Being one of the foods with the highest concentration of plant oestrogens capable of naturally regulating the body's hormonal production, soya has numerous benefits. Everything you need to know.
Soya is a legume and one of the foods with the highest concentration of phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens), capable of naturally regulating the body's hormonal production, particularly in situations of excess (premenstrual syndrome) and in situations of deficiency (menopause), without causing the classic side effects associated with synthetic hormones (bloating, migraines, weight gain and depression).
Numerous studies appear to confirm soya's preventive action in effectively protecting men from prostate cancer and women from diseases linked to oestrogen production, such as breast cancer, endometriosis, fibrocystic mastopathy (that is, fibrocystic breast disease), uterine fibroids and menopausal disorders. Furthermore, as well as lowering the risk of heart disease, it helps keep the kidneys healthy by improving their filtering function and is a recommended source of protein in cases of chronic kidney failure; it is energising and contributes to the cellular construction of muscles, bones and nerves. A powerful remineralising agent (100 grams of soya provide 1,900 milligrams of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron and zinc), soya is a cellular balancer and a source of protein (one kilogram of soya contains as much as two kilograms of steaks) and of omega-3, which is essential for brain development.
Numerous food products are derived from soya: soya oil, soya flour, soya sauce (a seasoning used in place of salt), soya milk, soya ice cream (note: it has the same number of calories as regular ice cream), tofu (a soya-based cheese), soya steaks as a meat substitute for vegetarians, and also a substance: lecithin, a natural emulsifier that lowers cholesterol in the blood, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
For all these reasons, soya is a highly valuable food, though it should not be considered a universal substitute for milk or meat. Excessive consumption of soya makes it difficult to absorb micronutrients such as zinc and,
in any case, one must not forget that it is dangerous for our body's balance to replace all the substances found naturally only in dairy products and meat, or indeed in extra virgin olive oil. The ideal approach is to consume soya exactly as it appears in nature, as a legume, pairing it with rice or in soups and alternating it with the consumption of animal-based proteins.