Is soy flour harmful? Benefits of soy flour

soy flour

The main soy product is soy flour. By appearance it resembles wheat, has a delicate creamy color and a slight nutty smell.

Soy flour contains as yet little-studied substances - isolectans. Several large laboratories around the world are studying them, but one thing is already clear: these are substances similar in their action to insulin-like growth factor. Isolectans are anabolic by increasing cell permeability to amino acids and glucose. Very interesting data were obtained in the USA A large group of patients with stomach and intestinal ulcers received 100-300 g of soy flour every day in addition to their usual diet. Within a month, all patients had complete scarring of ulcers; there were no negative results. This is exactly the case when food is also medicine. Isolectanes lose their properties after being heated. cooking Therefore, those who use soy products for therapeutic or anabolic purposes should remember that soy flour and soy protein should not be exposed to heat. You can, of course, make pancakes, noodles or just some kind of pastry from soy protein - you will get a good dietary product high content run, and nothing more. The nutritional value soy will remain, but its medicinal and anabolic properties will be lost. Therefore, if you are consuming soy protein for the purpose of increasing anabolism (in addition to simply meeting the body's need for protein), it is better to eat it in in kind. You can experiment with flavors, but the product should not be heated.

The anabolic properties of soy flour are widely used in sports practice. Soy is used in the manufacture of various sports nutrition products, which most often contain soy flour concentrate or isolate.

Defatted soy flour contains 50% protein, concentrate - 70-75%, isolate - 90-99%. The isolate is most often used for the manufacture of specialized sports nutrition products (proteins). By itself, soy flour has a rather specific taste, which not everyone likes. In sports products containing soy isolate (as the main component or mixed with other types of protein), the soy flavor is neutralized and the product itself has special flavors (fruit, meat, etc.).

Japanese researchers believe that even an excess of soy isolate in the diet is not capable of leading to obesity, which cannot be said about animal proteins. This question has not yet been studied enough, but I want to believe that Japanese scientists were not mistaken and you can “overeat” soy protein without the risk of getting fat.

Soy flour is widely used in the manufacture conventional products nutrition. Soy protein has good culinary qualities: well structured; has high swelling, moisture-absorbing and fat-binding abilities; retains its shape during heat treatment; has a structure and consistency characteristic of meat products. For this reason, for many years around the world, soy flour has been added to sausages, as well as ready fish products(in an amount of at least 10%). This allows you to improve the amino acid composition finished product and save 10% bookmarks of the main raw materials. Recently, many varieties of imported sausages have appeared on the shelves of our stores, which, if they contain meat, are in very small quantities. They are based on soy protein, which is given the structure, color and taste of meat during special processing. Meat flavor And pink color, by the way, such products are provided by monosodium glutamate. Soy protein and glutamic acid are by no means a bad combination. The only pity is that most of these products are overcooked and sold at a high price, which does not reflect their real (very low) production cost.

The balance of essential amino acids in soybeans is close to ideal (up to 90%), including the content of methionine in soybeans is 0.52g per 100g of product. Milk, by contrast, has a relative excess of methionine. In this regard, the mixture of soy and milk proteins is a product that is close to the ideal balance of amino acids. Usually sports products made from a mixture of milk and soy proteins contain them in equal proportions.

In various professional circles, relatively recently they began to talk about the dangers wheat flour. Indeed, this product has many contraindications, which forces people to seek alternative options. It should be noted that there are many such substitutes. On the shelves of modern stores you can find rice, buckwheat, corn flour. But soy flour is especially popular among consumers in this category. It is obtained from the legume of the same name, which grows well on a variety of soils.

The beneficial properties of soy are highly valued in cooking, it is necessary as a basis for the production cosmetics, widely used in traditional medicine. Let's try to understand the unique characteristics of this, one of the most common agricultural crops on the planet.

Plant characteristic

Soybeans were first grown in Asia about 6-7 millennia ago. Its resistance to adverse environmental influences and the ability to self-pollinate contributed to its rapid spread to other continents. Soybean belongs to leguminous annual crops. The plant is relatively low, under favorable conditions it can reach up to 70 cm in height. During the flowering period, white inflorescences appear on a hairy dense stem, and when the time comes for fruit ripening, small flowers replace pods with yellow beans.

