News Releases

Soyfoods are Protective Against Breast Cancer

Madison WI , June 7, 2016— A study from Shanghai involving more than 70,000 healthy women shows that consuming soyfoods reduces risk of breast cancer. The study is good news for Western women and girls because they, too, can derive health benefits and reduce their risk of breast cancer by starting to incorporate higher amounts of soyfoods into their diets.

After following 70,000 study participants for more than 13 years, the Shanghai study found that 1,034 participants developed breast cancer. Here are some details from the study.

• Consuming approximately one-and-a-half servings of soyfoods per day during adolescence was associated with a nearly 50 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer before menopause.

• Consuming approximately two servings of soyfoods per day during adulthood was associated with a one-third reduction in the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.

• Consuming soyfoods early in life was not protective against breast cancer after menopause. The investigators who conducted the study reasoned that the protective effects of consuming soy early in life are fully present during the premenopausal period, so there is no further protection against breast cancer after menopause.

The study from Shanghai is relevant for American women—whose diets have not traditionally included soy— because adult soy intake was protective against breast cancer only among women who consumed little soy when they were young. By doing so now, women can reduce their risk of breast cancer. Also, young girls who consume soy will significantly reduce their risk later in life. Current U.S. breast cancer statistics show that about one in eight American women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.

The Soyfoods Council reminds you that one serving of soyfoods—including soymilk and edamame—provides approximately 7 to 15 grams of high-quality plant-based protein. Unlike many commonly consumed protein-rich foods, soyfoods are also cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat.

For more information about current research studies about soyfoods and your health, visit the Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. The Soyfoods Council offers easy-to-understand health and nutrition information, plus cooking tips and recipes featuring soyfoods. You’ll also find a wide variety of kid-pleasing snacks.

The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) is a grassroots, farmer-led organization that leads efforts in soybean research and the expansion of soybean market opportunities. Established in 1983 as part of a Wisconsin-mandated checkoff, the board works every day to maximize the profitability of Wisconsin soybean producers. It builds soybean demand, creates new uses for soybeans, and focuses on soybean disease research. WSMB is committed to providing statewide soy education and outreach programs that inform consumers about the benefits of soy. It offers a comprehensive soy curriculum for educators, and partners with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom to provide Soybean Science Kits and lessons that increase agricultural literacy.

News Releases

A New Study, Protein Snacks Improve Appetite and Diet Quality in Teens, Shows Why Soyfoods Make a Good Snack Choice for Teens

