Tofu, a product of soy milk, is a taboo subject for many when it comes to its benefits. Even though in recent times, it has taken new popularity, many are still on the way of convincing themselves for its potential benefits.
Tofu has become a healthy alternative to meat-based products in many meals. Nielsen data, which appears in Bloomberg, found a dramatic rise (66.7%) in the four weeks of 2020 compared to the same season in 2019. One possible reason is the outbreak, which has eventually dropped the meat supply. Here are six reasons that can make you fall for tofu.
It was in 1999 when soy and its foods got approval by the FDA to reduce heart disease risk. Mark Messina, Ph.D., M.S., head of Nutrition Matters in Pittsfield, Mass., calls them as a direct source of eliminating bad cholesterol from the body.
Take 25 grams of this bean every day to get optimal health. Each tofu serving has 10 grams of soy. Tofu is a soy-rich food that can add polyunsaturated fats in the body and reduce the use of red meat, a source of saturated fat.
Prostate cancer holds 15% of all cancers in men. The rate is exceptionally low in Asia because of their high soy diet.
As per the new research paper, Tofu and other soy products are rich in isoflavones that can reduce the cases of prostate cancer in Asia.
There are several other studies too, which call isoflavones the weak hormones that play a protective role against the growth of prostate cancer. Genistein and daidzein are the non-carcinogenic compounds that collect themselves in the prostate tissues.
Apart from supporting healthy lipids in the blood, soy isoflavones have the potency to deal with high blood pressure too.
Its benefits are beyond expectations. It tends to normalize blood pressure with physiological changes, including vasodilation and relation of estrogen-related part of genes to nitric oxide.
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Soy or tofu is the best choice to lower the markers of CVD as it also has the potency to control blood sugar, weight gain, and inflammation.
A study shows soy (tofu) isoflavone daidzein to be effective enough in slowing down the loss in cognitive function. There were six soy isoflavones in total, which showed a positive effect on mental performance.
The results were analyzed on the basis of comparison between resveratrol in grapes and isoflavones in the soy. The isoflavones were found to improve the cerebral vasodilator receptiveness. The team found phytoestrogen to uplift the cognitive abilities, especially in postmenopausal women.
As per a study in the journal Nutrients, soy isoflavones have the potency to look after the fasting blood sugar and other factors contributing to type II diabetes.
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The study found soy to have better control over glycemic levels than other healthy foods. For instance, when a group of people took calcium supplements incorporated with 40 80 mg of soy isoflavones, they had better regulation of their blood sugar than those who only took supplements.
Several people misinterpret tofu for increasing breast cancer. The idea rosed when the mice in the laboratory had tumors on treatment with phytoestrogens. However, this is important to note that the metabolism for isoflavones in mice and humans is a bit different.
Other than this, isoflavones structurally and functionally are also different from the estrogen hormone. In fact, one study showed a 30% lower risk of breast cancer with frequent intake of soy and tofu. This bean food is known to prevent the synthesis of estrogen in women.
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Tofu: Six Misconceptions and Benefits of this Trending Soy Food - Health Writeups