Meet soy varieties, which produce green and brown seeds. Soybean tolerates drought well, but the lack of light negatively affects yields. With a lack of light, the yield decreases sharply, because the fruits decrease in size.

Benefits of soy

In many countries, soybeans are the main agricultural crop. And this is no coincidence. Due to its unpretentiousness, it is possible to obtain quite high yields. And taking into account the leading positions of this representative of legumes in the gastronomic segment, producers receive a huge income from the sale of beans. After all, soy flour has long been learned to make such primary food products as meat, various nutritious pastes, cheeses, butter. If speak about nutritional properties soy, then in this regard it has practically no competitors. One has only to familiarize oneself with the composition of the beans to be convinced of the correctness of this conclusion.

The fruits of soy crops contain such valuable macro and microelements:

• a complex of vitamins, among them such important for health as: vitamins B, PP, E;
• proteins make up 50%;
• polyunsaturated fatty acids;
• mineral salts;
• alimentary fiber;
• carbohydrates;
• starch;
• beta carotene.

Of course, a product with such a valuable set nutrients able to satisfy hunger, and favorably affect health. But this is not the main advantage of soybean compared to other crops of the same family. It has a special structure that allows you to conduct various gastronomic experiments with its derivatives. Doctors value soy, first of all, for its ability to provide positive influence on the structure of blood vessels and the work of the heart.

Proponents of vegetarianism, for example, took soybeans as the basis of their diet, once refusing animal food. In any form, soy is perfectly absorbed by the body, significantly contributes to the digestive processes.

Useful qualities

To judge the usefulness of soy culture, you need to study a little the properties of each component of the composition separately.

1. Protein is present in excess in soy. It is known that the protein of plant origin has a set of essential amino acids.
2. The calcium present in soy, more than the element contained in milk, helps to strengthen bone tissue.
3. Zinc is essential for strengthening immune forces and muscle growth. Without this macronutrient, not a single important process in the body takes place. Zinc takes an active part in the synthesis of proteins, regulates metabolic processes, promotes tissue regeneration.
4. Phospholipids are found in in large numbers in soy. In others legumes ah there are a lot less of them. These elements are responsible for cleansing the body of toxins, they contribute to the restoration of cell membranes, which is especially important for vascular tissues. Phospholipids can also reduce the body's need for insulin. This ability can help people suffering from diabetes.
5. Fatty acid. Soy contains unsaturated acids that the body cannot synthesize on its own. These chemical components regulate hormonal functions, reduce the concentration of cholesterol.

Product varieties

The food industry produces three types of soy products:

• flour, defatted or meal;
• non-fat product;
• flour, half defatted.

Each category of flour products has its own characteristics. For example, meal, which is in great demand, is by-product soybean oil production. There is a lot of protein in the meal, for which it is valued by supporters healthy eating.

Experts advise including soy flour in the diet coarse grinding, because it is she who has an excellent taste and brings the most benefits.

Soy products in cosmetology

Soy protein purified from fatty impurities is widely used in the manufacture of cosmetic products. Means containing soy strengthen the hair structure, have a beneficial effect on the skin. soy ingredient added to daily care formulations. And such products do an excellent job with their task: they smooth wrinkles, moisturize the skin, nourish it and improve its color.

When Soy Can Be Dangerous

Research scientists have shown that with prolonged use of legumes in the body, serious violations of important functions can occur. But especially dangerous hormonal disbalance. Therefore, pregnant women should generally avoid foods containing soy. Carefully this product should be consumed by women of childbearing age, soy should not be given to children under 3 years of age. Diabetics should also not get too carried away with soy products, as their ability to lower blood sugar levels can backfire.

Several useful recipes

It is natural that beneficial features soybeans have not gone unnoticed by traditional healers. It is believed that the plant can even prevent the development of oncological pathologies. After all, phytic acids inhibit the growth of foreign structures. Therefore, soybeans are quite suitable as a prophylactic.

1. For strong immunity. You have to sprout the beans first. This will take 5 days. This is done as follows: first, the grains are soaked in ordinary water, and after a day spread on a damp cloth. The mini plantation should be kept in the sun, wetting the beans regularly. When the sprouts hatched from the beans reach 5 cm, they can be added to the salad or eaten fresh in small portions.
2. Soy decoction helps to cope with overwork, and also relieves anemia. Healing nectar is prepared in the following way: soybeans (50 g) are boiled for 15 minutes in ½ liter of water. After cooling the solution, it is filtered. The resulting amount of broth should be drunk during the day.
3. Soy milk is used to normalize the condition with menopause. The product is recommended to drink three times 2 tablespoons for a whole month.

