6 reasons to include soy in your diet

Soy, the once famous superfood, has been around for ages. However, a few damaging reports and studies about it a few years back made it slip into the background. With its super concoction of healthy nutrients, soy deserves to be back in the spotlight! Lets get the health facts about soy clear once and for all!

Dúh! The defining part about soy is it being an excellent and complete source of plant protein. Unlike with animal foods, which also provide saturated fats, Soy on the other hand can help REDUCE cholesterol! Apart from that, supplementing plant proteins from soy has other ways to benefitting the heart, by lowering high blood pressure readings too.

Soy or soya is naturally rich in phytosterols, the plant cholesterols. They prevent absorption of cholesterol by binding to the cholesterol-absorption sites in the body! Now you know how soy consumption reduce cholesterol levels.

Are you a vegetarian? Then eating soy based foods a few times a week is great for you. Are you a non-vegetarian? Even then, soy is better as it will help you cut fats from animal foods. Replace animal foods for soy maybe once or twice a week and voila! Hello better lipid profile readings.

All those struggling with digestive issues and motion problems can benefit greatly by eating soy. Edamame (green soybean), black soybean, soy flour, roasted soy nuts and tempeh(if you can source it) are great ways to include soy in the diet and up the fibre. You will greatly help your heart and gut!

B-complex vitamins, multitude of antioxidants, zinc, and iron are some of the standout micronutrients present in soy. Also most of the soy based foods are also fortified making soy intake a good idea altogether.

Soy is a source of omege-3 polyunsaturated fats. That is why, even soyabean oil also provides omega 3 in the diet. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) helps in lowering cholesterol and also acts as an antioxidant. The trick is however to choose whole soy foods and soy beans in its natural forms. Refined versions might steal this health benefit