New Delhi: Everyone knows that protein is an important part of a healthy diet, but how many people have a real sense of all the natural ways where they can get some?
Sure, meat and other animal products are full of protein, but shouldn't there be a healthy, tasty protein option for vegans and vegetarians?
There is, and the answer is tofu.
Tofu, also called bean curd, is made from soy beans, or, more specifically, soy beans ground into soy milk. It is naturally gluten-free and low in calories. It contains no cholesterol and is an excellent source of iron, and calcium.
It also contains isoflavones such as phytoestrogens. Isoflavones may have both estrogen-agonist andestrogen-antagonist properties. These may help protect against some cancers, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
Tofu is originated in China over 2,000 years ago, where one legend claims that a Chinese cook stumbled on the discovery after he accidentally curdled some soy milk by mixing in sea salt and nigari seaweed.
Today, the worldwide tofu industry has grown enormous, with over 200,000 tofu manufacturers worldwide. The biggest tofu factories are located in Japan where they make over fifty tons of the bean curd every day.
How Is Tofu Made?
The first step in making tofu is to soak the soybeans until they are fully hydrated and double in size (usually 12 hours).
Next, they are crushed open to release the “milk” inside. The mixture is then heated to separate the solids from the milk, which is then extracted.
A coagulant (traditionally seawater) is then added to form curds from the milk, which are collected, poured into a press and squeezed until enough moisture has been forced out to allow the curds to bind together.
The length of time that tofu is pressed depends on the overall consistency that is desired, where extra firm tofu is pressed the longest.
After the pressing process is through, the tofu is put into cold water to help it finish setting. At this point the tofu is done and ready to be enjoyed or stored for use at a later time.
Varieties Of Tofu:
Though all tofu is made from soybean curds, there is a wide variety of ways in which it is served. Tofu can take on a wide variety of shapes and consistencies, including silken, soft, firm and extra firm, and it can be served fermented, pickled, dried, fried, served with pureed bananas as a dessert, frozen or simply sautéed with vegetables.
Some of the most common types of tofu that you can find in the store are described below:
Firm and extra firm: This type of tofu is more dense than other types and keeps its shape when cooked, meaning it is useful for frying, grilling and stir frying.
Soft Tofu: This tofu doesn't keep its shape as well as firm varieties but it makes a greater filler ingredient in casseroles and soups.
Silken Tofu: As the name implies, this type of tofu has a silky smooth texture and is fantastic added to dips, puddings, and smoothies for an extra boost of protein.
As a wonder food that has been eaten throughout Asia for thousands of years, tofu is full of health benefits that make it a smart dining choice for just about everyone.
Possible Health Benefits of Tofu:
The health benefits of tofu have been celebrated for centuries. Not only is tofu an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans, there is also evidence that it has many other natural health benefits like preventing cancer and treating hair loss.
For those that choose to restrict the amount of animal products they eat, tofu is an ideal alternative for getting the muscle-building benefits of protein.
It also contains trace amounts of valuable nutrients like vitamin K, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B-6, niacin, choline, foliate, selenium, manganese and phosphorus.
Studies have been showing for years that a diet filled with plant based foods will lower your risk of early death as well as your odds of developing heart disease and obesity while also helping you to have fuller hair, more energy and even a better complexion.
Some of the specific benefits of adding tofu to your diet are explained below:
Diabetes- Tofu is a perfect food option for diabetics because of the low fat and low calorie content. Eating at least 200 grams of tofu a day can help to significantly reduce your risk of developing diabetes, and eating a diet filled with a range of soy foods is a proven way to reduce the risk that your blood develops insulin resistance.
Heart Disease- Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death, and it's caused primarily by eating a diet full of unhealthy, highly processed foods. However, you can find a heart-saving solution through tofu.
Eating a diet full of tofu will help you lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the levels of lipoprotein (a bad cholesterol) in your body. This works to improve your overall cardiovascular health as well. Also tofuregularly helps your body reduce the risk of stroke and other dangerous diseases through the lowering of bad cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL levels in your blood, while also helping your body to raise the levels of HDL or healthy cholesterol.
Peptides-glycinin and conglycinin are bio-active anti-inflammatory agents found in tofu that work to reduce inflammation and blood vessel damage in your body, which makes it much easier to lower your blood pressure levels and keep it under control.Reduced inflammation has plenty of other body benefits, including weight loss and ease maintaining a healthy weight.
