FAQs

The awareness of nutritional and health benefits of Soyabean is increasing among the population. However, it is seen that raw (unprocessed) soyabean mixed with cereals is milled and used for food purpose. But this approach is not recommended by expert researchers owing to anti-nutritional factors in soyabean. We, at Soja Natura, follow a simple method suggested globally by experts which consists of 30 minutes boiling of soya splits in boiling water, drying and using in specific proportions according to specific soya products.

Soyabeans contain antioxidants, some of them have certain anti-nutritional factors which are biologically active and need to be eliminated prior to human consumption. Fortunately, most of them are thermolabile and destroyed by heat treatment during usual processing or cooking. Some being heat stable survive, hence great caution is required in using soya foods and suitable processing techniques should be adopted to eliminate them. Anti-nutritional components of soyabean can be categorized into three types :- Type A : They interfere with the digestion of proteins or the absorption and utilization of amino-acids. Type B : They interfere with the absorption or metabolic utilization of mineral elements. Type C : They inactivate or destroy vitamins or otherwise increase their metabolic requirements in the organisms. Type A Anti-nutritional factors :- Protease inhibitors : The protease inhibitor isolated from soyabeans fall into two main categories : (a) Kunitz with relatively few disulphide bonds and specifically directed primarily towards trypsin. These are relatively heat labile. (b) Bowman and Birk inhibitor having high proportions of disulphide bonds and capable of inhibiting trypsin and chymotrypsin at independent binding sites. They are heat stable molecules. Much of the concern is related to its effect on pancreas. Lectins : Lectins or hemagglutinins are yet another class of heat labile anti-nutritional factors. They agglutinate with red blood cells. Saponins : They are characterized by their bitter taste, foaming in aqueous solutions and their ability to hemolyze the red blood cells. Type B Anti-nutritional factors : Phytic acid : Phytic acid or myoinositol binds with many types of divalent heavy metal ions, forming insoluble salts, thus making essential trace elements unavailable. Soyabean has 400-500 mg% phytate. In many foods the endogenous phytase levels reduce the phytate level however it is weak in soyabean. Glucosinolates : They are naturally occurring compounds such as goiterin, thiocyanates and nitriles. Legume goiter has been observed in children consuming soya milk for prolonged period. Type C Anti-nutrional factors : Antivitamins : They decompose vitamins and may combine with them to form un-absorbable complexes, which are resistant to digestive and metabolic utilization. Soyabean has anticobalamine factor. Flatulence factors : Soyabean contains about 5% of galacto oligosaccharides which are not easily digested due to lack of beta galactosidase in our system and thus passed as such to large intestine where colonic bacteria ferment them to produce acid and gas resulting in flatulence, belching, bloated feeling and gastric discomforts.

Different methods to eliminate various anti-nutritional factors in soyabean are : Type A Anti-nutritional factors : Process of elimination of protease Inhibitors : These inhibitors can be eliminated through heat treatments. Moist heat is more effective over dry heat. Thus, usually autoclaving for 20 minutes at 115ºC or 30 minutes at 105º–110ºC results in maximum destruction of protease inhibitors. Germination sprouting is also known to improve the nutritional value. Fermentation with micro-organisms improves the nutritional value and digestibility of Soyabeans. Soyabean contains trypsin inhibitor, which is also, a protease inhibitor that affects the digestion of protein, but cooking or processing deactivates it. All the soy foods except soyabeans available in the market are processed at high temperatures and the amount of active trypsin inhibitor in them is negligible. Only while consuming soybeans one has to remember to cook them to deactivate trypsin inhibitor. Process of elimination of Lectins : The detoxification is usually achieved by traditional cooking methods. Germination is known to decrease the lectin activity by 90%. Process of elimination of saponins : They may be minimized through cooling process. Type B Anti-nutritional factors : Process of elimination of phytic Acid : Application of phytocrylamide entrapped wheat phytase has made some success to reduce phytate levels in Soya food. Process of elimination of Glucosinolates : They may be minimized through iodine supplementation. Type C Anti-nutritional factors : Process of elimination of Anti-vitamins : They may be removed by cooking soyabean in excess of water. Soaking overnight in cold water and steeping the de-husked seed in hot water may eliminate this factor. The later may be more effective. Process of elimination of Flatulence factors : They are resistant to heat but germination and fermentation may reduce them. Thus most of the anti-nutritional factors are easily removed or minimized to a large extent during processing thereby improving the nutritional value of raw beans. Advanced processing technique followed by consumers’ preference for the soya based foods both for nutritional and health benefits and as functional foods create a priority zone for this wonderful crop

One cannot eat soyabeans raw just like any other legume or grain but even if one does manage to then the whole protein is not digestible. One of the main reasons to include soybeans in the diet is its protein. Therefore the protein not being completely digestible is not acceptable. That is the reason why so much emphasis is placed on cooking or processing soyabeans.

