Tofu is a food made from soybeans, a dish that is not only popular in Asia, such as Vietnam, China, Japan, but also becoming more attractive to Americans. This is one of the dishes with the most easily tolerated protein sources. Science has proven that tofu can be used to replace animal products such as chicken and eggs.
Illustration
“Tofu is high in protein and is a good alternative to animal-based protein,” says Jamie Mok, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), tofu also contains essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, manganese, iron, vitamin A and isoflavones, a type of plant estrogen.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a 3-ounce serving of tofu has up to 9 grams of protein along with calories, fiber, iron, and calcium. This food is also rich in isoflavones, which are beneficial for women's health. A good dish for people who eat foods from plant sources.
6 reasons to include tofu in your daily menu
Good for memory and brain health
A 2020 study found that equol, a metabolite produced in the gut from consuming soy products, may help reduce the risk of dementia.
People who generated more equol from eating soy products had half the amount of white matter lesions — a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease — than those with lower equol levels, the researchers found.
Prevent bone and joint diseases
Many studies have shown that isoflavones in soybeans also help prevent bone loss and increase bone mineral density, making bones stronger.
Bone health is often an issue after menopause, when women lose bone mass due to reduced estrogen levels. And tofu is rich in calcium and vitamin D, which can help offset this deficiency.
Illustration
Lower bad cholesterol
Research shows that eating 10 ounces of tofu per day can reduce your LDL "bad" cholesterol levels by 5%.
Osteoporosis. When estrogen levels drop after menopause, women can experience bone loss. The phytoestrogens in tofu can help offset that loss. Tofu is also rich in calcium and vitamin D, which are good for bone health.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
Tofu has less cholesterol, less triglycerides, and less “bad” cholesterol than meat. So, regularly replacing meat with tofu can help you lower these numbers! This is great news for preventing and fighting heart disease and high blood pressure, according to Life Hack.
Additionally, tofu is free of saturated fat — the type of fat that contributes to heart disease, high blood pressure, and other illnesses.
Reduce hot flashes in menopausal women
When researchers noticed that most Japanese women had fewer hot flashes than women in other cultures, this sparked further research. These studies showed that the estrogens in tofu (and other soy foods) reduced the frequency of hot flashes in menopausal women and, when they did occur, the symptoms were less severe.
Reduce the risk of prostate and colorectal cancer
If you have this disease, eating tofu can keep your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels low. This means the cancer grows more slowly or not at all.
Tofu is high in fiber, and a diet rich in fiber helps keep your colon healthy and your risk of cancer low.
3 groups of people should not eat tofu
Illustration
Gout patient
This type of food contains a lot of purine, a substance that increases uric acid in the blood and causes kidney stones and gouty arthritis. Therefore, gout patients should avoid eating too much to avoid making the disease worse.
Patients with kidney failure
This bean also contains a lot of protein, calcium, and oxalate, which increases the risk of kidney stones. In addition, it can also increase the amount of potassium in the blood, which is dangerous for the heart in people with kidney failure.
People with gastritis
Eating too much of this food will reduce stomach activity and cause symptoms such as bloating, indigestion, heartburn. In particular, it contains enzyme inhibitors, preventing protein digestion and damaging the stomach lining.
Source
Comment (0)