              Ankeny, Iowa, March 22, 2016—April is Soyfoods Month, is the ideal time to help children and adolescents make sensible snack choices as part of a healthy eating pattern. According to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, obesity has quadrupled in adolescents and more than doubled in children in the past 30 years. Currently, about 17 percent of children and adolescents are obese. In light of these findings, snacks have taken on more importance. Globally, a majority of children are consuming two to three snacks per day. According to recent research, young Americans are moving towards consuming three snacks a day, with snacks often accounting for 27 percent of their daily caloric intake.
Making diet and exercise changes can help children and teens maintain a healthy weight, and replacing high fat/ high sugar snacks with more healthful options such as soy is a great place to start. Soyfoods—such as soynuts, edamame and soymilk shakes—are packed with plant-based protein.
Soyfoods are especially good snack choices, given the findings from a recent study conducted by The University of Missouri in collaboration with DuPont Nutrition & Health and published in The Journal of Nutrition. The study, titled “Protein Snacks Improve Appetite and Diet Quality in Teens,” found that consuming protein-rich afternoon snacks containing soy protein led to a reduction in appetite, a delay in subsequent eating, and an improved overall diet quality compared to other snack options. In this study, teens whose usual habit was to consume an afternoon snack were followed on three different occasions in which they consumed a high fat/high sugar snack, a snack higher in protein and low in fat or no snack at all.
As noted in the study conducted at University of Missouri, incorporating a protein-rich afternoon snack improves total daily diet quality. Teens who received the high fat snack or no snack subsequently consumed more snacks high in fat and sugar that evening, as compared with participants who incorporated a protein snack in their daily diet. Also, those who ate protein snacks (versus high fat snacks or no snacks) not only had a lower fat intake but also higher daily protein intake, a key nutrient required for healthy growth and development. The study found that consumption of an afternoon snack reduced the appetite over the course of the afternoon, and a snack made with soy protein led to a greater appetite reduction.
In addition to this study, the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans underscore the relationship between nutrition and health. The latest guidelines offer key recommendations, including a shift to healthier food and beverage choices and choosing more nutrient-dense foods. Soyfoods are specifically called out as part of a healthy eating pattern.
Soyfoods provide a healthy foundation for growth and development. Unlike many high fat, high calorie grab-and-go snacks, soy is cholesterol-free, low in saturated fats and is a complete protein offering all of the essential amino acids in the proper amounts needed for healthy growth. One serving of many common soyfoods offers from 7 to 15 grams of protein.  Soy snacks are good news for parents and teens alike because soy options are plentiful, affordable and convenient.
Soy ingredients can be swapped into kid-friendly recipes, replacing other components that contribute more fat or lower quality of protein to the nutrition profile of your family’s favorite dishes. Consider using edamame or tofu as a base for dressings and dips, meatless options of hamburger, meatballs or sausage or simply swapping soymilk for other beverages to deliver 8 grams of high-quality protein as well as calcium and vitamin D to help fuel bone development in growing teens. Today there now are higher protein versions of foods commonly consumed by young people, such as pudding.
Recipes from The Soyfoods Council make it easy for teens to move away from high fat/ high sugar snacks to healthier protein snacks. Ideas include the Soynut Butter Pita Pocket made with whole wheat pita, soynut butter, apple slices and apple butter; and roasted Honeyed Soynuts, eaten alone or used in a variety of homemade trail mix recipes. Other choices are drinks such as the Berry Secret Smoothie, made in a blender with lite vanilla soymilk, frozen berries, fresh spinach and a splash of orange juice.
For more information about the study, “Protein Snacks Improve Appetite and Diet Quality in Teens,” visit  http://www.danisco.com/about-dupont/news/news-archive/2015/new-study-investigates-strategies-for-improving-obesity-related-outcomes-in-overweight-young-people/
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The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) is a grassroots, farmer-led organization that leads efforts in soybean research and the expansion of soybean market opportunities. Established in 1983 as part of a Wisconsin-mandated checkoff, the board works every day to maximize the profitability of Wisconsin soybean producers. It builds soybean demand, creates new uses for soybeans, and focuses on soybean disease research. WSMB is committed to providing statewide soy education and outreach programs that inform consumers about the benefits of soy. It offers a comprehensive soy curriculum for educators, and partners with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom to provide Soybean Science Kits and lessons that increase agricultural literacy.

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Discover the Magic of Miso

              Madison, Wisconsin, November3, 2015— If there’s one “secret” ingredient that can enhance your favorite recipes, miso just might be it. It’s a soybean paste fermented with rice, barley or other grains. Miso adds umami or savory notes to food, and is a staple ingredient in Japan. In Japanese cooking, miso has long been prized for its salty, complex flavor as well as its nutrition benefits. Miso includes probiotics (naturally occurring live bacteria in cultured and fermented foods) that are good for the digestive system, and is a high-protein food (approximately 2 grams of protein per 1 Tbsp.). Miso is also versatile, not only because of the way it enhances other ingredients, but also because it comes in a variety of colors, flavors and textures, each with its own uses in cooking.

White (shiro) miso has the sweetest flavor of the miso types and is made with soybeans and rice. Of the three types of miso, it is fermented for the shortest length of time. Despite its name, the color is actually pale yellow. The mild flavor makes it a natural choice for salad dressings, and it adds salty and savory notes to soup.

            Yellow (shinshu) miso is darker than white miso, and is fermented longer. It is made by fermenting soybeans with barley. Yellow miso adds a nutty flavor to foods. It’s often used in soups, and works well for light marinades. Use instead of butter when mashing potatoes to achieve a richer flavor and to reduce the need for added salt. Whisk or blend yellow miso with sesame oil and mirin (rice wine) for an Asian-inspired tofu marinade.

            Red (aka) miso, is the saltiest version, and has the most depth and boldness of flavor because it has been fermented the longest time. Its flavor complements meats and other robust foods.

