Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Protection padlock Template:Use American English Template:Cs1 config Template:Use mdy dates Template:Speciesbox Template:Infobox Chinese
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (Glycine max)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include edamame, as well as soy milk, from which tofu and tofu skin are made. Fermented soy foods include soy sauce, fermented bean paste, nattō, and tempeh. Fat-free (defatted) soybean meal is a significant and cheap source of protein for animal feeds and many packaged meals.<ref name="rotundo">Template:Cite journal</ref> For example, soybean products, such as textured vegetable protein (TVP), are ingredients in many meat and dairy substitutes.<ref name=rotundo/><ref name=Riaz2006>Template:Cite book</ref>
Soybeans contain significant amounts of phytic acid, dietary minerals and B vitamins. Soy vegetable oil, used in food and industrial applications, is another product of processing the soybean crop. Soybean is a common protein source in feed for farm animals that in turn yield animal protein for human consumption.<ref name=rotundo/>
EtymologyEdit
The word "soy" derives from the Japanese soi, a regional variant of shōyu, meaning "soy sauce".<ref>Template:Cite OED</ref>
The name of the genus, Glycine, comes from Linnaeus. When naming the genus, Linnaeus observed that one of the species formerly within the genus, which is later reclassified to the genus Apios, had a sweet root. Based on the sweetness, the Greek word for sweet, glykós, was Latinized.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref> The genus name is not related to the amino acid glycine.Template:Citation needed
DescriptionEdit
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Like most plants, soybeans grow in distinct morphological stages as they develop from seeds into fully mature plants.
GerminationEdit
The first stage of growth is germination, a method which first becomes apparent as a seed's radicle emerges.<ref name=MP197Chapter2>Template:Cite book</ref> This is the first stage of root growth and occurs within the first 48 hours under ideal growing conditions. The first photosynthetic structures, the cotyledons, develop from the hypocotyl, the first plant structure to emerge from the soil. These cotyledons both act as leaves and as a source of nutrients for the immature plant, providing the seedling nutrition for its first 7 to 10 days.<ref name=MP197Chapter2 />
MaturationEdit
The first true leaves develop as a pair of single blades.<ref name=MP197Chapter2 /> Subsequent to this first pair, mature nodes form compound leaves with three blades. Mature trifoliolate leaves, having three to four leaflets per leaf, are often between Template:Convert long and Template:Convert broad. Under ideal conditions, stem growth continues, producing new nodes every four days. Before flowering, roots can grow Template:Convert per day. If rhizobia are present, root nodulation begins by the time the third node appears. Nodulation typically continues for 8 weeks before the symbiotic infection process stabilizes.<ref name=MP197Chapter2 /> The final characteristics of a soybean plant are variable, with factors such as genetics, soil quality, and climate affecting its form; however, fully mature soybean plants are generally between Template:Convert in height<ref name=MP197Chapter19>Template:Cite book</ref> and have rooting depths between Template:Convert.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
FloweringEdit
Flowering is triggered by day length, often beginning once days become shorter than 12.8 hours.<ref name=MP197Chapter2 /> This trait is highly variable however, with different varieties reacting differently to changing day length.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Soybeans form inconspicuous, self-fertile flowers which are borne in the axil of the leaf and are white, pink or purple. Though they do not require pollination, they are attractive to bees, because they produce nectar that is high in sugar content.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Depending on the soybean variety, node growth may cease once flowering begins. Strains that continue nodal development after flowering are termed "indeterminates" and are best suited to climates with longer growing seasons.<ref name=MP197Chapter2 /> Often soybeans drop their leaves before the seeds are fully mature.
The fruit is a hairy pod that grows in clusters of three to five, each pod is Template:Convert long and usually contains two to four (rarely more) seeds 5–11 mm in diameter. Soybean seeds come in a wide variety of sizes and hull colors such as black, brown, yellow, and green.<ref name=MP197Chapter19 /> Variegated and bicolored seed coats are also common.
Seed resilienceEdit
The hull of the mature bean is hard, water-resistant, and protects the cotyledon and hypocotyl (or "germ") from damage. If the seed coat is cracked, the seed will not germinate. The scar, visible on the seed coat, is called the hilum (colors include black, brown, buff, gray and yellow) and at one end of the hilum is the micropyle, or small opening in the seed coat which can allow the absorption of water for sprouting.
Some seeds such as soybeans containing very high levels of protein can undergo desiccation, yet survive and revive after water absorption. A. Carl Leopold began studying this capability at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell University in the mid-1980s. He found soybeans and corn to have a range of soluble carbohydrates protecting the seed's cell viability.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Patents were awarded to him in the early 1990s on techniques for protecting biological membranes and proteins in the dry state.
