Heath and diet fads come around about as often as a day ends in “-y” sometimes.
There are diets and health regimens in such numbers that it boggles the mind. There are plans that incorporate various types of foods (and excludes others), while there are others that focus more on exercise. Then of course, there are those that incorporate both because of the belief that exercise and certain foods will lead to better weight control, more energy, and other benefits.
Then there is “moderation in all forms.”
Among all of the diet and weight-loss fads, there are occasionally some trends that merge and become part of the new Western society. Vegetarianism and veganism have sprouted (pun intended) to the forefront, as have regimens like yoga and CrossFit. One of the recent Western “discoveries” in healthy food lately has been soybeans.
Soybeans were not necessarily part of Western culinary, though Virginia and several other American states grow and produce them. They have become prevalent in the last three decades, and that staying power seems to suggest that soybeans may not be just another “superfood” fad, but it may well be a trend that sticks around for a while. Why? Here are a few reasons:
- Better metabolism. Whether you are on a vegetarian diet or not, soybeans are valuable for the protein they offer. These proteins help restore and repair cells in the body, and when your body metabolizes more reliably because of enough protein, you feel and are healthier.
- Weight control. Soybeans can be good in any eating regimen. They are versatile in that they can suppress appetite to prevent overeating and unhealthy weight gain, amd they can also be eaten in large quantities to help provide healthy weight gain if you are a bit underweight. These seemingly contradictory qualities can help you maintain a healthy weight and be an ally in your maintenance plan once you have lost or gained the weight you needed.
- Helps the heart. Soybeans have low cholesterol and can prevent cholesterol buildup in the blood vessels, which helps the heart run more efficiently and improves circulation through the body.
- Boning up the bones. Soybeans have high levels of calcium and other vitamins and minerals which promote good bone health, and can contribute to growth of new bones and/or healing of injured bones. Eating soybeans, by extension, can prevent common aging ailments like osteoporosis, or brittle bones.
- Cancer/diabetes. What may make soybeans a “superfood” in some circles is that they can prevent cancer and/or the onset of diabetes. First, most cancers develop from free radicals which are released through metabolism – soybeans have what is needed to harness these free radicals before they infect healthy cells. And with diabetes, soybeans can grow the number of insulin receptors in the body, which can mitigate diabetes or prevent it altogether.
The latter point is perhaps the most compelling argument for including soybeans in your regular food-consumption routine as early in life in possible. With so many possible benefits of eating soybeans, it’s no wonder it has become a food trend – and it makes us wonder what took us so long to adopt them.
