Can eating soybeans lower cholesterol? Nutritionist: Be careful of the fat trap in your heart!

The trend of eating soybeans for health preservation is becoming popular. It not only helps athletes gain muscle and lose weight, but also helps lower blood cholesterol. But when it comes to soybeans, are you really eating them right? Nutritionists say that although soybeans are "0 cholesterol" foods, they still contain fat. Excessive intake or incorrect cooking methods may still cause blood fat and cholesterol to soar, thereby affecting cardiovascular health.

Eating the wrong soybeans! High cholesterol will still come back!

Most people believe that eating too much meat or egg yolks can lead to high cholesterol problems, but soybeans have a cholesterol content of 0, so there is no problem eating as much as you want. However, nutritionist Zhao Hanying found in the outpatient clinic that many vegetarians who do not eat meat still have high blood fat and high cholesterol. One of the key reasons is that most of their dishes are fried, sweet and sour, or thickened, with a high-oil and high-sugar diet. Although the main source of plant protein is soy products, eating too much still poses a risk of obesity and the three highs.

Unveiling the mystery of eating soybeans to lower cholesterol

Nutritionist Zhao Hanying said that 80% of blood cholesterol is endogenous, which means that the body will synthesize it automatically; 20% comes from food intake. If you consume too much high-calorie, high-fat, high-cholesterol and high-sugar food, such as red meat such as pork, beef and mutton, or fried snacks and sweets, it will easily increase cholesterol.

Recent studies have found that eating 28 grams of soybeans and their products every day can reduce blood cholesterol by about 10% and promote cardiovascular health. The key to making soybeans a good helper in lowering cholesterol is that in addition to its cholesterol-free content, it is also rich in dietary fiber, lecithin and soy isoflavones.

Eating soybeans helps lower cholesterol. The key nutrients are dietary fiber, lecithin and soy isoflavones.

Dietary fiber can absorb bile acid and metabolize it from feces. Less bile acid in the body means less raw material for synthesizing cholesterol, thereby achieving the benefit of lowering cholesterol. On average, every 20 grams of soybeans contains 2.9 grams of fiber, which is higher than the 1.5 grams of fiber contained in an apple.

Lecithin can also help make blood vessels elastic and assist in removing bad cholesterol. Soy isoflavones are a type of phytochemical with a structure similar to female hormones. They can not only be used to relieve discomfort such as hot flashes during menopause, but also reduce the risk of breast cancer due to the use of estrogen. Their anti-inflammatory properties also help cardiovascular health, promote blood circulation and metabolism, and thus prevent the formation of blood cholesterol.

Soybean fat = low-fat meat still contains saturated fat

It is worth noting that soybeans contain a lot of fat. On average, each serving (20 grams) of soybeans contains 3 grams of fat, which is equivalent to the fat ratio of low-fat meat. It also contains saturated fatty acids. If you eat too much, you will be at risk of obesity and high blood lipids.

To lower blood cholesterol, here are some tips on how to eat soybeans!

How can we eat soybeans correctly and make the best use of their excellent nutritional properties? Nutritionist Zhao Hanying recommends that when choosing protein foods, you should follow the order of "beans, fish, meat, and eggs", give priority to soy products, or replace one portion of red meat in the diet with soy products, and avoid cooking methods such as frying, braising, adding sugar or thickening. Try to eat original soybeans, soy milk or tofu, which are helpful for protecting the cardiovascular system or preventing the formation of blood cholesterol.

Although soybeans are rich in nutrients, consuming them all by frying, braising, adding sugar or thickening them may cause health problems.

However, there are some situations where soybeans are not suitable as the primary source of protein. For example, gout patients should not consume too many soybean products during acute attacks because they contain purine. Patients with chronic kidney disease need to control their protein intake, but it is not recommended to prioritize soybeans. Instead, iron-rich red meat should be the first choice. People with anemia are also advised to consult a nutritionist before consuming protein foods to design a suitable diet plan for improvement.

In addition to paying attention to the intake and cooking methods of soybeans, you must also eat more fiber, drink more water, exercise regularly and control your weight on the premise of a balanced diet to achieve the effect of lowering cholesterol.

[Nutritionist's Tips]:

Nowadays, people are all about drinking soy milk to lose weight, and they believe that they will not gain weight no matter how much soy milk they drink. However, nutritionist Zhao Hanying reminds us that soy milk also contains oil. Drinking two bottles of Fresh House packaging (each bottle is about 440 ml) per person per day is still within an acceptable range, but drinking too much can easily lead to the risk of gaining weight.