How Soy Protein Benefits The Body

By Edna Booker


Those at the top end of sports and fitness are always looking for the latest dietary research and advice to utilize to improve their performance. They know that what we eat affects the body in all kinds of ways. Diet can be used for good general health but also to give optimum health and additional performance. Here we are looking at how soy protein benefits the body.

Proteins are made up of amino acids, they are the building blocks. Many types of amino acid are now known and it has been found that there are twenty two which are used by the human body. Most of these are made in house, so to speak in that the body can produce them with little help. However, there are nine others which must be included in the diet for good health.

Soy contains all of these nine missing amino acids and is therefore called complete. There are only a few plants which are complete and so consumption has grown massively in recent years as vegetarians became aware of this. It is also high in other essential nutrients; fatty acids, micronutrients, fiber, calcium and B vitamins. At the same time it is low in fat and cholesterol and so is a great way to get lots of benefits without much harm.

Part of the switch to plant based protein has come about from looking at the diet of people in the far east. Japan has more people who live to be over one hundred years old than any other country. Not only do they live longer they are healthier and more active. Researchers have been looking at their dietary habits to understand the affect of the foods eaten there on health and have found some very interesting things.

One of these is that a diet low in meat but high in beans and vegetables leads to lower cholesterol, less cancer and much lower levels of heart disease. Athletes and body builders have been able to use this research to improve their diets and overall performance. Use of supplements has also helped bring about this improvements.

There are lots of ways to get this beneficial food into the diet. Soy products are widely available now. There are lots of processed foods which contain it such as meat substitutes, soy milk, tofu and vegan cheese. These should probably be consumed in moderation as they are highly processed and have been linked to food allergies and digestive issues.

This is because it contains relatively high levels of the amino acids arginine and glutamine. The first is a stimulant of anabolic hormones which cause muscle growth. Glutamine is great for bodies under stress and aids recovery of the muscle cells.

There are lots of ways to get soy proteins into the body. Drinking shakes after a workout is a great way to help the body recover and build mass. It is also easy to incorporate into the diet. Fermented soy foods are really great for the body as they contain probiotics in addition to the nutrients we have mentioned. These probiotics help with maintenance of the digestive system and absorption of nutrients so that the body gets the benefit of everything consumed.




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