ChemistryEdit
Dry soybeans contain 36% protein and 20% fat in form of soybean oil by weight. The remainder consists of 30% carbohydrates, 9% water and 5% ash.<ref>See Nutrition table</ref> Soybeans comprise approximately 8% seed coat or hull, 90% cotyledons and 2% hypocotyl axis or germ.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Page needed
TaxonomyEdit
The genus Glycine may be divided into two subgenera, Glycine and Soja. The subgenus Soja includes the cultivated soybean, G. max, and the wild soybean, treated either as a separate species G. soja,<ref name="SingNelsChun06">Template:Cite book</ref> or as the subspecies G. max subsp. soja.<ref name="POWO_920989-1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The cultivated and wild soybeans are annuals. The wild soybean is native to China, Japan, Korea and Russia.<ref name="SingNelsChun06" /> The subgenus Glycine consists of at least 25 wild perennial species: for example, G. canescens and G. tomentella, both found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.<ref>Template:Cite conference</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Perennial soybean (Neonotonia wightii) belongs to a different genus. It originated in Africa and is now a widespread pasture crop in the tropics.<ref>Heuzé V., Tran G., Giger-Reverdin S., Lebas F., 2015. Perennial soybean (Neonotonia wightii). Feedipedia, a programme by INRA, CIRAD, Association Française de Zootechnie and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/293 Last updated on September 30, 2015, 15:09</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Like some other crops of long domestication, the relationship of the modern soybean to wild-growing species can no longer be traced with any degree of certainty.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It is a cultigen with a very large number of cultivars.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
EcologyEdit
Like many legumes, soybeans can fix atmospheric nitrogen, due to the presence of symbiotic bacteria from the Rhizobia group.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
CultivationEdit
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Soybeans are globally important agricultural crops, grown as a major source of protein and oil. It prefers fertile, well-drained soils and requires a warm temperate climate with adequate rainfall or irrigation. Soybeans are mainly grown in the United States, Brazil, and Argentina.
It is usually planted in straight rows using modern machinery, and pests and weeds must be controlled to maintain the crop. After maturity, it is harvested using mechanized harvesting machines. Soybeans are used in the production of many food and industrial products, such as Tofu, oils, and feed, in addition to their role in improving soil fertility by fixing nitrogen.
ConditionsEdit
Cultivation is successful in climates with hot summers, with optimum growing conditions in mean temperatures of Template:Convert; temperatures of below Template:Convert and over Template:Convert stunt growth significantly. They can grow in a wide range of soils, with optimum growth in moist alluvial soils with good organic content. Soybeans, like most legumes, perform nitrogen fixation by establishing a symbiotic relationship with the bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum (syn. Rhizobium japonicum; Jordan 1982). This ability to fix nitrogen allows farmers to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use and increase yields when growing other crops in rotation with soy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There may be some trade-offs, however, in the long-term abundance of organic material in soils where soy and other crops (for example, corn) are grown in rotation.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> For best results, though, an inoculum of the correct strain of bacteria should be mixed with the soybean (or any legume) seed before planting. Modern crop cultivars generally reach a height of around Template:Convert, and take 80–120 days from sowing to harvesting.
SoilsEdit
Soil scientists Edson Lobato (Brazil), Andrew McClung (U.S.), and Alysson Paolinelli (Brazil) were awarded the 2006 World Food Prize for transforming the ecologically biodiverse savannah of the Cerrado region of Brazil into highly productive cropland that could grow profitable soybeans.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Contamination concernsEdit
Human sewage sludge can be used as fertilizer to grow soybeans. Soybeans grown in sewage sludge likely contain elevated concentrations of metals.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
PestsEdit
Template:Further Soybean plants are vulnerable to a wide range of bacterial diseases, fungal diseases, viral diseases, and parasites.
The primary bacterial diseases include bacterial blight, bacterial pustule and downy mildew affecting the soybean plant.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) poses a significant threat to agricultural crops, including soybeans, due to its voracious feeding habits. Found commonly in both urban and suburban areas, these beetles are frequently observed in agricultural landscapes where they can cause considerable damage to crops like corn, soybeans, and various fruits.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the worst pest of soybean in the US. Losses of 30%<ref name="Missouri" /> or 40%<ref group="RM" name="Tylka-40-sympt">"You can literally have 40% yield loss with no symptoms," says Greg Tylka, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension nematologist.</ref> are common even without symptoms.
The corn earworm moth and bollworm (Helicoverpa zea) is a common and destructive pest of soybean growth in Virginia.<ref>Herbert, Ames, Cathy Hull, and Eric Day. "Corn Earworm Biology and Management in Soybeans." Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia State University (2009).</ref>
Soybeans are consumed by whitetail deer which may damage soybean plants through feeding, trampling and bedding, reducing crop yields by as much as 15%.<ref name="ag">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Groundhogs are also a common pest in soybean fields, living in burrows underground and feeding nearby. One den of groundhogs can consume a tenth to a quarter of an acre of soybeans.<ref name="brant">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Chemical repellents or firearms are effective for controlling pests in soybean fields.<ref name=ag/><ref name=brant/>
Template:Anchor Soybeans suffer from the fungus Pythium spinosum in Arkansas and Indiana (United States), and China.<ref name="P-spinosum-US-Nat-Fung-Coll">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>
In Japan and the United States, the Soybean dwarf virus (SbDV) causes a disease in soybeans and is transmitted by aphids.<ref name="harrison2005">Template:Cite journal</ref>
CultivarsEdit
Disease resistant cultivarsEdit
Resistant varieties are available. In Indian cultivars, Nataraj et al. 2020 find that anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum truncatum is resisted by a combination of 2 major genes.<ref name="identification">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal </ref>
PI 88788Edit
The vast majority of cultivars in the US have soybean cyst nematode resistance (SCN resistance), but rely on only one breeding line (PI 88788) as their sole source of resistance.<ref group="RM" name="PI-88788">Reliance on the main genetic source of SCN resistance (PI 88788)may be helping SCN to overcome SCN-resistant varieties. Out of 807 resistant varieties listed by ISU this year, just 18 had a genetic background outside of PI 88788. "We have lots of varieties to pick from, but the genetic background is not as diverse as we would like it to be," says Tylka.</ref> (The resistance genes provided by PI 88788, Template:Visible anchor, and Template:Visible anchor were characterized in 1997.)<ref name="Concibido-et-al-1997">Template:Cite journal</ref> As a result, for example, in 2012 only 18 cultivars out of 807 recommended by the Iowa State University Extension had any ancestry outside of PI 88788. By 2020 the situation was still about the same: Of 849 there were 810 with some ancestry from PI 88788,<ref name="Iowa-other-resist">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Iowa-resist">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 35 from Peking, and only 2 from PI 89772. (On the question of exclusively PI 88788 ancestry, that number was not available for 2020.)<ref name="Iowa-resist" /> That was speculated to be in 2012<ref group="RM" name="overcome-resis">There have been cases where SCN has clipped yields of SCN-resistant varieties. Reliance on the main genetic source of SCN resistance (PI 88788)may be helping SCN to overcome SCN-resistant varieties.</ref>—and was clearly by 2020<ref name="Iowa-other-resist" />—producing SCN populations that are virulent on PI 88788.
ProductionEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}
| Soybean production – 2020 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country | Production (millions of tonnes) | |
| Template:BRA | 122 | |
| Template:USA | 113 | |
| Template:ARG | 49 | |
| Template:CHN | 20 | |
| {{#invoke:flag | India}} | 11 |
| Template:PAR | 11 | |
| World | 353 | |
| Source: FAOSTAT<ref name="faostat19">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation | CitationClass=web
}}</ref> | |
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In 2020, world production of soybeans was over 353 million tonnes, led by Brazil and the United States combined with 66% of the total (table). Production has dramatically increased across the globe since the 1960s, but particularly in South America after a cultivar that grew well in low latitudes was developed in the 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The rapid growth of the industry has been primarily fueled by large increases in worldwide demand for meat products, particularly in developing countries like China, which alone accounts for more than 60% of imports.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Environmental issuesEdit
Template:See also In spite of the Amazon "Soy Moratorium", soy production continues to play a significant role in deforestation when its indirect impacts are taken into account, as land used to grow soy continues to increase. This land either comes from pasture land (which increasingly supplants forested areas), or areas outside the Amazon not covered by the moratorium, such as the Cerrado region. Roughly one-fifth of deforestation can be attributed to expanding land use to produce oilseeds, primarily for soy and palm oil, whereas the expansion of beef production accounts for 41%. The main driver of deforestation is the global demand for meat, which in turn requires huge tracts of land to grow feed crops for livestock.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Around 80% of the global soybean crop is used to feed livestock.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
HistoryEdit
Template:More citations needed section Soybeans were a crucial crop in East Asia long before written records began.<ref>Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko. 2013. History of Whole Dry Soybeans, Used as Beans, or Ground, Mashed or Flaked (240 BCE to 2013). Lafayette, California. 950 pp.</ref> The origin of soy bean cultivation remains scientifically debated. The closest living relative of the soybean is Glycine soja (previously called G. ussuriensis), a legume native to central China.<ref name=britannica>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> There is evidence for soybean domestication between 7000 and 6600 BC in China, between 5000 and 3000 BC in Japan and 1000 BC in Korea.<ref name="Lee-et-al-2011">Template:Cite journal</ref>
The first unambiguously domesticated, cultigen-sized soybean was discovered in Korea at the Mumun-period Daundong site.<ref name="Lee-et-al-2011" /><ref name="Stark-2017">Template:Cite book</ref> Prior to fermented products such as fermented black soybeans (douchi), jiang (Chinese miso), soy sauce, tempeh, nattō, and miso, soy was considered sacred for its beneficial effects in crop rotation, and it was eaten by itself, and as bean curd and soy milk.
Soybeans were introduced to Java in Malay Archipelago circa 13th century or probably earlier. By the 17th century through their trade with Far East, soybeans and its products were traded by European traders (Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch) in Asia, and reached Indian Subcontinent by this period.Template:Citation needed By the 18th century, soybeans were introduced to the Americas and Europe from China. Soy was introduced to Africa from China in the late 19th century, and is now widespread across the continent.
East AsiaEdit
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The cultivation of soybeans began in the eastern half of northern China by 2000 BC, but is almost certainly much older.<ref name=Murphy>Template:Cite book</ref> The earliest documented evidence for the use of Glycine of any kind comes from charred plant remains of wild soybean recovered from Jiahu in Henan province China, a Neolithic site occupied between 9000 and 7800 calendar years ago (cal bp).<ref name="Lee-et-al-2011" /> An abundance of archeological charred soybean specimens have been found centered around this region.<ref>Zhao Z. 2004. "Floatation: a paleobotanic method in field archaeology". Archaeology 3: 80–87.</ref>
According to the ancient Chinese myth, in 2853 BC, the legendary Emperor Shennong of China proclaimed that five plants were sacred: soybeans, rice, wheat, barley, and millet.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Early Chinese records mention that soybeans were a gift from the region of Yangtze River delta and Southeast China.<ref name="Britannica Educational Publishing p. 48">The History of Agriculture By Britannica Educational Publishing, p. 48</ref> The Great Soviet Encyclopedia claims soybean cultivation originated in China about 5000 years ago.<ref>Great Soviet Encyclopedia, ed. A. M. Prokhorov (New York: Macmillan, London: Collier Macmillan, 1974–1983) 31 volumes, three volumes of indexes. Translation of third Russian edition of Bol'shaya Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya</ref> Some scholars suggest that soybean originated in China and was domesticated about 3500 BC.<ref name=Siddiqi>Template:Cite book</ref> Recent research, however, indicates that seeding of wild forms started early (before 5000 BC) in multiple locations throughout East Asia.<ref name="Lee-et-al-2011" />
Soybeans became an important crop by the Zhou dynasty (c. 1046–256 BC) in China. However, the details of where, when, and under what circumstances soybean developed a close relationship with people are poorly understood. Soybean was unknown in South China before the Han period.<ref name="Lee-et-al-2011" /> From about the first century AD to the Age of Discovery (15–16th centuries), soybeans were introduced into across South and Southeast Asia. This spread was due to the establishment of sea and land trade routes. The earliest Japanese textual reference to the soybean is in the classic Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters), which was completed in AD 712.