Some people not used to high protein and high fiber foods may have digestion problem but that is true for any food that has a lot of roughage and protein, may it be soya or something else. This is not true for everyone but it is possible in some cases. Also if such a problem exists then instead of soyabeans one can use soya products like granules and chunks, tofu and soyamilk. These are processed foods that are easily digestible. Also high protein food amount in the diet can be slowly increased so that those few people who have such problem can get used to the products.

A person can enhance the life span through balanced diet based on a proper mix of plant and animal produces besides disciplined daily routine and healthy style of living including physical and mental exercises. Soyabean has a tremendous potential to be transformed into a number of healthy foods suiting each individuals requirement across the globe. The US FDA approved health claim for Soya protein says that 25 grams of Soya protein in daily diet may reduce the risk of many diseases especially heart diseases since soya foods are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Therefore, soya food products should be included in daily diet plan in such a way that 25 grams of protein can be derived from them which will also provide 30 – 50 mg of isoflavones.

There is no evidence that soya foods have an adverse effect on thyroid function in healthy humans who consume adequate amounts of iodine. Goiters are due to a deficiency of dietary iodine, not consumption of moderate amounts of soya foods as part of a healthy diet.

There is no research or scientific evidence that says anything of the sort. People in China and in South East Asia have been consuming soya for hundreds of years and epidemiological studies also do not come up with any result that show soya consumption leads to infertility in men.

There is no evidence from research work that consumption of soya products bring on early puberty in children. It has been observed that age of puberty has come down in children, in general, compared to a few decades ago. Thus, consumption of soya is in no way responsible for it.

Soyabean has unique bioactive ingredients like Phytochemicals which exert beneficial influence on body function and they help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and thereby enhance human health. Soyabean contain health-promoting phytochemicals such as :- Isoflavones : Concentration ranges from 01-03 mg per gram of seed. If varies depending upon the genotype and environmental conditions. Agronomical practices such as higher dose of fertilizer and irrigation enhances concentration of isoflavones in soyabean seed. Processing methods also influence the level of isoflavones in different soya foods. However, heating or cooking soya foods doesn’t destroy isoflavones. The increasing interest of health conscious people in soya-derived foods is generally attributed to the discovery of protective effects of isoflavones against several killer diseases such as breast cancer. Tocopherols :- Soyabean oil is not only the richest source of tocopherols but also contains all the four isomers of tocopherols (, , ,  tocopherols). It performs anti-oxidative activity in biological systems. An intake of 400 Iu per day of tocopherols results in a decreased risk of arteriosclerosis, cancer and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and an improved immune system. Genotype variations have been reported for all of the four isomers in soyabean seeds. The -isomer is the dominant component (60%) of total tocopherols, while the  isomers are found in the lowest concentration. Lecithin : It is a mixture of naturally occurring phospholipids extracted as a byproduct during the degumming of crude soyabean oil. It constitutes about 0.5–1.5 percent of soyabean seed or 1–3 percent of crude soyabean oil. Commercially lecithin is available in liquid as well as powder form containing about 75 percent phospho-lipids, while the rest is unrefined oil, moisture etc. Lecithin is an important nutraceutical component of soyabean. It improves liver function, cardio-vascular health, foetal brain development, memory function and the reproductive system. Lecithin is an indispensable component of cell membranes, constituting about 10 percent of the human spinal cord and 5 percent of the brain. Hence its deficiency restricts the free passage of nutrients from and into the cells. Lecithin is, therefore, of great therapeutic value to patients with Alzheimer’s disease who are deficient in the neurotransmitter acetyl-choline. Lecithin is also recommended for relieving depression. As an emulsifier, Soya-derived lecithin is extensively used in foods and confectionery industries.

Soya foods can be taken even while the women are on HRT. lsoflavones in soya foods causes a very weak estrogen activity and do not affect in any way women who are on HRT. In fact soya isoflavones have specific protective role to play in different tissues.

You can make tea and coffee with soya milk. However, coffee tastes exactly the same as the one made with dairy milk, but tea tastes a bit different. This may be because coffee is stronger and masks the soyamilk flavour.

There are no side effects of consuming soya protein. Soya is one of the oldest foods known to human kind, and has been a staple food of the Asian diet for centuries.

Soya protein digestibility is not reduced by heating or cooking and neither its quality is affected. Cooking and processing actually increases soya protein digestibility.