Soybeans

Also known asSoya Beans · Glycine max · 黄豆 · 大豆

Name: Soybeans (Glycine max) — the small, round, usually cream-yellow, but also green, brown and black, beans of the soybean plant, one of the most important crops in the world. They are eaten whole, and processed into tofu, soy milk, tempeh, miso, soy sauce, oil and animal feed.

Description

The soybean (Glycine max) was domesticated in China around 3,000 years ago or more, and spread across East and Southeast Asia, then to the West in the 18th to 20th centuries. It is now one of the world's biggest crops, with Brazil, the United States and Argentina the largest producers, and most of it is used for animal feed and oil.

Unlike most beans, soybeans are very high in protein, around 35 to 40%, with about 20% fat, and they provide all essential amino acids, which is why they have been a vital food in East Asia for thousands of years. Whole mature soybeans are rarely eaten plain in Asia, however, since they are tough and beany. They are traditionally fermented or turned into tofu, which makes them easier to digest.

Raw soybeans contain trypsin inhibitors and lectins, which interfere with protein digestion, so they must be properly cooked or processed.

Main nutrition value

Soybeans are an excellent source of plant protein with all essential amino acids, plus fibre, iron, calcium, magnesium, folate and healthy polyunsaturated fat, with isoflavones.

How best to be consumed

Soybeans need long soaking and thorough cooking.

1. Soak for 8 to 12 hours, then simmer for 2 to 3 hours until tender, or pressure-cook.
2. Add cooked beans to soups, stews, salads and rice dishes, or mash into dips.
3. Roast soybeans into kinako-style soy flour or crunchy snacks, called soy nuts.
4. Make into soy milk and tofu, or ferment into tempeh and natto.
5. Never eat them raw or undercooked.

Overconsumption could cause…

Soybeans are healthy in food amounts when properly cooked.

1. Soy allergy, which can be serious in some people, particularly children, so anyone allergic must avoid soy and check labels.
2. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates in soybeans, particularly if you are not used to eating them.
3. Possible effects on thyroid medicine absorption, so people taking levothyroxine should leave several hours between it and soy foods, and soy can matter for people with low iodine intake or an underactive thyroid.
4. Isoflavones, plant compounds in soy that weakly mimic oestrogen, which research suggests are safe in food amounts for most people, including those with a history of breast cancer, although very high supplement doses are not advised.
5. Digestive upset from raw or undercooked soybeans, which contain trypsin inhibitors and lectins that cooking destroys.
6. Reduced absorption of iron and zinc from phytates, which soaking and fermentation reduce.

GroupsSoy FoodsLegume familyHigh fibreHigh proteinLow sodiumRich in calciumRich in folateRich in ironRich in magnesiumRich in potassiumRich in seleniumRich in vitamin KRich in zinc

Made intoDark Soy SauceLight Soy SauceLow-Sodium Soy SauceMisoNattoSoy ChunksSoy MilkSoy MinceSoy ProteinSoy SauceSoybean OilTamariTempehTofu

Related foodsFirm TofuFermented TofuEdamameExtra-Firm TofuSilken TofuSmoked Tofu

Wikipedia — Soybean, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soybean