Miso is made by combining cooked soybeans, sea salt, grains and a starter culture. It is fermented for a few months, or up to a few years. Depending on how long the soybeans are fermented and which grains are used, the flavor and color vary. In general, the darker the miso paste, the more intense the flavor. Here are some ways you can discover the magic of miso for yourself:

Mix miso with condiments such as butter or mayonnaise to add depth and dimension to the flavor of sandwiches and snacks. Enhance the flavor of soups (prepared or homemade) by adding a little white or yellow miso. Add a small dab of red miso to meat glazes. Experiment with desserts by stirring a teaspoon or two of miso into chocolate cake batter.

The Soyfoods Council offers recipes for salads, soups, and entrees that demonstrate the flavor range and versatility of miso. Entrée ideas include Miso-Marinated Salmon with Edamame Soy Stir Fry and Sirloin Steak with Black Soybean Salsa and Miso Orange Sauce.  The orange sauce recipe combines raw sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice, white miso, mirin (rice wine), butter and achiote powder. The miso marinade for salmon features white miso, mirin, tamari (similar to soy sauce) and cayenne pepper. Other recipe suggestions include soups such as Creamy Kale Miso Soup, featuring yellow miso, tofu and low sodium vegetable broth, and Miso Chicken Soup with Snow Peas and Tofu with ginger and miso paste flavoring the stock.

For a healthier twist to a favorite game day snack, try this soy-inspired recipe from cookbook author JL Fields.

Beer Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
2 large white sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
1 bottle of beer (I used an IPA)
1 teaspoon red miso
2 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon hot curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
Wash and cut sweet potatoes. Place in a shallow baking dish.
Mix beer and miso and pour over the sweet potato wedges. Soak for at least one hour.
Pre-heat oven at 450 for 15 minutes.
Transfer sweet potato wedges into a large mixing bowl (do not keep the beer-miso mixture). Coat the sweet potato wedges with the avocado oil, curry, cumin and cinnamon.
Place sweet potato wedges in one layer on a baking sheet, lined with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes
Yield: Serves 4

Recipe and photo http://thesoyfoodscouncil.com/beer-baked-fries-featuring-miso/

For complete recipes, visit The Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com.

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The Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board (WSMB) is a grassroots, farmer-led organization that leads efforts in soybean research and the expansion of soybean market opportunities. Established in 1983 as part of a Wisconsin-mandated checkoff, the board works every day to maximize the profitability of Wisconsin soybean producers. It builds soybean demand, creates new uses for soybeans, and focuses on soybean disease research. WSMB is committed to providing statewide soy education and outreach programs that inform consumers about the benefits of soy. It offers a comprehensive soy curriculum for educators, and partners with the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom to provide Soybean Science Kits and lessons that increase agricultural literacy.

News Releases

Consuming Soy Protein Found to Benefit People with Chronic Kidney Disease

Ankeny, Iowa, June 23,, 2015— A recent statistical analysis of the scientific literature concluded that in patients with kidney disease but not yet on dialysis, soy protein consumption leads to favorable changes in several health outcomes related to kidney function. In addition, soy helps to improve general nutritional status in patients on dialysis. Published in April 2015 in the European journal Clinical Nutrition, the analysis included 12 clinical trials on the effects of soy protein containing isoflavones in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Plant foods such as soybeans are rich in bio-active compounds called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals, such as isoflavones, are thought to have important health benefits, especially in relation to providing protection against chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. In fact, more than 25 years ago the U.S. National Cancer Institute began intensely investigating isoflavones for their role in preventing cancer. Since then, isoflavones have been studied for a wide range of health benefits, including kidney function. Soybeans are essentially the only commonly consumed food that contains meaningful amounts of isoflavones.

According to Mark Messina Ph.D., executive director of the Soy Nutrition Institute, “Soy protein appears to place less stress on the kidneys in comparison to other proteins and lowers serum creatinine and phosphorous levels. In patients with kidney disease, serum phosphorus levels are often elevated, which can lead to an assortment of problems. That soy protein decreases phosphorus levels indicates that patients with kidney disease can benefit by consuming soyfoods.” This is good news for an increasing number of Americans because the prevalence of kidney disease is on the rise.  It is one of the main complications of diabetes, the incidence of which is increasing because of the US obesity epidemic.

About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods.  Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.

About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries.  In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties.  Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat.  In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer.  All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.