Soybean

Soybean (scientific name: Glycine max (L.) Merr) is commonly known as soybean. It is an annual herb of the genus Glycine in the Leguminosae family, 30-90 cm tall. The stem is stout, upright, and densely covered with long brown hard hairs. The leaves usually have 3 leaflets; the stipules are veined and covered with yellow soft hairs; the petiole is 2-20 cm long; the leaflets are broadly ovate and papery; the short racemes have few flowers, and the long ones have many flowers; the peduncle usually has 5-8 sessile, tightly packed flowers; the bracts are lanceolate and covered with rough hairs; the bracts are lanceolate and covered with appressed bristles; the calyx is lanceolate, the flowers are purple, lavender or white, with petal petioles at the base, and the wing petals are sieve-shaped. The pods are hypertrophic, slightly curved, drooping, yellow-green, densely covered with brown-yellow long hairs; there are 2-5 seeds, which are elliptical or nearly spherical, with smooth seed coats, and are various in color, such as light green, yellow, brown and black. The flowering period is June-July, and the fruiting period is July-September.

Originally from China, soybeans are cultivated in various parts of China and are also widely cultivated around the world. Soybeans are one of China's important food crops, with a 5,000-year history of cultivation. They were called "shu" in ancient times and are mainly produced in Northeast China. Soybeans are a crop whose seeds are rich in plant protein. Soybeans are most commonly used to make various soy products, extract soybean oil, brew soy sauce, and extract protein. Bean dregs or soybeans ground into coarse powder are also often used as poultry and livestock feed.

Nutritional value of soybeans

Soybeans contain a comprehensive range of nutrients and are rich in content. Every 100 grams of soybeans contains 36.3 grams of protein, 18.4 grams of fat, 25.3 grams of sugar, 412 kcal of calories, 367 mg of calcium, 571 mg of phosphorus, 11 mg of iron, 0.4 mg of carotene, 0.79 mg of vitamin B1, 0.25 mg of vitamin B2, and 2.1 mg of niacin. Compared with the same amount of pork, soybeans contain 1 times more protein, 33 times more calcium, and 26 times more iron, and are much cheaper than pork. Soybean protein contains various amino acids required by the human body, especially lysine, leucine, threonine and other essential amino acids for the human body, only methionine is relatively small. This is exactly the opposite of general cereal foods. Therefore, soybeans and grains can complement each other, greatly improving the nutritional value of soybeans and grains. Soybeans contain a lot of fat and are unsaturated fatty acids, especially linolenic acid. This is very effective in preventing arteriosclerosis. Soybeans also contain about 1.5% phospholipids. Phospholipids are the basic components of cells and play an important role in maintaining the health of human nerves, liver, bones and skin.

The fat content of beans varies greatly depending on the type. Soybeans contain about 18%, so they can be used as a raw material for cooking oil. Other beans except soybeans only contain about 1% fat. Soybean fat is mostly composed of unsaturated fatty acids, which have a low melting point. It is easy to digest and absorb, and contains rich linoleic acid and phospholipids. It is a high-quality fat. Therefore, soybeans and soybean oil are often recommended as ideal foods for preventing and treating coronary heart disease, hypertension, atherosclerosis and other diseases.

Soybeans are rich in high-quality protein, unsaturated fatty acids, calcium and B vitamins, and are an important source of high-quality protein in the diet of Chinese residents. The protein content of soybeans is about 35%-40%. Except for methionine, the composition and proportion of the other essential amino acids are similar to those of animal proteins. They are also rich in lysine, which is lacking in cereal protein. They are natural and ideal foods that complement cereal protein. The fat content in soybeans is about 15%-20%, of which unsaturated fatty acids account for 85%, and linoleic acid is as high as 50%, with high digestibility and more phospholipids. The carbohydrate content in soybeans is about 25%-30%, half of which is dietary fiber. Among them, raffinose and stachyose are fermented by intestinal bacteria to produce gas, which can cause abdominal distension. Soybeans are rich in phosphorus, iron and calcium. Every 100g of soybeans contains 571mg of phosphorus, 11mg of iron, and 367mg of calcium, which are significantly more than cereals. Due to the high content of phytic acid in soybeans, it may affect the bioavailability of mineral elements such as iron and zinc. The content of B vitamins such as vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and niacin in soybeans is many times higher than that in cereals, and it also contains a certain amount of carotene and rich vitamin E.

The efficacy and effects of soybeans

1. Enhance the body's immunity

Function: 500 grams of soybeans contain protein equivalent to the protein content of 1000 grams of lean meat or 1500 grams of eggs or 6000 milliliters of milk. It also contains a variety of essential amino acids for the human body, plays an important nutritional role in human tissue cells, and can enhance human immune function.