The oldest preserved soybeans resembling modern varieties in size and shape were found in archaeological sites in Korea dated about 1000 BC.<ref name="Britannica Educational Publishing p. 48"/><ref name=stark>Template:Cite book</ref> Radiocarbon dating of soybean samples recovered through flotation during excavations at the Early Mumun period Okbang site in Korea indicated soybean was cultivated as a food crop in around 1000–900 BC.<ref name=stark /> Soybeans from the Jōmon period in Japan from 3000 BC<ref name="Lee-et-al-2011" /> are also significantly larger than wild varieties.<ref name="Lee-et-al-2011" /><ref>Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko. 2012. History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Japan. Lafayette, California.</ref>
Southeast AsiaEdit
Soybeans were mentioned as kadêlê (modern Indonesian term: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}})<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in an old Javanese manuscript, Serat Sri Tanjung, which dates to 12th- to 13th-century Java.<ref name="Historia">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By the 13th century, the soybean had arrived and cultivated in Indonesia; it probably arrived much earlier however, carried by traders or merchants from Southern China.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
The earliest known reference to it as "tempeh" appeared in 1815 in the Serat Centhini manuscript.<ref>The Book of Tempeh, 2nd ed., by W. Shurtleff and A. Aoyagi (2001, Ten Speed Press, p. 145)</ref> The development of tempeh fermented soybean cake probably took place earlier, circa 17th century in Java.
Indian subcontinentEdit
By the 1600s, soy sauce spread from southern Japan across the region through the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
While the origins and history of Soybean cultivation in the Eastern Himalayas is debated, it was potentially introduced from southern China, more specifically Yunnan province.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":4">Template:Cite journal</ref> Alternatively, it could have reached here through traders from Indonesia via Myanmar. Northeast India is viewed as a passive micro-centre within the soybean secondary gene centre. Central India is considered a tertiary gene centre particularly the area encompassing Madhya Pradesh which is also the country largest soybean producer.<ref name=":4" />
IberiaEdit
In 1603, "Vocabvlario da Lingoa de Iapam", a famous Japanese-Portuguese dictionary, was compiled and published by Jesuit priests in Nagasaki. It contains short but clear definitions for about 20 words related to soyfoods—the first in any European language.
The Luso-Hispanic traders were familiar with soybeans and soybean product through their trade with Far East since at least the 17th century. However, it was not until the late 19th century that the first attempt to cultivate soybeans in the Iberian peninsula was undertaken. In 1880, the soybean was first cultivated in Portugal in the Botanical Gardens at Coimbra (Crespi 1935).
In about 1910 in Spain the first attempts at Soybean cultivation were made by the Count of San Bernardo, who cultivated soybeans on his estates at Almillo (in southwest Spain) about 48 miles east-northeast of Seville.<ref>Shurtleff, W.; Aoyagi, A. 2015. "History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Spain and Portugal (1603–2015)." Lafayette, California: Soyinfo Center. (624 references; 23 photos and illustrations. Free online.)</ref>
North AmericaEdit
Soybeans were first introduced to North America from China in 1765, by Samuel Bowen, a former East India Company sailor who had visited China in conjunction with James Flint, the first Englishman legally permitted by the Chinese authorities to learn Chinese.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The first "New World" soybean crop was grown on Skidaway Island, Georgia, in 1765 by Henry Yonge from seeds given him by Samuel Bowen.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Bowen grew soy near Savannah, Georgia, possibly using funds from Flint, and made soy sauce for sale to England.<ref name="Coastalfields Press">Template:Cite book</ref> Although soybean was introduced into North America in 1765, for the next 155 years, the crop was grown primarily for forage.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 1831, the first soy product "a few dozen India Soy" [sauce] arrived in Canada. Soybeans were probably first cultivated in Canada by 1855, and definitely in 1895 at Ontario Agricultural College.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
It was not until Lafayette Mendel and Thomas Burr Osborne showed that the nutritional value of soybean seeds could be increased by cooking, moisture or heat, that soy went from a farm animal feed to a human food.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
William Joseph Morse is considered the "father" of modern soybean agriculture in America. In 1910, he and Charles Piper began to popularize what was regarded as a relatively unknown Oriental peasant crop in America into a "golden bean", with the soybean becoming one of America's largest and most nutritious farm crops.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Prior to the 1920s in the US, the soybean was mainly a forage crop, a source of oil, meal (for feed) and industrial products, with very little used as food. However, it took on an important role after World War I. During the Great Depression, the drought-stricken (Dust Bowl) regions of the United States were able to use soy to regenerate their soil because of its nitrogen-fixing properties. Farms were increasing production to meet with government demands, and Henry Ford became a promoter of soybeans.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1931, Ford hired chemists Robert Boyer and Frank Calvert to produce artificial silk. They succeeded in making a textile fiber of spun soy protein fibers, hardened or tanned in a formaldehyde bath, which was given the name Azlon. It never reached the commercial market. Soybean oil was used by Ford in paint for the automobiles,<ref name="Schwarcz">Template:Cite book</ref> as well as a fluid for shock absorbers.
During World War II, soybeans became important in both North America and Europe chiefly as substitutes for other protein foods and as a source of edible oil. During the war, the soybean was discovered as fertilizer due to nitrogen fixation by the United States Department of Agriculture.
