Because so many products come from the simple soybean, confusion is understandable. Tofu, soy flour, soybean oil, soy sauce and soy milk are among the products made from the processed bean. The bean itself comes in both dried and fresh forms. Cook fresh, young beans, or edamame, as you would green peas. Look for dried edamame in the canned nuts section of your supermarket. Stores generally stock dried, mature soybeans with other dried legumes. As is the case with most soy-based foods, dry soybeans offer a range of nutritional and therapeutic properties.
Basics
At 16 g per cup, cooked dry soybeans are a rich source of protein, surpassing other legumes. They also provide 6 g of dietary fiber. The nutrient-dense food contains about 173 calories per serving. Its 8 g of total fat is a blend of mostly heart-healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, with only 1 g of saturated fat, according to the United Sates Department of Agriculture. The beneficial fats and fiber content of soybeans may explain why soybeans appear to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
Vitamins and Minerals
Dry soybeans are a rich source of folate and vitamin K. They also are high in calcium, iron, copper, phosphorous, magnesium and potassium. Research reported in the September 1999 edition of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" noted that the bioavailability or amount of a food's nutrient actually absorbed into your body, of calcium in soybeans is comparable to milk.
Additional Benefits
Soybeans are rich in isoflavones, a group of substances similar to your body's natural estrogen. Isolflavins show promise in fighting certain types of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Among them are ovarian, uterine, breast and prostate cancers. The research on isoflavones and cancer is still in the animal and laboratory stages, as of 2011, and no reliable human trials yet exist. Additionally, women consuming a diet high in isoflavones after menopause may not see any protection from breast cancer, or may actually increase their risk of cancer, the ACS notes.
Preparation
Dry soybeans taste blander than other dry beans. Soaking the beans overnight improves the taste and reduces the cooking time. Combining them with broths and intensely flavored ingredients in soups and casseroles also decreases blandness. MayoClinic.com's recipe for soybeans with fennel, thyme and oregano, for example, calls for simmering pre-soaked soybeans in a flavorful stock for about two hours, then adding herbs, garlic and tomatoes.
References
- American Cancer Society: Soybean
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Legumes and Soybeans: Overview of Their Nutritional Profiles and Health Effects; Mark J, Messian; September 1999
- RecipeTips.com: USDA -- Nutrition Information For Soybeans, Mature Cooked, Boiled, Without Salt
- RecipeTips: com: Soybean
- MayoClinic.com; Soybeans with Fennel, Thyme and Oregano; Staff; Sept. 2006
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