Health Benefits Of Soy – Is Soy Bad
We start with legumes, which are seeds or pods of a leguminous plant, like peas, beans and peanuts. Soybeans are legumes, and they provide both oil and protein products.
As the soybean is processed, oil is extracted, and the meaty part that is left is used to feed livestock, or made into soy protein isolate.
100g of whole soy contains 9 fat, 10 carb…6 are fiber, 17 protein, and contain micros.
Soy contains phytates which are antioxidant compounds, but phytates do block the absorption of some minerals.
Soy also contains a lot of isoflavones, which may help decrease the risk of breast cancer, however, the research is still in its early stages.
Not everything about soy is good though, In the US, 90%of the soy produced is genetically modified, and most of the soy crop is exposed to a chemical solvent during its processing.
Bottom line, Soy appears to have many health benefits, as long as it is organic.
Actually the first question is what is lecithin? It is a mixture of phospholipids in oil. Great, what is a phospholipid? Essentially a phospholipid is a fat molecule that is able to dissolve into mixtures that contain both oil and water.
So, we are going to look at how a phospholipid is able to bind water and oil together. We are going to go thru this in a very general sense. First lets look a little deeper into a fat molecule.
We start with a glycerol group, which acts like the backbone of the molecule. Attached to it, is a phosphate group. And in lecithin, there is a choline group attached to the phosphate group. Lastly, we have 2 fatty acid chains that are attached to the glycerol group.
Now lets take a water drop, and an oil drop. Normally, they wont bind. However, When we throw our phos in, the phosphate group binds to the water drop, and the fatty acids bind to the oil drop.
The basic molecular structure of a phospholipid consists of tails made of 2 fatty acid chains, and a head that contains a glycerol, phosphate, and choline group which is water soluble.
In a mixture that contains both oil and water, the phosphate group will attach to the water, and the tails to the oil. This is what allows oil droplets to stay in water for a long time.
This process is known as emulsification, and lecithin is known as a great emulsifier in many processed foods. You will see it regularly in chocolate bars.
So, now that we know what lecithin is, we can tackle the soy part. I have a separate video posted where I discuss soy in depth. I will put a link to that video on the screen, and in the description box below.
Basically, Soybeans are processed to separate oil and protein contained in them. Once that is completed, lecithin is then removed from the oil.
Soy lecithin has some health benefits. It is high in choline, which is essential to cells, with out it, cell membranes would harden. Choline is also vital for healthy liver function, and its now being sold as a dietary supplement.
But, its main benefit is to the food industry. As I said earlier, it emulsifies and stabilizes food, which gives it……longer shelf life. It is also found in cooking sprays, as it reduces stickiness.
Now, for the bad…90% of soy in America is gmo, and it goes through processing that exposes it to chemicals.
Bottom line…Soy lecithin has some health benefits, but, if possible, you want to stay away from the gmo, and any that has been exposed to chemicals.
The American heart association recommends the maximum amount of added sugars you should eat in a day 37.5g/150cal for men, and 25g/100cal for women. The average American consumes 385cal/96g of added sugar per day.
Sugar, or sucrose as it is called is derived from sugar cane and sugar beets, and it is added to almost everything nowadays, such as soft drinks, sports drinks, cakes, and even some pizza dough .
The FDA specifically defines the term sugar whenever it is listed in an ingredient statement. FDA restricts use of the term sugar to sucrose which is obtained from sugar cane or sugar beets.
So, in this video, the sugar I am discussing is sucrose. Sucrose is made up of glucose molecule and a fructose molecule, and you may also know it as table sugar. So, the question is, Is added sugar healthy?
As we ingest sucrose, it doesn’t actually get digested till it gets to the small intestine. An enzyme called sucrase splits the bond between the glucose and fructose molecules.
The molecules then get transported to the liver for further processing. Fructose is almost completely metabolized in the liver. There it is converted in 4 different ways. It is converted to glucose or lactate, where it is used normally as energy to fuel cells, or it is converted to glycogen or plasma triglyceride.
Now back to glucose. After leaving the liver, glucose travels into the bloodstream, going to nearly every cell in the body. As the glucose enters the bloodstream, the pancreas is triggered to release the hormone insulin.
Insulin travels through the bloodstream to the cells, and tells the cells to open up and let the glucose in. Once inside, the cells convert the glucose to energy for immediate use, or store it for later use. The glucose also gets stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver.
As glucose moves into the cells, the pancreas slows down the amount of insulin its releasing. This process happens many times during the our day, depending on when we eat, and how much we eat.
So, based on this information, sugar is not bad for us. It provides energy and normal healthy function. True, however, there is always a however, added sugar is another story. we as a society consume way to much added sugar.
So, what are the effects of all of this sugar intake? There are so many studies showing different negative effects of sugar on health, way to many to discuss here.
The most common effect that I came across as I researched the subject was a link to obesity. And, the health risks of obesity include, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and it goes on and on and on.
The bottom line is moderation. Check out the amount of sugar that has been added to whatever you are eating and try to keep that under the recommendations from the AMA.
Remember, sugar, sucrose is just those 2 molecules, no other nutrients at all. Its just empty calories, and if you don’t burn it off, its gonna get stored as fat.
Sugar alcohols are sweeteners that are often added to foods. They are carbs that are attractive sugar alternatives, because they contain less calories than sugar, and have fewer negative health effects. Sugar alcohols have a similar chemical makeup to a sugar molecule and a alcohol molecule, however they do not contain ethanol, which is the compound that gets you intoxicated.
Here you can see the similarity of a glucose molecule and a erythritiol molecule, which is a type of sugar alcohol, and a ethanol molecule.
Some sugar alcohols naturally occur in some plant foods, but most are commercially processed from glucose, sucrose and starch. There are many types of sugar alcohols, with the most popular being sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, and erythritol.
The good
Most sugar alcohols have a very low glycemic index rating. The glycemic index rates foods on how quickly they raise blood sugar levels. Some sugar alcohols have been shown to help improve dental health, especially xylitol, which reduces the growth of bad bacteria in the mouth, and research has shown that it can help in repairing damaged tooth enamel.
Sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugar, as you can see in this chart here, which can help with weight management, however, over consumption of anything can lead to weight gain.
Now for The bad
Sugar alcohols can cause a variety of digestive problems in some people. They are not completely absorbed in the digestive system which can lead to diarrhea, bloating and flatulence.
Sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugar, I know I mentioned this in the good section of this video, but usually when most people hear a lower calorie statement, they think they can consume as much of the product as they want, but again, over consumption of anything can lead to weight gain. And more weight means higher risk for a multitude of diseases, and more stress on bones, joints, and muscles.
Bottom line
Sugar alcohols can be a healthier alternative to straight sugar, consuming it in moderate amounts should not negatively affect your health, but a great diet consists of plenty of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and lean meats and fish eaten in moderation. Eat a variety of foods every single day.
Remember folks, be happy and be healthy.