Prior to the 1970s, Asian-Americans and Seventh-Day Adventists were essentially the only users of soy foods in the United States.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> "The soy foods movement began in small pockets of the counterculture, notably the Tennessee commune named simply The Farm, but by the mid-1970s a vegetarian revival helped it gain momentum and even popular awareness through books such as The Book of Tofu."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Although practically unseen in 1900, by 2000 soybean plantings covered more than 70 million acres,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> second only to corn, and it became America's largest cash crop.Template:Citation needed In 2021, 87,195,000 acres were planted, with the largest acreage in the states of Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Caribbean and West IndiesEdit
The soybean arrived in the Caribbean in the form of soy sauce made by Samuel Bowen in Savannah, Georgia, in 1767. It remains only a minor crop there, but its uses for human food are growing steadily.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Mediterranean areaEdit
The soybean was first cultivated in Italy by 1760 in the Botanical Garden of Turin. During the 1780s, it was grown in at least three other botanical gardens in Italy.<ref>Shurtleff, W.; Aoyagi, A. (2015). History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Italy (1597–2015). Lafayette, California: Soyinfo Center. 618 pp. (1,381 references; 93 photos and illustrations. Free online.)</ref> The first soybean product, soy oil, arrived in Anatolia during 1909 under Ottoman Empire.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> The first clear cultivation occurred in 1931.<ref name=":2" /> This was also the first time that soybeans were cultivated in Middle East.<ref name=":2" /> By 1939, soybeans were cultivated in Greece.<ref>Matagrin. 1939. "Le Soja et les Industries du Soja," p. 47–48</ref><ref>Shurtleff, W.; Aoyagi, A. 2015. "History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Greece, the European Union and Small Western European Countries (1939–2015)." Lafayette, California: Soyinfo Center. 243 pp. (462 references; 20 photos and illustrations. Free online. Template:ISBN).</ref>
AustraliaEdit
Wild soybeans were discovered in northeastern Australia in 1770 by explorers Banks and Solander. In 1804, the first soyfood product ("Fine India Soy" [sauce]) was sold in Sydney. In 1879, the first domesticated soybeans arrived in Australia, a gift of the Minister of the Interior Department, Japan.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
FranceEdit
The soybean was first cultivated in France by 1779 (and perhaps as early as 1740). The two key early people and organizations introducing the soybean to France were the Society of Acclimatization (starting in 1855) and Li Yu-ying (from 1910). Li started a large tofu factory, where the first commercial soyfoods in France were made.<ref>Shurtleff, W.; Aoyagi, A.; 2015. "History of Soybeans and Soyfood in France (1665–2015)". Lafayette, California; Soyinfo Center. 1,202 pp. (3,405 references; 145 photos and illustrations. Free online).</ref>
AfricaEdit
The soybean first arrived in Africa via Egypt in 1857.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Soya Meme (Baked Soya) is produced in the village called Bame Awudome near Ho, the capital of the Volta Region of Ghana, by the Ewe people of Southeastern Ghana and southern Togo.
Central EuropeEdit
In 1873, Professor Friedrich J. Haberlandt first became interested in soybeans when he obtained the seeds of 19 soybean varieties at the Vienna World Exposition (Wiener Weltausstellung). He cultivated these seeds in Vienna, and soon began to distribute them throughout Central and Western Europe. In 1875, he first grew the soybeans in Vienna, then in early 1876 he sent samples of seeds to seven cooperators in central Europe, who planted and tested the seeds in the spring of 1876, with good or fairly good results in each case.<ref name="shurtleff">Shurtleff, W.; Aoyagi, A. 2015. "History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Austria and Switzerland (1781–2015)." Lafayette, California: Soyinfo Center. 705 pp. (1444 references; 128 photos and illustrations). Free online. Template:ISBN.</ref> Most of the farmers who received seeds from him cultivated them, then reported their results. Starting in February 1876, he published these results first in various journal articles, and finally in his magnum opus, Die Sojabohne (The Soybean) in 1878.<ref name=shurtleff/> In northern Europe, lupin (lupine) is known as the "soybean of the north".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Central AsiaEdit
The soybean is first in cultivated Transcaucasia in Central Asia in 1876, by the Dungans. This region has never been important for soybean production.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Central AmericaEdit
The first reliable reference to the soybean in this region dates from Mexico in 1877.<ref name=book-128>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
South AmericaEdit
The soybean first arrived in South America in Argentina in 1882.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Andrew McClung showed in the early 1950s that with soil amendments the Cerrado region of Brazil would grow soybeans.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In June 1973, when soybean futures markets mistakenly portended a major shortage, the Nixon administration imposed an embargo on soybean exports. It lasted only a week, but Japanese buyers felt that they could not rely on U.S. supplies, and the rival Brazilian soybean industry came into existence.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":3" /> This led Brazil to become the world's largest producer of soybeans in 2020, with 131 million tons.<ref>Brasil deve colher 131 milhões de toneladas de soja na safra 2020/21, aponta USDA</ref>