There is still a lot useful compositions using soy products. There are many interesting recipes for the preparation of cosmetic formulations that can provide beauty and health. But we must remember that any tool will benefit only if it is used wisely.

Video: the benefits and harms of soy products

Due to the large volumes of soybean production in the world, soy flour is one of the most affordable alternatives to wheat. Now its use in food is most common in Asian countries and the United States, but at the same time its popularity is growing all over the world. Despite the concerns of many people about GMOs, it has a rich chemical composition, enriched minerals and vitamins. The benefits and harms of soy flour and how to use it at home for cooking various dishes further in the article.

From this article you will learn:

Soy flour: description

Soy flour is obtained by grinding soybeans, soybean meal or cake. It is a creamy white powder. The particle size is relatively large, roughly equivalent to second grade wheat flour. Before processing, the beans undergo drying and peeling of the upper shell. Depending on the type and proportions of the feedstock, several varieties are distinguished by fat content:

1. Full fat from soybeans.
2. Defatted from meal or cake.
3. Semi-skimmed from a mixture of soybeans with cake or meal.

The color palette of the product ranges from whites and creams to light browns, yellows and even light oranges. It has a mild floury taste and a light aroma with nutty notes.

Soy flour: chemical composition

Defatted soy flour is the most common on the market today. The product is rarely made from soybeans directly for economic reasons - direct oil extraction is more profitable. And flour production fits well into the cycle of processing of meal and cake remaining after degreasing the seeds. In addition, due to the minimum content of fatty acids in the composition, the fat-free product is stored much longer.

The calorie content of defatted soy flour is ~291 kcal per 100 grams. The distribution of basic nutrients, as well as the content of minerals and vitamins, are shown in the following table.

Useful properties are mainly provided by the presence of protein, calcium, zinc, phospholipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids:

• Proteins and proteins occupy almost half of the composition of soy, due to which the product has a diverse amino acid composition and has a positive effect on the work of many internal organs and systems. In addition, it does not contain gluten, which means it can be freely consumed by people suffering from celiac disease.
• 100 grams of soy flour contains 134 milligrams of calcium, which covers 14% of the average daily allowance consumption of this nutrient for an adult. The benefits of calcium are expressed not only in strengthening the musculoskeletal system, but also in improving blood clotting, maintaining muscle tone, stabilizing the excitability of nerve tissues, improving the functioning of the thyroid and pancreas, adrenal glands, and the reproductive system.
• 100 grams of the product contains 4-4.1 mg of zinc, which is equal to 30-40% of the daily intake. This nutrient serves as the strongest antioxidant that supports muscle function, immune system. Zinc is necessary for tissue regeneration, skeletal formation, stable protein metabolism. It keeps the hair healthy, softens the skin, prevents acne and inflammation.
• Soy differs from other legumes in its higher content of phospholipids. These substances: remove toxins from the liver and the whole body, reduce the need for insulin in diabetics, maintain muscle tone, strengthen capillaries, and prevent degenerative changes in the nervous system.
• The presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet prevents diseases of the joints, liver, cardiovascular system, supports immunity, prevents depression and nervous disorders.

The biochemical composition of soy flour is believed to be beneficial for bones, cancer prevention, diabetic nutrition, alleviating menopausal symptoms, and preventing heart disease.

How to make soy flour at home

To prepare the product with your own hands, you can use soybeans, but to get a product that is more convenient to use and store, you need to squeeze it out of them. soybean oil. Of course, at home you won’t be able to squeeze out the maximum, as on industrial equipment, but even removing a small part will make the product better. To do this, you will need to pass the beans through a meat grinder or chop in a blender, and squeeze the oil out of the resulting slurry with a napkin.

The remaining cake must be dried in a dehydrator or ajar oven. When it becomes dry and crumbly, it must be passed through a blender or coffee grinder, crushed to a state close to powder. After that, the flour should be dried again at room temperature.

Please note that you need to process the product at low speeds, otherwise overheating it will lead to the oxidation of fatty acids and other nutrients. As a result, the taste and properties will change.

