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Tofu Recipe
Source for ounce, soyabeans contain more iron
and protein than meat and more calcium than milk. Soyabean protein contains
good amounts of all the essential amino acids, making it the only plant
protein that approaches or equals animal products in this essential
nutrient. Soyabeans are also good sources of B vitamins and potassium, zinc,
and other minerals. Soyabean oil is mostly polyunsaturated fatty acids,
which do not raise blood cholesterol levels. Flour made from dried soyabeans
is more nutritious than grain flours. |
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Consumed in many forms, soyabeans can be served
like other dry beans, ground into flour or meal, or processed into oil,
milk, curds, and protein concentrates. Tofu, a cheese-like curd made by
pressing a mixture of soaked and ground soyabeans, is a staple in Chinese
cuisine. (it is also substituted for cheese, cream, and other high-fat
ingredients in ice cream, cheesecake, and vegetarian burgers). |
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Recent research indicates that replacing some
animal products with soya protein can reduce the risk of a heart attack.
This is because soya lowers levels of the artery-clogging LDL (bad)
cholesterol without reducing levels of the beneficial HDL cholesterol. In
one study of men whose total blood cholesterol levels exceeded 250 (200 or
lower is desirable), LDL cholesterol dropped an average of 13 percent when
about one ounce of soya protein was added to the daily diet.
In many parts of Asia, where soya
has long been a dietary staple, the rates of breast and prostate cancer are
much lower than in Western countries. Some researchers attribute the low
incidence of these cancers to the fact that soya is high in isoflavones,
plant chemicals that reduce effects of oestrogen on breast and prostate
tissue. Oestrogen is thought to stimulate tumour groowth in genetically
susceptible people. Recent research also indicates that soya isoflavones may
slow the loss of bone minerals after menopause, thereby protecting against
osteoporosis.
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