Industrial soy production in South America is characterized by wealthy management who live far away from the production site which they manage remotely. In Brazil, these managers depend heavily on advanced technology and machinery, and agronomic practices such as zero tillage, high pesticide use, and intense fertilization. One contributing factor is the increased attention on the Brazilian Cerrado in Bahia, Brazil by US farmers in the early 2000s. This was due to rising values of scarce farmland and high production costs in the US Midwest. There were many promotions of the Brazilian Cerrado by US farm producer magazines and market consultants who portrayed it as having cheap land with ideal production conditions, with infrastructure being the only thing it was lacking. These same magazines also presented Brazilian soy as inevitably out-competing American soy. Another draw to investing was the insider information about the climate and market in Brazil. A few dozen American farmers purchased varying amounts of land by a variety of means including finding investors and selling off land holdings. Many followed the ethanol company model and formed an LLC with investments from neighboring farmers, friends, and family while some turned to investment companies. Some soy farmers either liquidated their Brazilian assets or switched to remote management from the US to return to farming there and implement new farming and business practices to make their US farms more productive. Others planned to sell their now expensive Bahia land to buy land cheaper land in the frontier regions of Piauí or Tocantins to create more soybean farms.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
GeneticsEdit
Chinese landraces were found to have a slightly higher genetic diversity than inbred lines by Li et al., 2010.<ref name="Hinze-et-al-2017" /> Specific locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) has been used by Han et al., 2015 to study the genetic history of the domestication process, perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of agronomically relevant traits, and produce high-density linkage maps.<ref name="Rasheed-et-al-2017">Template:Cite journal</ref> An SNP array was developed by Song et al., 2013 and has been used for research and breeding;<ref name="Hulse-Kemp-et-al-2015">Template:Cite journal</ref> the same team applied their array in Song et al., 2015 against the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection and obtained mapping data that are expected to yield association mapping data for such traits.<ref name="Hinze-et-al-2017">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Template:Vanchor is a resistance gene against soybean rust.<ref name="Show-Me-Your-ID" /> Rpp1-R1 is an R gene (NB-LRR) providing resistance against the rust pathogen Phakopsora pachyrhizi.<ref name="Show-Me-Your-ID" /> Its synthesis product includes a ULP1 protease.<ref name="Show-Me-Your-ID"> Template:Cite journal</ref>
Qijian et al., 2017 provides the Template:Vanchor gene array.<ref name = "Array" >Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Genetic modificationEdit
Soybeans are one of the "biotech food" crops that have been genetically modified, and genetically modified soybeans are being used in an increasing number of products. In 1995, Monsanto company introduced glyphosate-tolerant soybeans that have been genetically modified to be resistant to Monsanto's glyphosate herbicides through substitution of the Agrobacterium sp. (strain CP4) gene EPSP (5-enolpyruvyl shikimic acid-3-phosphate) synthase. The substituted version is not sensitive to glyphosate.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 1997, about 8% of all soybeans cultivated for the commercial market in the United States were genetically modified. In 2010, the figure was 93%.<ref>National Agricultural Statistics Board annual report, June 30, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2010.</ref> As with other glyphosate-tolerant crops, concern is expressed over damage to biodiversity.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> A 2003 study<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> concluded the "Roundup Ready" (RR) gene had been bred into so many different soybean cultivars, there had been little decline in genetic diversity, but "diversity was limited among elite lines from some companies".
The widespread use of such types of GM soybeans in the Americas has caused problems with exports to some regions. GM crops require extensive certification before they can be legally imported into the European Union, where there is considerable supplier and consumer reluctance to use GM products for consumer or animal use. Difficulties with coexistence and subsequent traces of cross-contamination of non-GM stocks have caused shipments to be rejected and have put a premium on non-GM soy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
A 2006 United States Department of Agriculture report found the adoption of genetically engineered (GE) soy, corn and cotton reduced the amount of pesticides used overall, but did result in a slightly greater amount of herbicides used for soy specifically. The use of GE soy was also associated with greater conservation tillage, indirectly leading to better soil conservation, as well as increased income from off-farming sources due to the greater ease with which the crops can be managed. Though the overall estimated benefits of the adoption of GE soybeans in the United States was $310 million, the majority of this benefit was experienced by the companies selling the seeds (40%), followed by biotechnology firms (28%) and farmers (20%).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The patent on glyphosate-tolerant soybeans expired in 2014,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> so benefits can be expected to shift.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Adverse effectsEdit
Soy allergyEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Allergy to soy is common, and the food is listed with other foods that commonly cause allergy, such as milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. The problem has been reported among younger children, and the diagnosis of soy allergy is often based on symptoms reported by parents and results of skin tests or blood tests for allergy. Only a few reported studies have attempted to confirm allergy to soy by direct challenge with the food under controlled conditions.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> It is very difficult to give a reliable estimate of the true prevalence of soy allergy in the general population. To the extent that it does exist, soy allergy may cause cases of urticaria and angioedema, usually within minutes to hours of ingestion. In rare cases, true anaphylaxis may also occur. The reason for the discrepancy is likely that soy proteins, the causative factor in allergy, are far less potent at triggering allergy symptoms than the proteins of peanut and shellfish.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> An allergy test that is positive demonstrates that the immune system has formed IgE antibodies to soy proteins. However, this is only a factor when soy proteins reach the blood without being digested, in sufficient quantities to reach a threshold to provoke actual symptoms.
