There are so many benefits of eating tofu in spring! But these two types of people are not suitable for eating it~

Tofu is a traditional food in my country. It is as white as jade, soft and tender.

Tofu can be used as the main ingredient or as a side dish. Whether it is served cold, stir-fried or made into tofu soup, it can become a delicious dish on the table.

01

What are the health benefits of tofu

The traditional method of making tofu is to soak and grind soybeans into soy milk, then add a coagulant to precipitate the protein into tofu pudding.

Wrap it with cloth, squeeze out some water, and it will eventually become shaped water tofu.

Tofu is not only delicious, it also has many health benefits.

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1. Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

Tofu is rich in soy isoflavones. Moreover, tofu is a food rich in plant protein. It is low in fat, cholesterol-free, and is also good for heart health.

In 2020, researchers from Harvard Medical School in the United States conducted a data survey on 200,000 participants;

It was found that compared with people who did not eat tofu, people who ate more than 150 grams of tofu per week had an 18% lower risk of coronary heart disease.

This phenomenon is more obvious in premenopausal women or menopausal women who are not taking estrogen.

Other studies have found that the intake of soy isoflavones and tofu can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The intake of soy isoflavones (between 0.11-4.24 mg/d) is inversely proportional to the risk of coronary heart disease.

In addition, compared with people who almost never consume tofu (<1 serving/month), people who eat more than one serving of tofu per week can reduce their risk of coronary heart disease by 12%;

Consuming more than one serving of tofu per week can also reduce the risk of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women who are not using hormones by 49%.

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2. Reduces Breast Cancer Risk

The soy isoflavones in tofu play a bidirectional regulatory role on the estrogen level in the human body. When there is insufficient estrogen in the body, it can occupy the estrogen receptors.

When there is too much estrogen, it can play a competitive inhibitory role, keeping hormone levels at a relatively stable state, which is also beneficial in preventing breast cancer.

A meta-analysis found that every 10 mg/d increase in soy isoflavones can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 3% .

The consumption of soybeans and their products (soybean intake ≥1.62g/d, or tofu intake ≥14.4g/d, or soy isoflavones 26.3mg/d) can reduce the risk of breast cancer in women (especially postmenopausal women).

02

Reduce perimenopausal women

Risk of osteoporosis

The results of a systematic review and analysis showed that soy isoflavones can reduce bone absorption, increase bone density, and prevent osteoporosis. Daily intake of soy isoflavones exceeding 90 mg is beneficial to the bone density of the hip joint and lumbar spine.

Moreover, whether it is tender tofu or firm tofu, they are rich in calcium, which is also beneficial for bone health .

The difference between the old tofu and the tender tofu we often talk about lies in the different coagulants used.

Old tofu is also called northern tofu, and the coagulant used is brine (mainly calcium chloride and magnesium chloride); tender tofu is also called southern tofu, and the coagulant used is gypsum (mainly calcium sulfate).

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03

How to eat tofu healthily?

Eat in moderation. The 2022 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommends consuming 25-35 grams of soybeans and nuts or a corresponding amount of soy products per day, which is about 100-150 grams of tofu .

It is not recommended to eat fried soy products frequently, such as fried soybeans, fried tofu, etc. These high-fat foods are more harmful than beneficial to your health.

04

These people should be careful when eating tofu

People with kidney metabolism problems should pay attention to controlling their food intake.

Soy products are rich in protein. Eating them in large quantities will lead to excessive protein intake, and excessive protein intake will increase the burden on the kidneys.

People with allergies should also be careful with tofu . Soy is also a common food allergen, and allergic reactions are common in children. If you are allergic to beans, try not to eat tofu.

References:

[1]https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.119.041306Circulation. 2020;141:1127–1137

[2]https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001031Circulation. 2021;144:e472–e487

[3] Scientific Research Report on Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021)

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Director of the Science and Technology Department of the Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center

Reviewer: Gao Chao, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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