2. Prevent vascular sclerosis

The lecithin in soybeans can remove cholesterol attached to the blood vessel wall, prevent vascular sclerosis, prevent cardiovascular disease, and protect the heart. The lecithin in soybeans also has the effect of preventing excessive fat from accumulating in the liver, thereby effectively preventing and treating fatty liver caused by obesity.

3. Promote bone development

Soybeans contain a variety of minerals, which can supplement calcium, prevent osteoporosis caused by calcium deficiency, promote bone development, and are extremely beneficial for bone growth in children and the elderly.

4. Facilitate bowel movements

The soluble fiber contained in soybeans can both promote bowel movements and reduce cholesterol.

5. Anti-iron deficiency anemia

The iron in soybeans is not only rich but also easily absorbed by the human body, and has a certain therapeutic effect on iron deficiency anemia.

6. Blood sugar reduction

Lipid-lowering soybeans contain a substance that inhibits pancreatic enzymes and has a therapeutic effect on diabetes. The saponins contained in soybeans have a significant effect on lowering blood lipids. At the same time, they can inhibit weight gain and reduce the lipid and fat content in serum and liver.

7. Anti-oxidation and anti-aging effects

Soybean saponins can significantly counteract the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase caused by adriamycin, and have a significant protective effect against the death of mice caused by adriamycin

Medicinal value of soybeans

1. Menopausal syndrome:

Hot flashes and vaginitis in menopausal women are caused by ovarian failure, so using soy phytoestrogens for hormone replacement therapy can replenish phytoestrogens in the body and promote vaginal cell proliferation. Soy isoflavones are the main ingredients for treating menopausal syndrome.

2. Cardiovascular disease:

Eating 40 grams of soy protein a day, which contains moderate and high levels of isoflavones, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in menopausal women after 6 months. Another study gave people with high cholesterol levels an average of 47 grams of soy protein a day, which reduced total cholesterol levels by 9% and low-density lipoprotein levels by 13%. This effect may be related to soy phytoestrogens.

3. Osteoporosis:

Women who take hormone replacement therapy several years before clinical menopause can prevent bone loss until at least age 75. Animal studies have shown that soy protein can increase bone formation. Reports on human subjects have also shown that soy protein can increase bone density in the short term.

4. Cancer:

Soy isoflavones have a significant preventive effect on the occurrence and development of breast cancer, prostate cancer and some other cancers. Comparative studies have shown that the higher the level of soy products and isoflavones consumed by residents, the lower the incidence of these cancers. Soy has a significant preventive effect on the occurrence of breast cancer in premenopausal women.

5. Enhance immunity:

Soybeans contain plant protein and are known as "plant meat". If the human body lacks protein, it will have symptoms of decreased immunity and fatigue. Eating soybeans to supplement protein can avoid the problem of high cholesterol caused by eating meat.

6. Make your mind smart:

Soybeans are rich in soy lecithin, which is one of the important components of the brain. Eating more soybeans can help prevent Alzheimer's disease. In addition, the sterols in soy lecithin can increase nerve function and vitality.

7. Strengthens Organs:

Soy lecithin can also promote the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and strengthen various tissues and organs of the human body. In addition, it can lower cholesterol, improve lipid metabolism, and prevent and treat coronary artery sclerosis.

8. Improves Energy:

The protein in soybeans can increase the excitatory and inhibitory functions of the cerebral cortex, improve learning and work efficiency, and help relieve frustration and depression.

9. Whitening skin care:

Soybeans are rich in soy isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen that can improve skin aging and relieve menopausal syndrome. In addition, Japanese researchers have found that linoleic acid in soybeans can effectively prevent the synthesis of melanin in skin cells.

10. Prevent oxidation:

Soybean saponins in soybeans can remove free radicals in the body and have an antioxidant effect. They can also inhibit the growth of tumor cells and enhance the body's immune function.

11. Lowers blood lipids:

Plant sterols in soybeans can lower blood cholesterol. They can compete with cholesterol in the intestines and reduce cholesterol absorption. While lowering the "bad cholesterol" in the blood of patients with hyperlipidemia, they do not affect the "good cholesterol" in the blood, and have a good lipid-lowering effect.

12. Prevention of deafness:

Iron supplementation can dilate capillaries, soften red blood cells, ensure blood supply to the ears, and effectively prevent hearing loss. The iron and zinc content in soybeans is much higher than other foods, which plays a certain role in preventing deafness in the elderly.

