Soy protein – what is does for you
Proteins of high quality will contain all not also all essential amino acids and but also the amount required for protein synthesis in the human body. The essential amino acids in soy beans fulfil these criteria and therefore soy beans have an amino acids score of 100.
But that is not all: in 1993, the FDA (that is the US based Food and Drug Administration) established the “Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score” (PDCAAS) which also takes into account how easily digestible a protein is. Soy beans have been classified with the perfect score of “1.0” (Henley et al, 1994). Soy protein can be regarded as particularly easy to digest.
Reducing the level of triglycerides in serum is a well established effect of soy protein. Studies from different groups suggest that this is linked to the b-conglycinfraction and also could be an explanation for the ani-atheroslerotic effects of soy protein.
In 1999, the FDA approved that “25g of soy protein a day as part of a diet low in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease”.
