The Benefits of Soy Protein in Your Family’s Diet
Soy protein products can be good substitutes for animal products because, unlike some other beans, soy offers a “complete” protein profile. Soybeans contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition, which must be supplied in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the human body. Soy protein products can replace animal-based foods–which also have complete proteins but tend to contain more fat, especially saturated fat–without requiring major adjustments elsewhere in the diet.
While foreign cultures, especially Asians, have used soy extensively for centuries, countries like the United Kingdom and the United States have been a bit slower in moving dietary soy beyond a niche market status. In many countries, soybean is a huge cash crop, but the product is used largely as livestock feed.
With the increased emphasis on healthy diets, that may be changing. Sales of soy products are up and are projected to increase, due in part, say industry officials, to the fact that many governmental authorities in different countries have concluded that soy should in incorporated into a person’s diet.
To qualify for the claim that soy is a solid addition to a diet, most governmental agencies with oversight of dietary claims set a standard that foods must contain at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving and fit other criteria, such as being low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. The claim is similar to others the agency has approved in recent years to indicate heart benefits, including claims for the cholesterol-lowering effects of soluble fiber in oat bran and psyllium seeds.
One of the studies, conducted over nine weeks at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999, found that soy protein can reduce plasma concentrations of total and LDL cholesterol but does not adversely affect levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol, which at high levels has been associated with a reduction in heart disease risk. Another often-quoted study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995, examined 38 separate studies and concluded that soy protein can prompt “significant reductions” not only in total and LDL cholesterol, but also in triglycerides, another fat linked to health problems when present at elevated levels.
Other studies hint that soy may have benefits beyond fostering a healthy heart. At the Third International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease, held in late 1999, researchers presented data linking soy consumption to a reduced risk of several illnesses. Disorders as diverse as osteoporosis, prostate cancer, and colon cancer are under investigation.
Soy protein also is found in many “meat analog” products, such as soy sausages, burgers, franks, and cold cuts, as well as soy yogurts and cheese, all of which are intended as substitutes for their animal-based counterparts.
Since not all foods that contain soy ingredients will meet the required conditions for the health claim, consumers should check the labels of products to identify those most appropriate for a heart-healthy diet. Make sure the products contain enough soy protein to make a meaningful contribution to the total daily diet without being high in saturated fat and other unhealthy substances.
译文:
家庭饮食中的大豆蛋白
家庭饮食中大豆蛋白质的益处
大豆蛋白产品能够成为动物蛋白产品很好的替代品，
因为，不同于其他豆类，大豆提供“完整”的蛋白质结构。 
大豆富含人体营养所需的氨基酸,人们通过饮食可以补充这
些氨基酸，而人体自身是无法合成的。饮食中，无须多作
调整大豆蛋白产品便可取代动物蛋白产品--动物蛋白
也具有完整的蛋白质结构，但是动物蛋白里含有许多脂肪，
特别那些饱和脂肪。
尽管一些国家，特别是亚洲国家已经大量食用大豆几个世纪
之久了，但一些国家象英国和美国在推动食用大豆市场化方
面却进展缓慢。许多国家大量种植大豆，但是大多都
是用来喂养牲口的。
随着对于健康饮食的越来越重视，情况也许将有所改变。大豆产品的销售额正在上升，并且按计划还将有所发展，据业内人士透露，这种现象部分归功于许多国家的政府已经确定大豆应该被纳入个人的饮食习惯中。
为了确实推广大豆饮食的主张，大多数密切关注饮食需求的政府机构设立了一个标准，标准规定每份食品中必须至少包含6.25克的大豆蛋白和适当的其他标准，诸如低脂肪、胆固醇和钠。食用大豆的主张只是近年来政府支持的诸多主张中的一个，他们认为大豆蛋白对心脏有益，其他主张诸如：有降低胆固醇作用的可溶性纤维的燕麦麸和蚤草种子。
有一项研究在威克佛里斯特大学浸礼会医学中心进行了九周之后，于1999年在《内科学档案》中声称发现大豆蛋白可以减少总胆固醇及低密度胆固醇的血浆浓度，但不会影响高密度胆固醇或者“好”的胆固醇的水平，高密度胆固醇已经和减少心脏疾病的风险高度结合在一起了。另一项经常被引用的研究，
发表在1995年的《新英格兰医学杂志》，在考察了38项不同的研究之后，得出结论：大豆蛋白不仅能大幅度减少总胆固醇及低密度胆固醇，而且能减少甘油三脂--另一个目前和健康问题高度关联的脂肪。其他研究暗示大豆的好处可能不止于能促进心脏健康。1999年年底召开的第三届预防和治疗慢性疾病国际研讨会，研究讨论大豆在预防和治疗慢性疾病中的作用，研究者们提交了相关的数据--关于减轻若干病症的大豆的用量。一些互无关联的疾病如骨质疏松症、前列腺癌、结肠癌也在调查之中。
大豆蛋白也可以在许多“人造肉”里面找到，比如：大豆香肠、汉堡、热狗、冷盘，大豆酸奶和乳酪也是同样，所有这些仿真食品都是想要取代它们的动物肉原型。
因为不是所有的食物中都含有符合健康需求条件的大豆成分，所以顾客往往会检查产品标签，以验明该食品是否最有益于心血管健康。确认食品是否含有足够的大豆蛋白，对于避免日常食用过高的饱和脂肪和其他不健康物质作出了意义非凡的贡献。