Soy 20/20 is hoping to boost healthy eating in Canada with the release of a new publication that dispels commonly held myths about soy bean consumption.
Commonly held misconceptions about soy intake focus on allergenicity, male fertility, mineral absorption and impairment of cognitive functions.
However, soy is low in saturated fat, full of nutrients and cholesterol free, and its protein is referred to as “complete,” because it provides all of the essential amino acids for human nutrition.
“Soy offers tremendous nutritional and health benefits when consumed as part of a healthy diet,” said Jeff Schmalz, president of Soy 20/20, an organization dedicated to expanding market opportunities for Canadian soybeans.
“Unfortunately there are some misconceptions out there about soy,” Schmalz said. Our goal is to debunk some of those myths with this new publication.”
Soy Questions and Answers addresses issues about food allergies and sensitivities, explains isoflavones and describes what makes soy heart healthy.
It also tackles some of the more sensitive issues with respect to soy consumption, backed by fact-based research findings.
Leading Canadian soy food researcher professor Alison Duncan provided feedback on the writing of the brochure, which includes information from several recent studies on topics related to soy food.
“Soybeans are packed full of nutrition and have great potential to benefit human health,” said Duncan, associate professor in human health and nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph. “Multiple studies have demonstrated the ability of soybeans in various forms to protect against heart disease, osteoporosis and various forms of cancer.”
The publication is available at www.soyforlife.ca and will be distributed food and consumer media, dietitians and health professionals.
Soy 20/20 is an organization that brings together government, academic and industry partners to stimulate and seize new global bioscience opportunities for Canadian soybeans.
Funding for Soy 20/20 is provided under Growing Forward, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative, and by Grain Farmers of Ontario and the University of Guelph.
