For the past 10 years, the world of soybeans has changed dramatically. Many researches have been conducted on the health effects of soybeans and soybean constituents. Majority of the researches focuses on 2 of the main soy components, aponins and isoflavones.
Isoflavones are a class of phytochemicals, which are compounds found only in plants. They have been shown to help prevent the build-up of arterial plaque which can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke. Isoflavones may also help to reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer, and can fight osteoporosis as well by stimulating bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption. Soy isoflavones can also be a natural alternative to estrogen replacement therapy for relief of mild menopausal symptoms.
It is the anti-oxidant properties of soy isoflavones that can protect the cardiovascular system from oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or what is commonly termed as bad cholesterol. Oxidized LDL accumulates in the arteries as patches of fatty build-up that block the flow of blood. This can cause heart attack and stroke.
Soy protein has also been proved by many studies of its ability to reduce plasma concentrates of total and LDL cholesterol. Some studies even suggested that a daily diet with 4 servings of soy product could bring down the levels of LDL cholesterol by 10 percent. This effect can in fact cause a 20 percent drop in heart disease risk on average.
In 1995, an often-quoted research, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined 38 separate studies and concluded that soy protein, can significantly reduce not only the total and LDL cholesterol, but also the triglycerides. Triglyceride is another fat that is linked to health problems when present at elevated levels.
Some recent study also showed that soy protein can raise the level of good cholesterol (HDL, high density lipoprotein) among people with normal total cholesterol levels. This means that even if your doctor tells you that you have healthy cholesterol levels, soy protein can still help reduce your risk of heart disease by increasing the amount of good cholesterol in your body.
Soy protein products can be good substitutes for animal products because unlike some other beans, soy offers an almost complete protein profile. Soybeans contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition which must be incorporated in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the human body.
America's Most Trusted Doctor Reveals ... How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease - Without Drugs or Surgery. Read more about his confession at: http://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/heart-disease-prevention-dr-robert-article.html
In the ancient era, people used herbs or plants to cure those who were sick, although they could not possibly identify the sickness they encountered at that time. With the advancement of technology, doctors can nowadays accurately differentiate one sickness from the other and people take drugs to cure these diseases. Nevertheless, it seems that these so called medicines (mainly from the West) could not either treat the diseases effectively or have side effects. As such, more and more people seek other forms of therapies or treatments to complement or as alternatives to Western medicine.
Traditional Chinese medicines, existed for at least 5000 years, is one of these alternatives that enjoys a resurgence. The interest is also fuelled by scientific studies of the efficacy of certain herbs and treatments. Some of these studies (promising cures) were presented at the first International Congress of Complementary and Alternative Medicines held in Singapore in 2005. Green tea and red yeast rice are two of the good examples that have proven scientifically effective in tackling or preventing heart disease.
Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols that can block the action of free radicals that are famous in damaging cells. Green tea extract contains epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant that has been found to be effective in lowering LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels; and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots, the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
A current study in Guangxi, China, is evaluating the effects of green tea polyphenols on aflatoxins (airborne moulds that grow in oily mediums and can cause liver damage) and oxidative stress biomarkers. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been found to be possible causes of many heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders. A fall in the levels of these biomarkers has been observed in smokers who drink green tea.
Red yeast rice is made by fermenting rice with a specific strain of yeast called monascus purpureus. In 1979, Japanese scientists discovered that it produced active substances called monacolins, which inhibit cholesterol. As a result of this finding, there was a surge in demand at that time. Red yeast rice is now used to formulate a Chinese proprietary medicine called xuezhikang to treat high cholesterol.
Researchers in China conducted clinical trials of xuezhikang on 4700 patients from 65 hospitals throughout the country. The patients, between 18 and 75 years old, all had some form of coronary heart disease. The study had found that xuezhikang had positive effects such as lowering of bad cholesterol and the raising of the good ones in the prevention and treatment of heart diseases. It is also believed that in the long term, it is safer to use because it does not have the same side effects as the statins drugs such as nausea and constipation, hence making it a better choice in the treatment of high cholesterol.
Ng Peng Hock has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Heart Conditions and Health. Feel free to use this article on your website or ezine as long as the following information about author/website is included. Heart Disease Prevention - 8 Simple Ways You Can Do Immediately, Go to: http://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com. Ng Peng Hock's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.