A word on soybean and its benefits for a heart patient would be necessary here. Recent studies in U.S. and Britain, on the effects of soybean on cholesterol levels have led to a startling discovery that the addition of soybean to a person’s diet reduces cholesterol levels, irrespective of his other heating habits.
Further, when a person was made to change over to soya milk from ordinary cow’s milk, it was found that, within six weeks, both cholesterol and triglyceride values dropped substantially.
Dr. Kurt Widhalm of the University of Vienna Faculty of Medicine, in his research, has established conclusively that soya protein-enriched diet reduces plasma cholesterol by 32% and LDL cholesterol by 37% in a span of a six weeks.
Soybeans have a high lecithin content. Lecithin is an unsaturated fatty acid, which cleans out veins and arteries and, thus, improves blood circulation. It also relieves heart complaints and even soothes liver and gall-bladder.
It also relieves kideny disorders. In short, soybeans can be described as “antifatigue food”, because of their being low in carbohydrates and high in vegetarian protein, which stabilises blood circulation.
For its low carbohydrate content, it is an ideal diet for diabetic patients. Thus preparations of soybean, like soya-milk, soya flour, etc. are very useful for such patients.
Soybeans are also a rich source of absorbable iron, which can cure nutritional anaemias and protein deficiencies that are common and of high incidence in pregnant and nursing mothers, to compensate which they need sufficient quantities of iron.
Soybean has come into use only recently, being introduced in India in 1977. Soybeans are available as whole beans, soya milk, tofu (soya-curd), soya oil, soya flakes, soya sauce and even isolated soya protein.
A glass of soya milk or any such preparation will lead to better health. No wonder, the soybeans are the best vegetable protein, almost one-and-a-half times of cheese twice as much as meat or fish, three times as much as eggs and eleven times as much as milk.