Soy can also trigger symptoms via food intolerance, a situation where no allergic mechanism can be proven. One scenario is seen in very young infants who have vomiting and diarrhoea when fed soy-based formula, which resolves when the formula is withdrawn. Older infants can suffer a more severe disorder with vomiting, diarrhoea that may be bloody, anemia, weight loss and failure to thrive. The most common cause of this unusual disorder is a sensitivity to cow's milk, but soy formulas can also be the trigger. The precise mechanism is unclear and it could be immunologic, although not through the IgE-type antibodies that have the leading role in urticaria and anaphylaxis. However, it is also self-limiting and will often disappear in the toddler years.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In the European Union, identifying the presence of soy either as an ingredient or unintended contaminant in packaged food is compulsory. The regulation (EC) 1169/2011 on food-labeling lists 14 allergens, including soy, in packaged food must be clearly indicated on the label as part of the list of ingredients, using a distinctive typography (such as bold type or capital letters).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Thyroid functionEdit
One review noted that soy-based foods may inhibit absorption of thyroid hormone medications required for treatment of hypothyroidism.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> A 2015 scientific review by the European Food Safety Authority concluded that intake of isoflavones from supplements did not affect thyroid hormone levels in postmenopausal women.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
UsesEdit
Among the legumes, the soybean is valued for its high (38–45%) protein content as well as its high (approximately 20%) oil content. Soybeans are the most valuable agricultural export of the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Approximately 85% of the world's soybean crop is processed into soybean meal and soybean oil, the remainder processed in other ways or eaten whole.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Soybeans can be broadly classified as "vegetable" (garden) or field (oil) types. Vegetable types cook more easily, have a mild, nutty flavor, and better texture, are larger in size, higher in protein, and are lower in oil than field types. Tofu, soy milk, and soy sauce are among the top edible commodities made using soybeans. Producers prefer the higher protein cultivars bred from vegetable soybeans originally brought to the United States in the late 1930s. The "garden" cultivars are generally not suitable for mechanical combine harvesting because there is a tendency for the pods to shatter upon reaching maturity.
NutritionEdit
Template:Further Template:Nutritionalvalue
A 100-gram reference quantity of raw soybeans supplies Template:Convert of food energy and are 9% water, 30% carbohydrates, 20% total fat and 36% protein. Peanuts are the only legumes with a higher fat content (48%) and calorie count (2,385 kJ). They contain less carbohydrates (21%), protein (25%) and dietary fiber (9%).
Soybeans are a rich source of essential nutrients, providing in a 100-gram serving (raw, for reference) high contents of the Daily Value (DV) especially for protein (36% DV), dietary fiber (37%), iron (121%), manganese (120%), phosphorus (101%) and several B vitamins, including folate (94%) (table). High contents also exist for vitamin K, magnesium, zinc and potassium.
For human consumption, soybeans must be processed prior to consumption–either by cooking, roasting, or fermenting–to destroy the trypsin inhibitors (serine protease inhibitors).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Raw soybeans, including the immature green form, are toxic to all monogastric animals.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
ProteinEdit
Template:Further Most soy protein is a relatively heat-stable storage protein. This heat stability enables soy food products requiring high temperature cooking, such as tofu, soy milk and textured vegetable protein (soy flour) to be made. Soy protein is essentially identical to the protein of other legume seeds and pulses.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Soy is a good source of protein for vegetarians and vegans or for people who want to reduce the amount of meat they eat, according to the US Food and Drug Administration:<ref name="fda-chd">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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Soy protein products can be good substitutes for animal products because, unlike some other beans, soy offers a 'complete' protein profile. ... Soy protein products can replace animal-based foods—which also have complete proteins but tend to contain more fat, especially saturated fat—without requiring major adjustments elsewhere in the diet.{{#if:|{{#if:|}}
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Although soybeans have high protein content, soybeans also contain high levels of protease inhibitors, which can prevent digestion.<ref name="pmid16001874">Template:Cite journal</ref> Protease inhibitors are reduced by cooking soybeans, and are present in low levels in soy products such as tofu and soy milk.<ref name="pmid16001874" />
The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of soy protein is the nutritional equivalent of meat, eggs, and casein for human growth and health. Soybean protein isolate has a biological value of 74, whole soybeans 96, soybean milk 91, and eggs 97.<ref name="1991Report">Template:Cite book</ref>
All spermatophytes, except for the family of grasses and cereals (Poaceae), contain 7S (vicilin) and 11S (legumin) soy protein-like globulin storage proteins; or only one of these globulin proteins. S denotes Svedberg, sedimentation coefficients. Oats and rice are anomalous in that they also contain a majority of soybean-like protein.<ref name="Seed Proteins 1999">Seed Proteins; Peter R. Shewery and Rod Casey (Eds) 1999. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands</ref> Cocoa, for example, contains the 7S globulin, which contributes to cocoa/chocolate taste and aroma,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> whereas coffee beans (coffee grounds) contain the 11S globulin responsible for coffee's aroma and flavor.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Vicilin and legumin proteins belong to the cupin superfamily, a large family of functionally diverse proteins that have a common origin and whose evolution can be followed from bacteria to eukaryotes including animals and higher plants.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
2S albumins form a major group of homologous storage proteins in many dicot species and in some monocots but not in grasses (cereals).<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite journal</ref> Soybeans contain a small but significant 2S storage protein.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Seber-et-al-2012">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 2S albumin are grouped in the prolamin superfamily.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Other allergenic proteins included in this 'superfamily' are the non-specific plant lipid transfer proteins, alpha amylase inhibitor, trypsin inhibitors, and prolamin storage proteins of cereals and grasses.<ref name="Seed Proteins 1999" />
Peanuts, for instance, contain 20% 2S albumin but only 6% 7S globulin and 74% 11S.<ref name="ReferenceA" /> It is the high 2S albumin and low 7S globulin that is responsible for the relatively low lysine content of peanut protein compared to soy protein.
CarbohydratesEdit
The principal soluble carbohydrates of mature soybeans are the disaccharide sucrose (range 2.5–8.2%), the trisaccharide raffinose (0.1–1.0%) composed of one sucrose molecule connected to one molecule of galactose, and the tetrasaccharide stachyose (1.4 to 4.1%) composed of one sucrose connected to two molecules of galactose.Template:Citation needed While the oligosaccharides raffinose and stachyose protect the viability of the soybean seed from desiccation (see above section on physical characteristics) they are not digestible sugars, so contribute to flatulence and abdominal discomfort in humans and other monogastric animals, comparable to the disaccharide trehalose. Undigested oligosaccharides are broken down in the intestine by native microbes, producing gases such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane.
