The benefits and harms of soy for women of different ages

Studying the traditional diet of Asians, scientists found that soy products make up a large share of their diet. By superimposing these data on the World Health Organization's research on the spread of cancer in the world, they suggested that women in Asia are less likely to get breast cancer precisely because soy is the basis of their diet. In addition, it is widely believed that phytoestrogens suppress hot flashes during menopause. Is this really so, what are the benefits and harms of soy for women - read on.

Composition of soy

Soybeans rich in vitamins, micro- and macroelements. For example, the vitamin content in 100 g of unprocessed beans is:

• beta-carotene – 0.15 mg;
• B1 (thiamine) – 1 mg;
• B2 (riboflavin) – 0.2 mg;
• B3 (nicotinic acid) – 2.2 mg;
• B4 (choline) – 270 mg;
• B5 (pantothenic acid) – 1.7 mg;
• B6 (adermin) – 0.8 mg;
• B7 (biotin) – 0.007;
• B9 (folic acid) – 0.2 mg;
• C (ascorbic acid) – 6 mg;
• E (tocopherol) – 17 mg.

Just 100 g of soy contains a significant portion of our daily requirement for micro- and macroelements, and in some respects it significantly exceeds it:

• potassium – 64%;
• calcium – 20%;
• magnesium – 55%;
• phosphorus – 60-75%;
• sulfur – 20%;
• sodium and chlorine – less than 4%;
• boron – 190%;
• cobalt – 300%;
• nickel – 850%;
• manganese – 150%;
• molybdenum – 140%;
• copper – 50%;
• zinc and iron – 30% each;
• iodine – 5%.

Soya beans – a good alternative to meat and dairy products, since the protein content in the seeds reaches 40%, and it is easily absorbed by the body. Fat content – ​​30-40%:

• unsaturated, including linoleic and oleic acids - up to 34.4%.
• saturated – up to 5.6%, which is significantly less than in meat.

Carbohydrates make up 20-30% and include polysaccharides and soluble sugars.

If you consume soybeans in beans, your body will additionally receive a good portion of fiber.

Attention! Soybean fruits are a unique product containing isoflavones: daidzein, genistein and glycitein. These phytoestrogens are not plant hormones, but have properties similar to estrogens (female sex hormones), only with less pronounced activity. Their properties and influence on the human body have not yet been fully studied, but the scales tip in favor of the fact that they give our health more good than bad.

What are the benefits of soy for women?

At the end of the 20th century, a number of studies were conducted aimed at identifying the connection between the eating habits and lifestyles of representatives of different cultures and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. It turned out that residents of Southeast Asia suffer from breast cancer, heart and vascular diseases much less frequently than representatives of America and Europe. It was hypothesized that this situation is associated with the active consumption of soy products by Asian residents.

Reference. The antioxidant properties of genistein and daidzein contained in beans can neutralize free radicals, prevent or stop the development of malignant tumors and reduce the risk of cells degenerating into cancerous ones.

After 50 years

But if cancer affects people regardless of their age, then women 50 years old experience quite typical problems that soy-based products can help cope with:

1. Taking phytoestrogen-based medications during the postmenopausal period reduces the intensity and frequency of hot flashes and sweating in 45% of cases. Even if some respondents had a placebo effect, the rest were helped by the effect of isoflavones.
2. Including soy in the diet or taking dietary supplements based on these beans significantly slows down the progression of osteoporosis. This occurs due to partial compensation of one’s own estrogens with phytoestrogens, due to the content of a large percentage of calcium, so necessary for bones, and the action of phytic acid, which slows down the development of cells that destroy bone tissue.
3. Regular consumption of soy products reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases: stroke, hypertension, cerebrovascular accidents, etc.
4. Soybeans useful for restoring metabolism, improving diabetes mellitus, and treating disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
5. An important role is played by the lecithin content in soy products, which normalizes cholesterol levels, stimulates the flow of bile, speeds up metabolism, thereby helping to cope with excess weight problems.

Harm and contraindications of soy for women

For some time now, doubts have arisen about whether soy is beneficial for women’s health when it comes to its unique component – ​​isoflavone. Doubts are based on the fact that cancer can be triggered by the female sex hormone estrogen.Since isoflavone imitates its behavior, it can, in theory, cause the formation of atypical malignant cells.

However, this theory is not confirmed by anything. Moreover, the experience of Japan, Indonesia, China and other Asian countries shows the opposite, since the incidence of breast cancer in Asian women is 30% lower than, for example, in American women.

Important! The danger of thyroid disease exists when a large amount of goitrogenic substances (for example, soy flour) that block the absorption of iodine are absorbed, and at the same time there are no iodine-containing products in the diet.

During pregnancy

During the period of bearing a child, a woman’s body works differently, and it happens that food that is healthy in all respects can cause bad consequences during pregnancy in the expectant mother or fetus:

1. Soy contains phytic acid, capable of influencing the absorption or blocking of minerals. During pregnancy, there is a risk that access not only to harmful substances (for example, heavy metals), but also to micro- and macroelements necessary for the development of the child in the womb will be blocked.
2. The benefit of soybeans is that they reduce cholesterol levels. But pregnancy is a case when dignity turns into a disadvantage, since during this period the female body requires cholesterol to produce estrogen and progesterone - hormones responsible for the successful bearing of a child.
3. Soy is an allergen, and in order not to provoke allergies in the unborn baby, it is better to limit the consumption of soy products.

The general recommendation for soy consumption during pregnancy is to reduce portions and frequency of consumption, and to prefer fermented soy, in which the effects of phytic acid are neutralized.

Conclusion

The properties of soybeans still require study - so far the research results are often contradictory. Based on common sense, you should take the best from soy by using it in food, and at the same time do not give up other products so that the body receives balanced and nutritious nutrition.