Soy flour: application, recipes

In cooking, soy flour can be useful as an ingredient:

• For a variety of pastries: bread, pies, cakes, muffins, rolls, pasta, donuts, sweets.
• For cooking soy milk at home.
• For thickening sauces and gravies.
• Substitute for chicken eggs in baking (added at the rate of 1 tbsp flour, diluted in 1 tbsp water, instead of 1 egg).

When used in various recipes culinary properties product are expressed in the following terms:

1. Moisture, volume and tenderness of baking increases.
2. Bakery products retain their softness longer and do not get stale.
3. Soy flour does not allow the dough to absorb too much fat in fried pastries like donuts or donuts.
4. The dough becomes more plastic and soft, so it is easier to roll out.
5. Promotes faster browning of the crust, due to which you can slightly reduce the baking temperature and shorten the time.

The use of the product is not limited to pastries and desserts. It is added to fish, meat, vegetable dishes, canned food, pasta, sweets and caramel. As a rule, in the composition it occupies no more than 5%. In Asian countries, the question of what to cook from soy flour, apparently, does not cause difficulties at all - some alcoholic drinks are even made with it.

Culinary Application: Soy Meal Dishes

Candy made from soy flour at home

To prepare sweets, you need to pass nuts and flour through a meat grinder in equal proportions. The resulting soy-nut mixture serves as the basis for cooking. It needs to be divided into two parts. Honey is added to it (for sweetness), corn flour(for thickness) and cocoa powder (for extra flavor). The mass should be homogeneous and thick. After that, small sweets are formed from the mass, rolled into coconut flakes and placed in a storage package (you can use a plastic form from a purchased box chocolates). If the mass was made dense enough, then the candies will retain their shape.

Pancakes from soy flour: recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 liter of kefir.
• 250 g soy flour.
• 1 tsp soda with citric acid;
• 3 green apples;
• 1 egg;vegetable oil.

Cooking:

1. Grind apples on a fine grater.
2. Knead the dough from all the ingredients.
3. Fry in a small amount of oil and medium heat.

Vanilla soy flour cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ st. soy flour.
• 1 st. white wheat flour.
• 1/3 st. granulated sugar.
• 1 pack of margarine (~180 g).
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts.
• 1 chicken egg.
• ½ tsp baking soda.
• nutmeg, vanilla.

Cooking:

1. Grind sugar with margarine, add beaten egg.
2. Add nutmeg, vanillin and chopped cashews to the cream, beat thoroughly.
3. Mix water with soda, add to the cream and knead the dough thoroughly.
4. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 60 minutes.
5. Cut out cookies from the dough and send on a baking sheet to the oven at 250˚C.

soy bread

Products:

• soy flour - 300 g;
• water - ¾ cup;
• chicken egg - 2 pcs.;
• butter - 150 g;
• salt.

Cooking:

1. Mix melted butter with flour and eggs.
2. Add water and salt.
3. Knead the dough and let it rest for ¼ hour.
4. Form and bake according to the standard recipe.

Soy Flour Bread: Recipe with Wheat Flour

Products:

• Soy and wheat flour - 1 cup each.
• Boiled water - 1 glass.
• Sugar - 1 tbsp.
• Dry yeast - 1 sachet.
• salt, spices.

Cooking:

1. Combine yeast, sugar and water in a bowl until dissolved.
2. Add flour to the mixture and stir without forming lumps. Knead the dough with oiled hands. You need to make it elastic, but not dense. If necessary, add water.
3. Leave the dough under a towel for 30-60 minutes in a warm place.
4. Put the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment, pour a little oil and form a rectangle. Add spices, salt to taste.
5. Turn on the oven to heat up to 220˚C. In 10 minutes, while it will heat up, the dough will rest a little more.
6. Bake until dry toothpick.

Soy pancakes and pancakes: video

Contraindications and harm

Despite the positive characterization given in the first half of the article, soy flour can sometimes be harmful to health. The reason for this may be not only individual intolerance to soy and its derivatives, but also the peculiarities of the impact on individual organs and systems. Doctors recommend that people with diseases use soy products with great caution. endocrine system. Due to the presence of soy isoflavones, which are phytoestrogens, soy can disrupt the hormonal balance in the male body.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

Nutritional value and chemical composition "Soy flour defatted".