13. Auxiliary pressure reduction:

American scientists have found that patients with hypertension consume too much sodium and too little potassium in their diet. Eating high-potassium foods can help excrete excess sodium in the body and help lower blood pressure. Soybeans are rich in potassium, with 1503 mg of potassium per 100 grams. Eating soybeans regularly is very helpful for replenishing potassium in the body in a timely manner.

Side effects and contraindications of soy

1. Soybeans are cold in nature. People with cold stomach, prone to diarrhea, abdominal distension, spleen deficiency, and kidney deficiency who often have nocturnal emission should not eat too much.

2. Do not eat it raw, it is poisonous. Eating incompletely cooked soy milk may cause food poisoning symptoms of varying degrees, including bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, etc.

3. Poisoning ingredients and mechanism: Raw soybeans contain a trypsin inhibitor, which inhibits the normal activity of trypsin in the body and irritates the gastrointestinal tract.

4. The highest cooking temperature of many brands of soy milk machines on the market now does not reach 100 degrees. In fact, the soy milk is not fully cooked. After the soy milk machine grinds the soy milk, it is heated and cooked in the pot. The soybeans need to be boiled seven times (or boiled for about 15 minutes after boiling) for safe consumption.

5. Be careful to prevent livestock from being poisoned by eating raw soybeans. However, eating raw soybeans can easily cause bloating or even poisoning in livestock, and if not rescued in time, it may lead to the death of livestock.

6. The soybeans have thick skin and are not easy to be chewed by teeth. Raw soybeans contain trypsin inhibitor toxins, which can reduce the digestive effect of digestive juices, thereby reducing the digestibility of feed, especially dry soybeans, whose digestibility is only about 50%, and whole soybeans are more difficult to digest. In addition, some of the sugars contained in soybeans can combine to form mucous semi-fibers, which can ferment in the digestive tract of livestock, produce gas, and form flatulence; soybeans become raw soybean milk in the stomach, and the saponins in it have the effect of stimulating the digestive tract mucosa and destroying red blood cells. Therefore, livestock may experience symptoms of poisoning after eating, such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, sweating, staggering, lying on the ground, body coldness, cramps, convulsions, and difficulty breathing.

7. If cattle, sheep, donkeys, horses and other livestock accidentally eat raw soybeans, they should strictly control their drinking water. If they drink too much water, it is easy to cause acute gastric dilatation, leading to gastric rupture and death. If livestock have bloating and food accumulation due to eating raw soybeans, you can take 500ml of sesame oil, 50g of human hair, and 1 beehive and burn them into charcoal, mix them into the boiled sesame oil, wait until it is warm and drink it orally, and they will recover soon. In order to prevent cattle and sheep from accidentally eating raw soybeans, the management of livestock should be strengthened, especially calves and lambs that have not been put on the harness, so as to prevent them from stealing food and causing poisoning.

How to make delicious soybeans

1. Soybean and Peanut Breast Enlargement Crisp

Ingredients: 100 grams of peanuts, 100 grams of seeded red dates, and 100 grams of soybeans.

practice:

1. Dry the peanuts and soybeans with skin, grind them into powder, chop the red dates, mix them well, and add a little water to shape them;

2. Knead it into small balls, and then press them into small round cakes (the size can be determined by yourself);

3. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes, then bake at 150 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.

Efficacy: Breast enhancement.

2. Soybean-cooked pork ribs

Ingredients: 500 grams of pork chops, a handful of soybeans, 10 dates, 20 grams of tongcao, and appropriate amounts of ginger slices and salt.

practice:

1. Wash the pork chop bones, chop them into pieces, wash the soybeans, jujubes, and ginger, wash the tongcao, and wrap them with gauze to make a medicine bag;

2. Add water to the pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, add spareribs, soybeans, jujube, ginger and medicine bag;

3. Cook over low heat for 2 hours, remove the medicine bag and add salt to taste.

Efficacy: This dish has the effects of invigorating qi, nourishing blood, and unblocking meridians. It is suitable for women with dry breasts due to weak qi and blood. It can also increase the elasticity of women's skin.

3. Soybean and pig's trotter breast soup

Ingredients: 3 pig trotters, 100 grams of soybeans, 25 grams of ginger slices, and appropriate amounts of five-spice powder, salt, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

practice:

1. Soak the soybeans in warm water.

2. Remove the shell of the pig's trotter, split it into two halves, wash and chop it into pieces, and rinse it thoroughly with boiling water.

3. Put an appropriate amount of water in the casserole, add onion, ginger, soy sauce, salt and sesame oil, and add soybeans and pig's trotters after the water boils;

4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until the pork trotter and soybeans are soft. When the soup is cooked through, sprinkle with five-spice powder and mix well.