Editor: Chinese Food Network Mobile site
SoybeansSoybeans have been highly praised for their medicinal and health benefits, both from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine perspectives. TCM believes that soybeans are sweet in taste, neutral in nature, and neither warm nor cold.They can strengthen the spleen and dispel dampness, andnourish blood.And replenish deficiencies, detoxify.For people with weak spleen and stomach, those who are thin and eat less, or those with dampness, pain, swelling, and difficulty urinating, soybeans have good therapeutic effects.
Western medicine recognizes that soybeans contain high-qualityprotein, which is rare in nature. It is a food that contains complete protein, containing eight essential amino acids that the human body needs. It is particularly beneficial for supplementing protein, as it does not contain cholesterol, unlike animal protein. When humans supplement protein, they often also take in some cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol in food are a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.Soybean oil and soybeansWhile soybeans are beneficial, eating them properly is a skill. Soybeans are a high-protein food, containing about 35% protein. However, most of this protein is contained within the cells of soybeans. People with some biological knowledge know that one of the differences between plant cells and animal cells is whether they have cell walls. Plant cells have cell walls, while animal cells do not. This rich protein is tightly wrapped in the cell wall of soybeans. Since the human body cannot digest the cell wall, the protein is difficult to be absorbed and utilized by the human body.

When people cook and chew soybeans, only a small part of the cell wall is broken, releasing the protein. A large part of it is still in the "embrace" of the cell wall. Finally, most of it becomes feces and is excreted. Therefore, this is a waste. That's why our ancestors developed many ways to solve this problem. Although they didn't know the principle, their intelligence is difficult for us to understand.
Making tofu from soybeans is one of the best ways to improve the utilization of soybeans. After grinding, the cell walls of soybeans are fully destroyed, and the protein is naturally released. This significantly improves the human body's ability to digest and absorb protein. The absorption rate increases from about 50% to about 90%. This greatly increases the nutritional value of soybeans.
The principle of making soy milk is the same, but the method is slightly different.In addition, fermentation can also break down cell walls and improve the utilization of protein.However, it is important to note that although the utilization rate of protein in whole soybeans is not high, the other insoluble components of soybeans also have good utilization value for the human body. Therefore, eating whole soybeans is also of great importance.Similarly, the soybean pulp produced after grinding also has good health benefits and can be used as filling or other methods.
GroundSoy milkThe principle is the same, but the method differs slightly.Furthermore, fermentation can also break down cell walls and improve protein utilization.However, it's important to note that while the protein utilization of whole soybeans is not high, the other non-water-soluble components of soybeans still have significant value for the human body. Therefore, consuming whole soybeans is also important.Similarly, the resultingSoy pulpAlso has good health benefits and can be used as filling or other methods. It should not be wasted.