The table shows the content of nutrients (calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) per 100 grams of the edible part.

Energy value Soy flour, defatted is 291 kcal.

• Glass 250 ml = 160 gr (465.6 kcal)
• Glass 200 ml = 130 gr (378.3 kcal)
• Tablespoon ("with a top" except liquid products) = 25 gr (72.8 kcal)
• Teaspoon ("with top" except for liquid products) = 8 g (23.3 kcal)

Main source: Skurikhin I.M. and etc. Chemical composition food products. .

** This table shows the average norms of vitamins and minerals for an adult. If you want to know the norms based on your gender, age and other factors, then use the My Healthy Diet application.

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The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates:

Knowing the contribution of proteins, fats and carbohydrates to caloric content, you can understand how a product or diet meets the standards of a healthy diet or the requirements of a particular diet. For example, the US and Russian Departments of Health recommend 10-12% of calories from protein, 30% from fat, and 58-60% from carbohydrates. The Atkins diet recommends low carbohydrate intake, although other diets focus on low fat intake.

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USEFUL PROPERTIES OF SOYBEAN FLOW FLOUR

Soy flour, defatted rich in vitamins and minerals such as: vitamin B1 - 56.7%, vitamin B2 - 16.7%, vitamin PP - 63.5%

Benefits of defatted soy flour

• Vitamin B1 is part of the most important enzymes of carbohydrate and energy metabolism, providing the body with energy and plastic substances, as well as the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids. The lack of this vitamin leads to serious disorders of the nervous, digestive and cardiovascular systems.
• Vitamin B2 participates in redox reactions, increases the susceptibility of color by the visual analyzer and dark adaptation. Inadequate intake of vitamin B2 is accompanied by a violation of the condition of the skin, mucous membranes, impaired light and twilight vision.
• Vitamin PP participates in redox reactions of energy metabolism. Inadequate vitamin intake is accompanied by a violation of the normal state of the skin, gastrointestinal intestinal tract And nervous system.

The complete guide to the most useful products you can see in the application - a collection of properties food product, in the presence of which the physiological needs of a person in the necessary substances and energy are satisfied.

vitamins, organic substances needed in small amounts in the diet of both humans and most vertebrates. The synthesis of vitamins is usually carried out by plants, not animals. The daily human need for vitamins is only a few milligrams or micrograms. Unlike inorganic substances vitamins are destroyed by high heat. Many vitamins are unstable and "lost" during cooking or food processing.

The soy product practically does not differ from wheat flour in consistency, but its composition is much richer.

Soy flour can be cream or beige in color

Soy flour contains:

• vitamins A, B and E;
• minerals;
• fiber;
• protein;
• iron.

This composition allows the product to be used by those people who are allergic to animal protein.

In addition, flour prevents the formation of stones in gallbladder, normalizes metabolism and promotes weight loss. Regular use products containing soy flour can reduce the risk of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Soy has a positive effect on the heart muscle, it is recommended for patients with hypertension and at the stage of recovery after a heart attack. Useful soy for patients with diabetes and anyone who wants to lose weight.

Baking with the addition of this flour stays fresh longer, because it does not contain starch and gluten. Flour restores fat metabolism in the body, it is indispensable for diet food because it is very rich in vitamins.

What harm can soy flour cause?

Despite the benefits, soy flour can harm the body. It should not be used in diseases of the thyroid gland. In addition, soy is an allergen, therefore, in childhood, the product is added to dishes carefully.

Soy products accelerate metabolic processes, so their excessive consumption causes aging of the body, leads to Alzheimer's disease.

Pregnant women should avoid soy product from the diet, as it leads to miscarriage and various pathologies of the internal organs in the fetus. Soy is also contraindicated for babies, it negatively affects the brain processes in the child's body.

Soy negatively affects the nervous system

Men with overweight it is worth reducing the consumption of soybeans, as it contains many substances that are similar in action to female sex hormones. This leads to male infertility and various reproductive disorders.

The benefits of soy flour, as well as the harm from it, are not immediately noticeable. You need to use it in small quantities, in other cases it harms the body. When baking rich products only 5% of such flour from the total amount is added to the dough. If there are doubts about the benefits of the product, it is better to abandon it altogether.