Several nutritional advantages coul
d be obtained by incorporating
soybean based foods in the diet. Soybean represents an excellent source of
high quality protein with a low content in
saturated fat, with no cholesterol,
and a great amount of dietary fiber. Th
erefore, the possible use of soybean in
functional food design is very promising, since the consumption of soybean
protein and dietary fibre seems to reduce
the risk of cardiovascular diseases
and to improve glycemic control. Furthermore, soybean and several of its
components have shown in various
in vitro
,
in vivo
, and human clinical
studies their effectiveness and potential role in the prevention and treatment
of different diseases. The use of soyb
ean in food form for several centuries
assures us of its safety
and nutritive value for human health. Consequently, it
is imperative for all the conscious societies to incorporate this abundantly
available ‘treasure of functionality’
in their daily diet and harness the
complete benefit of this yellow ‘miracle’ seed.