from underneath the forearm also were consistent with the improvements reported by the women themselves. With possible skin scores ranging from a low of 2 to a high of 10, at the beginning of the study, the skin score was approximately 4, whereas at the study’s conclusion, it was approximately 8. After four weeks of abstaining from soymilk, questionnaires indicated that most of the benefits were lost. That is, the condition of the skin approached the condition at the beginning of the study.
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An important strength of this study is that the changes in skin health were determined both subjectively (questionnaires) and objectively (skin biopsies). Also noteworthy is that just one serving of soy per day led to such pronounced benefits.
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In addition to offering potential benefits for skin health, eating soyfoods may also reduce the risk of developing heart disease and some forms of cancer, including breast cancer. One serving of soy offers approximately 7 to 15 grams of high-quality protein but not the large amount of saturated fat that typically comes with animal sources of protein.
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For more research about the health benefits of soyfoods and recipe ideas for incorporating more soyfoods into your diet, visit the Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. You’ll also find nutrition information and cooking tips.
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About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
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About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties. Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Linda Funk
Executive Director
The Soyfoods Council
515.491.8636
lfunk@thesoyfoodscouncil.com
Photos Available Upon Request
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Research Suggests Soy Consumption Protects Against Prostate Cancer
Ankeny, Iowa, January 23, 2018—New research offers a possible explanation for why prostate cancer rates in soyfood-consuming countries in Asia are so low compared with rates in Western countries. According to this research, it is because Asian men regularly consume soyfoods. This subject has been rigorously investigated since the U.S. National Cancer Institute first began exploring the role of soy in cancer prevention 30 years ago.
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For this new research, a team of University of Illinois researchers analyzed the results of 30 observational or epidemiologic studies to better understand the relationship between soy and prostate cancer. Observational studies examine how exposure to a particular factor, such as soy, among a given population affects the risk of developing a particular outcome, such as prostate cancer. When all studies were included in the analysis, men who consumed the most soy were 29% less likely to develop prostate cancer than were men who infrequently consumed soy. Results in Asian and North American studies were similar. However, the results did differ according to the type of soyfoods consumed. Consuming unfermented soyfoods—such as tofu and soymilk—was very protective, while fermented soyfoods, such as miso, were not found to have protective effects. Just why fermented soyfoods weren’t protective isn’t clear.
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Soyfoods appear to lower risk of developing prostate cancer because they contain high amounts of naturally occurring compounds called isoflavones. In Asian studies, results showed that intake of the two primary isoflavones in soybeans—genistein and daidzein—was inversely related to risk. That is, the more isoflavones were consumed, the less likely men were to develop prostate cancer. It is unclear why isoflavones in soy are protective, but it is not because they lower testosterone levels. Studies clearly show that consuming even very high amounts of isoflavone-rich soy does not lower blood testosterone levels.
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In Asian studies, men in the highest intake group consumed about two servings of soyfoods per day. One cup of soymilk, a half-cup of tofu and an ounce of soynuts are each considered a single serving of soy. Americans who wish to increase their intake of soyfoods can easily do so by adding plain or vanilla soymilk to cereals, enjoying soynut snacks, or adding tofu to stir-fries or salads. One serving of soy offers approximately 7 to 15 grams of high-quality protein without the large amount of saturated fat that typically comes with animal sources of protein.
The Soyfoods Council offers a wide variety of recipe suggestions. On its website you’ll find Edamame Hummus made in a food processor with olive oil, lemon juice, tahini and seasonings. Soybean Chili is simple to make, with canned tan soybeans and black soybeans. For breakfasts or snacks, try the Berry Secret Smoothies made in a blender with frozen mixed berries, light vanilla soymilk, orange juice and fresh spinach.
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For more research about the health benefits of soyfoods and recipe ideas for incorporating more soyfoods into your diet, visit the Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. You’ll also find nutrition information and cooking tips.
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About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
​
About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties. Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.
Ankeny, Iowa, December 28, 2017— Start your healthy New Year off right with creative plant-based protein ideas from The Soyfoods Council. The following globally inspired soup recipes are just in time for National Soup Month in January. And as you’re simmering these warming soups, remember that one serving of soy offers approximately 7 to 15 grams of cholesterol-free protein that is low in saturated fats.