Obesity- When eaten as part of a reduced- calorie diet, tofu is an easy way to lose weight. Because tofu is often eaten as a substitute for calorie-rich meats, it can help you weigh 3 to 20 percent less than people that eat meat. In fact, there is evidence that soy protein can make a bigger difference in weight loss than other types of protein, as some studies have shown that people that got their protein from soy lost more body fat than those that relied on animal-based source.
Cancer- There are many benefits to tofu that make it a smart food choice for warding off cancer. First, tofu contains lots of selenium, which is a mineral that the body needs to run its antioxidant-processing system and help prevent colon cancer.
In fact, studies have shown that men can reduce their risk of prostate cancer by eating tofu and women that eat plenty of tofu every week are over 60% less likely to develop the kinds of risky breast tissue that often cause breast cancer.
Menopause- When women hit menopause, their daily calcium requirements go up. Tofu can provide the high doses of calcium needed to keep women healthy, while also helping them to reduce the prevalence of hot flashes, prevent rheumatoid arthritis and help prevent the risk of losing bone mass.
Likewise, menopause and pre-menopause can wreck havoc on a woman's estrogen levels, meaning that she might experience severe mood swings, headaches, trouble sleeping, and dizziness due to hot flashes. However, the flavanoids and isoflavonoids in tofu can help to restore the estrogen levels to the proper amounts, which can provide great relief for these symptoms and cause them to go away.
Aging- It may sound too good to be true, but there is plenty of evidence that tofu can make a big difference in how youthful you look by actively slowing down the aging process.
A diet full of tofu helps your skin to retain its elasticity and keeps your facial muscles toned, which prevents sagging and leaves your skin looking youthful.
Though eating regular servings of tofu can make a big difference, an even better way to keep your skin looking youthful is to make a paste out of silken tofu and apply it to your face in order to nourish your skin from the outside in. With regular application, crow lines and fine wrinkles will start to disappear!
Hairloss- Human hair is made out of protein, and the primary protein used in the process is called keratin. Thankfully, tofu is a natural way to provide it for your body.
By eating tofu regularly, you'll be providing the required keratin levels to your body which will help your body produce more hair while the selenium levels in tofu are useful by helping your scalp hold on to the hairs you already have.
It might seem like a small diet change to switch out some meat in your daily diet in exchange for tofu, can make a big difference for the overall health of your body.
Whether you suffer from diabetes, heart disease or a simply struggling through the first signs of menopause, a diet filled with tofu might be part of the natural health solution for you. However, overconsumption may also present some risks.
In recent years, tofu has come under controversy because of the conflicting health claims of its main ingredient: soy. Some research seems to claim that soy products aren't the healthy choice society is trying to convince us they are, and that it can have extremely damaging, even feminizing effects on the male body.
Negatives Of Tofu:
Nothing in food science is ever as simple as we'd like it to be, and tofu fits under the category of a relatively complex topic. Though there is ample evidence of the health benefits that tofu can provide for you, unfortunately other studies have criticized this bean curd for its soy content and estrogen mimickers.
Cancer- Yes, cancer is also in the 'health positives' column, but some scientific evidence reveals that eating tofu might actually cause the development of breast cancer in some women.
The study that caused this controversy looked at a specific type of break cancer that's based on estrogen receptors, and early studies found an increase in tumour growth in rats fed soy.However, farther research revealed that rats metabolize soy differently than humans, so the overall impacts aren't known.
It does seem clear that there is a correlation between the level of processing in soy and the risk of tumour development, so to be safe you should stick to minimally processed soy foods like tofu.
Food Allergies- For reasons not well understood, soybeans are one of the eight most common forms of allergen in the United States, and for some people even a little exposure can be fatal.
Thyroid Health- The role that tofu plays in thyroid health has been debated endlessly, and there is evidence on both sides for its benefits and negative effects on your thyroid.At this point there are still more questions than answers, but if you have thyroid problems already it might be smart to limit your tofu intake.
For these reason, many people prefer to avoid soy products completely unless they can be sure that they have been grown organically.
But clearly, there's a lot to like about tofu. Rich in protein and low in calories, tofu is a healthy food option for any occasion and its versatility means that it can be cooked in a wide variety of ways for optimal flavor.
Whether you are trying to eat less meat or are simply trying out some new, lower calorie cooking options, adding tofu to your diet is a smart way to stay healthy and try new flavors. Whether you're a man or woman, tofu can be a healthy part of your diet, so long as you eat it in moderation.
References:
https://totalshape.com
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com
https://draxe.com/what-is-tofu
https://www.everydayhealth.com
https://www.menshealth.com