Why do soybeans need energy

Some of the richest sources of isoflavones are soy flour and soy nuts. Having a diet rich in soy foods is linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease , including stroke and coronary heart disease.

Oestrogen may protect women against heart disease during their reproductive years, but rates of heart disease increase after menopause.

Soybeans have been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, both known risk factors of heart disease. An analysis of clinical trials suggests 14g to 50g of soy protein can significantly reduce total blood cholesterol levels, LDL bad cholesterol levels and triglycerides, while moderately increasing HDL good cholesterol levels. Whole soy products such as soymilk, soybeans and soy nuts have a greater effect on improving cholesterol levels than processed soy products.

It is not known how this happens — it could be phytoestrogens or soy proteins working alone or together.

Another reason could be, the amount of animal protein in the diet including saturated fat and cholesterol within the animal protein may be reduced and indirectly improve our blood cholesterol levels. However, studies also show that eating soy protein without isoflavones results in only small cholesterol reductions, and isoflavone supplements alone have minimal cholesterol lowering effects.

Due to their phytoestrogen content, it is thought soy can reduce menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes. This is based on observations of women in some parts of Asia, who tend to have soy-rich diets and typically fewer hot flushes during menopause than women on meat-rich diets. The phytoestrogens in soy appear to act like a mild form of hormone replacement therapy HRT.

However, compared with traditional HRT, it would take almost a year of regular soy consumption to have similar health benefits. More research is needed, but soybeans may help some women to manage menopausal hot flushes, even if only modestly.

Do not take highly processed soy supplements if you have a high risk of breast cancer, or are a breast cancer survivor. Eating moderate amounts of whole soy foods appears to be healthy. Generally, around 30 to 50mg of isoflavones is enough to offer health benefits. Examples of the average isoflavone content of some foods include:. Although there has been concern that high consumption of soy for some men and people with thyroid conditions may be risky, research suggests this is not the case.

Studies have also shown the use of soy infant formula in healthy, full-term babies does not appear to be harmful. However, infant soy formula may be harmful to premature babies and is best avoided. Check with your maternal and child health nurse or doctor. Some people do not wish to eat genetically modified GM foods.

Soy products imported from the United States are the main source of GM ingredients in food sold in Australia. The FDA has reviewed research that says 25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Food companies are permitted to use that claim on labels. Ever cook with vegetable oil? Soybean oil remains the most common vegetable oil in the U.

In fact, A renewable resource, soybean uses range far beyond food and feed. Soybean oil and meal can replace petroleum and other volatile ingredients in many industrial and consumer products. The primary example is biodiesel , a cleaner-burning, renewable alternative to petroleum diesel. Biodiesel blended into diesel used in the U. Soybean oil accounts for about half the feedstock used to produce biodiesel. Production Statistics. Energy Information Administration Biofuels Explained: Use of Biodiesel.

Goodyear Corporate. The stream of methanol, glycerin, and other impurities are then treated with a small amount of acids and bases to remove any remaining fatty acids. The remaining material is then distilled to recover the methanol and most of the water.

The excess methanol and water are recovered and reused to avoid waste and reduce input costs. The crude glycerin is often sold to companies that refine the glycerin to be used in the production of various other products, including fiberglass resin, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, liquid laundry detergents, soaps, deicers, and antifreeze.

Electrical energy is used to drive the pumps, centrifuges, and mixers, while thermal energy is needed in the distillation column to recover the excess methanol and remove the final rinse water from the biodiesel. Thermal energy is also used to heat the soybean oil to accelerate the conversion process.

The NREL model used a transesterification model from an older commercial transesterification facility located in Kansas City in The Pimentel study offers no explanation for excluding the transesterification phase, which is a major component of the biodiesel production process. Table 2 shows that the recent update on energy required for transesterification is lower than that reported by previous reports. The decrease reflects the improvements in methanol recovery and more efficient plants.

Ahmed, I. Deluchhi, M. Erickson, D. Pimentel, David, and Patzek, Tad W. After removing the oil from soybeans, people can use the remaining material to make food for farm animals and pets.

Some manufacturers make protein powder and isoflavone supplements from soy. Isoflavones are plant compounds that have a similar structure to estrogen. Soy is a complete protein. This means that it contains all nine essential amino acids.

It is an important source of protein for many people, especially those who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. Soybeans are low in saturated fat and high in protein, vitamin C, and folate. They are also a good source of:. The nutritional content of other soy products may vary based on how manufacturers have processed them and which ingredients they have added. Some research suggests that including soy in the diet could have several potential health benefits. Soy has links to more healthful cholesterol levels, which can help lower the risk of heart disease.

They found that consuming soy significantly reduced levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol in the arteries. The review authors also found that soy intake significantly increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol. People with high cholesterol levels had more significant decreases in their LDL cholesterol than people with optimum cholesterol levels.

Also, less processed soy foods — including soy milk, soybeans, and soy nuts — were more effective than soy protein extracts or supplements. One study in the journal Molecules looked at the effect of soy isoflavone supplements on body weight in rats.

The researchers conclude that soy isoflavone supplementation has potential for managing obesity. A review of studies indicates that the isoflavones in soy can help reduce the risk of hormone associated cancers , including prostate cancer and some breast cancers.

Some studies in the review found that Asian women who consumed soy isoflavones had a reduced risk of cancer both before and after menopause.