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Cuban Black Soybean Soup: Sip the savory flavors of this Caribbean-inspired soup made with black soybeans, diced smoked ham and low-sodium beef broth. It combines diced onions, celery and green bell pepper and is seasoned with cumin, red pepper and dried oregano. Pair this soup with grilled sandwiches or rice side dishes. RECIPE
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Lentil Soup with Spiced Soy Yogurt: Warm spices contribute to the comfort food quotient of this soup, seasoned with garam masala (Indian ground spice blend), cumin and sambal oelek (Indonesian spicy chile paste). Red lentils are combined with garlic, onion, tomato paste, canned crushed tomatoes, and vegetable stock. The soy yogurt is spiced with fresh coriander leaves, cumin, ground coriander and mild paprika. Serve this soup with warm pita or naan bread. RECIPE
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Mexican Soup Olé: South-of-the-border ingredients inspire this hearty soup combining canned soybeans, refried vegetarian beans, salsa, diced tomatoes, chili powder and vegetable broth. It’s a one-bowl meal that you can garnish with cheese or sour cream, then serve with tortilla chips and guacamole. RECIPE
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Protein Carrot and Ginger Soup: Pleasing texture meets bright flavor in this soup featuring carrots and ginger, along with onions and garlic in a broth of vegetable stock, white wine and lemon juice with silken firm tofu. It’s an ideal soup for lunch, or enjoy it as an appetizer. RECIPE
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Curried Corn and Pepper Chowder: This vegetable spin on traditional chowders gets its creaminess from unflavored soymilk. Made with red and green bell peppers, minced shallots, vegetable stock, shredded cheddar and fresh or frozen corn, it’s seasoned simply with curry powder. Serve it with meaty main courses such as barbecued pork or beef ribs. RECIPE
For these recipes and other soups featuring soyfoods, visit the Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. You’ll also find nutrition information, the latest research about soyfoods and your health, cookie recipes and cooking tips.
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About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
​
About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties. Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.
Do soyfoods help or hurt breast cancer patients? That question has been hotly debated over the past 20 years. Although older animal studies raised some initial concerns, extensive human research not only suggests soyfoods are safe for women with breast cancer but potentially beneficial. Population studies show that consuming 1-2 servings of soyfoods per day after a diagnosis of breast cancer reduces recurrence and improves survival. Now, research published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment that was conducted by investigators from several US universities suggests that breast cancer patients who consume soyfoods are less likely to suffer from menopausal symptoms and fatigue.
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Women involved in this study were recruited from two California cancer registries. All women had completed primary treatment for breast cancer. In total, there were 192 Chinese-Americans and 173 Non-Hispanic Whites. Information on dietary intake and symptoms was obtained through a 1-hour-long survey administered via telephone. The dietary questionnaire included four questions specifically about soyfoods. Women were divided into three soyfood intake groups: none, low and high intake.
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In addition to obtaining information on dietary intake, all women in the study were asked if they experienced any of 34 possible treatment-related symptoms and its severity within the past 12 months prior to the interview date. Symptoms were assessed using a five-level scale, from “not at all” to “very much.”
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When all women were included in the analysis, the findings showed that high-soy-consuming patients were less than half as likely to report having menopausal symptoms in comparison to women who didn’t consume soyfoods. Symptoms included hot flashes or night/cold sweats, vaginal dryness/pain with intercourse and vaginal discharge. Similarly, high-soy-consumers were also about half as likely to suffer from fatigue.
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The experimental design of this study doesn’t allow for definitive conclusions about the benefits of soyfoods to be made. However, given that other research shows that soyfoods may improve the prognosis of breast cancer patients and that soyfoods are excellent sources of protein and healthy fat, adding soyfoods to the diet makes sense for women with breast cancer. The results of the current study suggest that about two servings per day are sufficient to derive benefit. One serving is a cup of soymilk, one-half cup of tofu or edamame, or one ounce of soynuts.
Take a listen to the Brownfield Ag News interview with our executive director Linda Funk on how tofu is made and how to use it. The interview is here: http://brownfieldagnews.com/healthy-living/tofu-health-food/ .
October 31, 2017
The Scientific Data Are Clear:
Soy Protein Provides Heart Health Benefits
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Soy protein lowers blood cholesterol levels according to years of scientific evidence1-10 and the conclusions of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and health agencies in Canada11 and 11 other countries.12
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Nevertheless, the FDA recently announced it is proposing to change the existing heart health claim for soy protein. The possible change to a “qualified” health claim indicates that while the FDA believes the scientific evidence still supports consumption of soy protein as a means of lowering blood cholesterol levels, it recognizes there is some inconsistency in the results of recent clinical trials. However, no adverse effects were observed in these studies.
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Such inconsistency is not at all unexpected as there is no nutrition research area where clinical studies have produced entirely consistent findings. This is true even for the effects of sodium on blood pressure13,14 and calcium on bone mineral density15,16 and yet reducing the intake of sodium is routinely recommended by nutritionists as a means of reducing risk of heart disease and increasing calcium intake as a means of preventing osteoporosis .
