The Soyabean is one of the most nutritious foods. It belongs to the family of legumes or pulses and is perhaps one of the earliest crops cultivated by man. It is one of the most important sources of oil and protein.


The name Soya has its origin in the Chinese word shu and sou. The Soyabean is a native of the Far East. It has been an important food crop in china. It is now very popular crop of the world over and is widely cultivated in the United States, Europe, South Africa, Egypt, Russia, Australia and other countries.

The Soyabean is esteemed for its high food value. It is a valuable source of protein, vitamins, minerals and other food ingredients. It also contains vitamin B complex, biotin, folic acid, pantothenic acid and Vitamin E.


Natural Benefit and Curative Properties

The soyabean contains many medicinal virtues. While most of the proteins are acid in their ash, soyabean is rich in alkaline bearing salts and hence regarded as a corrective diet.

Soyabean, especially in the form of milk is highly beneficial in the treatment of several ailments. This milk is prepared by soaking the beans in water for about 12 hours. The skin of the beans is then removed and after a thorough wash, they are turned into fine paste in a grinding machine. The paste is mixed with water, three times its quantity. The milk should then be boiled on a slow fire, stirring it frequently after it becomes a little cooler, it should be strained through a piece of thin cloth and sugar be added to it. Soyabean milk is very helpful in maintaining intestinal health. The soyabean curd is a health food par excellence.

One of the chief uses of Soyabean is as a source of lecithin, which is a great natural emulsifier. Lecithin as is well known in helping disperse deposits of fatty materials and cholesterol in certain vital organs. It is also an important component around brain and nerve cells.

Soyabean contains a fairly large amount of carbohydrate but there is little or no starch in it. It is, therefore, regarded as a very suitable for diabetic patient.

The soyabean is regarded as a valuable food remedy in eczema and other skin afflictions.

Soyabean, being rich in iron has been found beneficial in the treatment of anemia. Soyabean are used in many other forms such as flour, green beans and oil.

Soya bean contains a bitter substances which can be removed by soaking soyabean in six cupfuls of warm water containg half a teaspoonful of sodium bicarbonate for 10 minutes. Soyabean contains a factor which inhibit the action of digestive enzyme trysin. This factor can be destroyed by heating.