Do you know what soy is? How much do we need to eat every day?

Soybean, as an important source of high-quality protein, is our old friend. It occupies an important position in Chinese food culture. Common soybean products such as tofu, soy milk, tofu pudding, and bean skin are deeply loved by everyone.

These soy products are not only delicious but also nutritious. They are an important part of a balanced diet. Well-known soy nutrients include soy isoflavones, phytosterols, and soy saponins. Regular consumption of soy and its products is beneficial to children's growth and development, and can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in adults to a certain extent, and help delay muscle decline in the elderly.

As a common food on people's tables, do you know what soybeans include?

In fact, there are only three kinds of soybeans, yellow beans, black beans and green beans. Other than that, the others are not soybeans. The amazing thing is that there are many members of the soybean family, and after being transformed into different foods, they have different skills. For example, after soybeans become bean sprouts, in addition to the nutrients they already contain, their vitamin C content will also increase. Fermented soy products, such as black beans, fermented bean curd, and bean paste are rich in vitamin B12, which can prevent and improve anemia, but these foods are relatively high in salt content and are only used as occasional choices. It is not recommended to eat them frequently.

In three meals a day, we can choose different soybeans and their products, such as soy milk in the morning, stir-fried tofu or soup at noon, stir-fried tofu in the evening, etc. Soybeans and their products can be put on the table for three meals a day, which can change the taste and meet nutritional needs.

Rumor-busting little guard:

(1) Although the chemical structure of isoflavones in soybeans is similar to that of estrogen, scientific evidence shows that, based on daily dietary intake, eating soybeans and their products will not cause precocious puberty in children, nor will it put men at risk of elevated estrogen levels. Therefore, it is safe to consume.

(2) Since soybeans are so good, does it mean that the more we eat every day, the better?

Of course this is not true. According to the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022), the soy intake for different age groups is different:

For young children, the recommended daily intake of soy products is 5-15g/day for children aged 2-3 years old, and increases to 15-20g/day for children aged 4-5 years old.

Children and adolescents in their growth and development period need more protein to support muscle and bone development. It is recommended that children aged 6-13 eat 15g of soy products per day, and the amount can be increased to 15-25g for children aged 14-17.

For the average adult, maintain a balanced diet and consume 25-35g of soy products per day to meet the body's needs for protein and other nutrients.

As we age, soy products are softer than other protein sources and are easier for the elderly to chew and digest.

Tips: According to the dietary guidelines of the Chinese Nutrition Society, in general, 50 grams of soybeans are equivalent to about 145 grams of northern tofu, about 280 grams of southern tofu, about 110 grams of dried tofu, about 730 grams of soy milk, about 350 grams of rennet tofu, about 80 grams of shredded tofu, and about 105 grams of vegetarian chicken.

In short, soybeans and their products are an important part of a healthy diet. Moderate intake can bring a variety of benefits to the body, making soy products a powerful helper for our health!

References:

1. Chinese Nutrition Society, "Dietary Guidelines for Residents of Chinese Nutrition Society (2022)".

2. The pictures are from the Internet.

National Nutrition Week, registered dietitians take action

Author: Niu Yang

Instructors: Cai Wei, Tang Qingya, Feng Yi

Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Project source: Shanghai Health Science Popularization Youth Talent Project (JKKPYC-2022-06)