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The Soy Nutrition Institute (SNI) intends to provide data and comment to the FDA during the 75-day comment period that was opened by the FDA with the announcement of the possible change to the soy protein health claim. In addition to commenting on the cholesterol lowering effects of soy protein, other benefits will be highlighted in SNI comments.
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While the mechanism behind the ability of soy protein to lower cholesterol levels in humans remains elusive, it has been observed that soyfoods can help to lower cholesterol levels by replacing commonly consumed sources of dietary protein because of the favorable change in the fatty acid content of the diet.1 In fact, the cholesterol lowering effect of soybean oil was recently recognized by the FDA in the form of a heart health claim.17 Furthermore, there is intriguing evidence that there may be components of soybeans and soyfoods aside from the fat and protein that favorably affect a number of coronary heart disease risk factors.18-21
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Soyfoods provide ample amounts of high-quality protein, so regardless of someone’s risk of developing coronary heart disease, adding soyfoods to the diet makes nutritional sense.22 Importantly, the nutrition community recognizes that to markedly reduce cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease risk requires adopting a comprehensive dietary approach.
Because of their varied nutritional and health attributes, soyfoods and soy protein have been key components of comprehensive dietary approaches that have led to dramatic reductions in cholesterol.23-28
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Therefore, from a public health perspective, regardless of any possible change to the existing soy protein heart health claim the clinical evidence indicates that soyfoods can make important contributions to heart-healthy diets.
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For more information about the nutrition and health attributes of soyfoods visit www.thesoynutritioninstitute.com.
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References
1. Jenkins DJ, Mirrahimi A, Srichaikul K, et al. Soy protein reduces serum cholesterol by both intrinsic and food displacement mechanisms. J Nutr. 2010;140:2302S-11S.
2. Zhan S, Ho SC. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein containing isoflavones on the lipid profile. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;81:397-408.
3. Harland JI, Haffner TA. Systematic review, meta-analysis and regression of randomised controlled trials reporting an association between an intake of circa 25 g soya protein per day and blood cholesterol. Atherosclerosis. 2008;200:13-27.
4. Anderson JW, Bush HM. Soy protein effects on serum lipoproteins: A quality assessment and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled studies. J Am Coll Nutr. 2011;30:79-91.
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About the Soy Nutrition Institute
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The mission of the Soy Nutrition Institute is to identify soy and health research priorities, provide evidence-based information on the impact of soybeans and soy components on human health through a variety of education and outreach efforts and, as funds may be available, facilitate the development and funding of targeted research projects.
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The Soy Nutrition Institute is a collaborative organization begun in 2004 through the initiative of the United Soybean Board and soy industry leaders, including global corporations and national associations.
Members meet at least twice annually to review and discuss research related to soy and health. Emerging issues are examined with presentations from experts in the field. Literature reviews and primary research are commissioned by SNI, as funding allows.
Ankeny, Iowa, July 25, 2017— Most Americans know that blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks and stroke, but few are aware that soy protein may have blood pressure-lowering effects that can be added to the list of health benefits of eating soyfoods.
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For two decades, health agencies around the world have acknowledged that soy protein directly lowers blood cholesterol levels and can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Now, recently published research suggests that soy protein also lowers blood pressure. A new statistical analysis of 12 clinical trials involving more than 1,500 postmenopausal women found that soy protein significantly lowered systolic blood pressure by slightly more than 3 points (mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure by about 1 point.
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Researchers also found that women in the study who ate at lest 25 grams of soy protein per day experienced a decrease of nearly 5 points in their systolic blood pressure and nearly 2 points in their diastolic blood pressure. Soy protein is available in a variety of soyfoods.
For example, one-half cup of water-packed tofu provides 12.5 grams of protein; 1 cup of soymilk offers approximately 7 grams of protein. Reducing blood pressure by the amounts found in the research analysis could potentially reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke by as much as 10 percent. The cholesterol-lowering effects of soy protein provide additional protection.
Jade Hummus with Pita Crisps
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The Soyfoods Council offers crave-worthy recipe ideas for incorporating soyfoods into your diet. Versatile ingredients such as tofu, soymilk, edamame and tempeh can enhance your favorite recipes or offer snacking opportunities that add soy protein. Jade Hummus, for instance, is made in a food processor or blender. It combines cooked shelled edamame (blanched and frozen fresh soybeans), tahini (sesame seed paste), extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley, garlic, lemon juice and seasonings such as cumin, paprika and ground coriander seeds. Serve this soy hummus with pita bread.
For a simple but soy-rich Spiced Fruit Dip, blend together soft tofu, brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
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For more health-related information about soyfoods, cooking tips and soy recipe ideas, visit The Soyfoods Council website: www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com.
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About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
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About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties.
Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.