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.

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