Soy's Health Benefits . . .


Six Ways Soy Can Benefit Your Health
by Monique N. Gilbert
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soy, and most soy-based products, are nutritional powerhouses. Soybeans are the only plant food that has all of the essential amino acids our body requires, making it a complete protein. Soy foods do not have any cholesterol, and most are high in fiber. In addition, soy has many vitamins, minerals, and phytochemical compounds (like isoflavones) that work together to create numerous health benefits.

Research shows that a daily intake of at least 25 grams of soy protein and 30-50 milligrams of isoflavones can improve and safeguard your health. This is the equivalent of 1-2 servings of soy foods a day. Here is a list of soy's properties and how they can positively effect you.

(1). Soy's protein and isoflavones lower LDL (the bad) cholesterol and decrease blood clotting (thrombosis), which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.

(2). Soy's protein and isoflavones provide antioxidants, reduce artery clogging plaque, improve blood pressure, and promote healthy blood vessels. This protects the body from free radical damage, boosts the immune system, and lowers the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart disease, and hypertension (high blood pressure).

(3). Soy's soluble fiber protects the body from many digestive related cancers, such as colon and rectal cancer. While its isoflavones may protect the body from many hormone related cancers, like breast, endometrial (uterine) and prostate cancer.

(4). Soy's protein enhances the body's ability to retain and better absorb calcium in the bones, while its isoflavones slow bone loss and inhibit bone breakdown, which helps prevent osteoporosis.

(5). Soy's isoflavones help the body regulate estrogen when this hormone is declining or fluctuating, which helps alleviate many menopausal and PMS symptoms.

(6). Soy's protein and soluble fiber help regulate glucose levels and kidney filtration, which helps control diabetic conditions and kidney disease.

Copyright © by Monique N. Gilbert. All rights reserved.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All of these medical conditions, and the ways soy influences and affects them, are detailed in Virtues of Soy.
To learn more about the health benefits of soy, which soy foods are best, and how to deliciously incorporate them into your diet, order your copy of
Virtues of Soy:
A Practical Health Guide and Cookbook

 Click here to go to the
Book Description and Ordering Information page

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two excellent sites that go into great detail about soy's safety and the anti-soy campaign.
1. By John Robbins (The Food Revolution and EarthSave)
http://www.foodrevolution.org/what_about_soy.htm

2. By Virginia Messina, MPH, RD & Mark Messina, PhD (Vegan Outreach)
http://www.veganoutreach.org/health/soysafe.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E-Mail: virtuesofsoy@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright © 2000-2011 by Monique N. Gilbert. All Rights Reserved.

Permission must be obtained to use information from this blog.

This blog is only intended to offer health information to help you understand the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle. It is not intended to diagnose, dispense medical advise or prescribe the use of diet as a form of treatment for illness without medical approval. In the event you use this information without a health practitioner's approval, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your right. However, the publisher and author assume no responsibility.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~