Soya

The soya bean (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse. It is an annual plant that has been used in China for 5,000 years as a food and a component of drugs. Soya contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids for humans, which makes soy a good protein source. The plant is sometimes referred to as greater bean or edamame, though the latter is more commonly used in English when referring to a specific dish. The English word soya is derived from the Japanese pronunciation of shoyu, the Japanese word for Soya sauce; soya comes from the Dutch adaptation of the same word. Soya beans are an important source of vegetable oil and protein world wide. Soya products are the main ingredients in many meat and dairy substitutes. They are also used to make soya sauce, and the oil is used in many industrial applications. The main producers of soy are the United States, Brazil, Argentina, China and India. The beans contain significant amounts of alpha-linolenic acid also called Omega-3 fatty acid, and the isoflavones genistein and daidzein. The most important point regarding the use of soya beans for human nutrition is the absolute necessity to cook the soya bean with "wet" heat in order to destroy the trypsin inhibitors; serine protease inhibitors. It is not advisable to eat raw soya beans. Soya beans are considered by many agencies, including the US Food and Drug Administration, to be a source of complete protein. A complete protein is one that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body's inability to synthesise them. For this reason, soya is a good source of protein, amongst many others, for many vegetarians and vegans or for people who cannot afford meat. According to the FDA, "Soya protein products can be good substitutes for animal products because, unlike some other beans, soya offers a "complete" protein profile. Soybeans contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition, which must be supplied in the diet because they cannot be synthesised by the human body. Soya protein products can replace animal-based foods-which also have complete proteins but tend to contain more fat, especially saturated fat-without requiring major adjustments elsewhere in the diet." Because soya beans contain no starch, they are a good source of protein for diabetics.