Tofu has been given a poor reputation over the years, but now this soy-based protein is experiencing new fame, as health-conscious customers shift away from meat and explore options focused on plants to bring to their everyday meals.
Let these health facts persuade you to become a tofu fan.
Soy can help in improving cognitive function
According to one study, a particular isoflavone in soy, daidzein, was found to decrease the loss in cognitive ability in aged women. In the study, researchers compared the advantages of isoflavones with resveratrol in grapes and found that cerebral vasodilator responsiveness was enhanced when soy was taken. They studied the impact on cognition of phytoestrogen and found that in postmenopausal people, it can enhance cognitive performance. Six trials of soy isoflavone have demonstrated significant cognitive effects, the study revealed.
Soy decreases prostate cancer risk
Prostate cancer is the second most diagnosed disease among men globally, with more than 1.1 million cases discovered last year, representing 15 percent of all men's disease. Yet in Asia, where men eat the most soy products, the lowest incidence rate for prostate cancer is recorded. According to recent findings, evidence suggests isoflavones present in soy could be associated with a lower risk of prostate carcinogenesis in the Asian population.
Several studies have looked at the inverse relationship between soy food consumption and the occurrence of prostate cancer in Asian populations, indicating that soy isoflavones function as weak hormones to exert a protective physiological impact against prostate cancer growth, the study noted. Genistein and daidzein isoflavones have been shown to grow in prostatic tissue where cancer cells can be cytotoxic.
Soy lowers bad cholesterol
Many studies have shown that healthy soy fat increases blood lipids and lower LDL, but soy isoflavones have also been shown to help lower cholesterol by enhancing blood pressure, and isoflavones have been shown to reduce hypertension by targeting vasodilation mechanisms; in specific, interaction with the endothelial nitric o gene-related estrogen-response factor
According to a study that compared soy with other foods and found it helps to reduce cholesterol and other key cardiovascular disease markers, they also aid with glycemic control, weight loss and inflammation.
Other benefits
Want to develop stamina for your muscles? Seeking relief from heat flashes, too? Soy products, like tofu, can do both. Soy protein facilitates increases in muscle mass and strength to the same degree as animal protein in people participating in resistance exercise training. In postmenopausal women, it can also relieve hot flashes.