Since soluble soy carbohydrates are found in the whey and are broken down during fermentation, soy concentrate, soy protein isolates, tofu, soy sauce, and sprouted soybeans are without flatus activity. On the other hand, there may be some beneficial effects to ingesting oligosaccharides such as raffinose and stachyose, namely, encouraging indigenous bifidobacteria in the colon against putrefactive bacteria.
The insoluble carbohydrates in soybeans consist of the complex polysaccharides cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin. The majority of soybean carbohydrates can be classed as belonging to dietary fiber.
FatsEdit
Raw soybeans are 20% fat, including saturated fat (3%), monounsaturated fat (4%) and polyunsaturated fat, mainly as linoleic acid (table).
Within soybean oil or the lipid portion of the seed is contained four phytosterols: stigmasterol, sitosterol, campesterol, and brassicasterol accounting for about 2.5% of the lipid fraction; and which can be converted into steroid hormones.Template:Citation needed Additionally soybeans are a rich source of sphingolipids.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Other constituentsEdit
Soy contains isoflavones—polyphenolic compounds, produced by legumes including peanuts and chickpeas. Isoflavones are closely related to flavonoids found in other plants, vegetables and flowers.<ref name=lpi/>
Soy contains the phytoestrogen coumestans, also are found in beans and split-peas, with the best sources being alfalfa, clover, and soybean sprouts. Coumestrol, an isoflavone coumarin derivative, is the only coumestan in foods.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Saponins, a class of natural surfactants (soaps), are sterols that are present in small amounts in various plant foods, including soybeans, other legumes, and cereals, such as oats.<ref name="Hu">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Comparison to other major staple foodsEdit
The following table shows the nutrient content of green soybean and other major staple foods, each in respective raw form on a dry weight basis to account for their different water contents. Raw soybeans, however, are not edible and cannot be digested. These must be sprouted, or prepared and cooked for human consumption. In sprouted and cooked form, the relative nutritional and anti-nutritional contents of each of these grains is remarkably different from that of raw form of these grains reported in this table. The nutritional value of soybean and each cooked staple depends on the processing and the method of cooking: boiling, frying, roasting, baking, etc. Template:Comparison of major staple foods
Soybean oilEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Soybean seed contains 18–19% oil.<ref name=":0" /> To extract soybean oil from seed, the soybeans are cracked, adjusted for moisture content, rolled into flakes, and solvent-extracted with commercial hexane.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The oil is then refined, blended for different applications, and sometimes hydrogenated. Soybean oils, both liquid and partially hydrogenated, are exported abroad, sold as "vegetable oil," or end up in a wide variety of processed foods.
Soybean mealEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Soybean meal, or soymeal, is the material remaining after solvent extraction of oil from soybean flakes, with a 50% soy protein content. The meal is 'toasted' (a misnomer because the heat treatment is with moist steam) and ground in a hammer mill. Ninety-seven percent of soybean meal production globally is used as livestock feed.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Soybean meal is also used in some dog foods.<ref name="Lusas">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Livestock feedEdit
One of the major uses of soybeans globally is as livestock feed, predominantly in the form of soybean meal. In the European Union, for example, though it does not make up most of the weight of livestock feed, soybean meal provides around 60% of the protein fed to livestock.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the United States, 70 percent of soybean production is used for animal feed, with poultry being the number one livestock sector of soybean consumption.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Spring grasses are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, whereas soy is predominantly omega-6. The soybean hulls, which mainly consist of the outer coats of the beans removed before oil extraction, can also be fed to livestock and whole soybean seeds after processing.<ref>Heuzé V., Thiollet H., Tran G., Lessire M., Lebas F., 2017. Soybean hulls. Feedipedia, a program by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ, and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/719</ref><ref>Heuzé V., Tran G., Nozière P., Lessire M., Lebas F., 2017. Soybean seeds. Feedipedia, a program by INRA, CIRAD, AFZ, and FAO. https://www.feedipedia.org/node/42 Last updated on July 4, 2017, 10:37</ref>
Food for human consumptionEdit
In addition to their use in livestock feed, soybean products are widely used for human consumption. Common soybean products include soy sauce, soy milk, tofu, soy meal, soy flour, textured vegetable protein (TVP), soy curls, tempeh, soy lecithin and soybean oil. Soybeans may also be eaten with minimal processing, for example, in the Japanese food Template:Nihongo, in which immature soybeans are boiled whole in their pods and served with salt.
In China, Japan, Vietnam and Korea, soybean and soybean products are a standard part of the diet.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Tofu (豆腐 dòufu) is thought to have originated in China, along with soy sauce and several varieties of soybean paste used as seasonings.Template:Citation needed Japanese foods made from soya include miso ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), nattō ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), kinako ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) and edamame ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), as well as products made with tofu such as atsuage and aburaage. In China, whole dried soybeans are sold in supermarkets and used to cook various dishes, usually after rehydration by soaking in water; they find their use in soup or as a savory dish. In Korean cuisine, soybean sprouts (Template:Ill kongnamul) are used in a variety of dishes, and soybeans are the base ingredient in doenjang, cheonggukjang and ganjang. In Vietnam, soybeans are used to make soybean paste (tương) in the North with the most popular products are tương Bần, tương Nam Đàn, tương Cự Đà as a garnish for phở and gỏi cuốn dishes, as well as tofu ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), soy sauce ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), soy milk ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in the North or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} in the South), and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (tofu sweet soup).
FlourEdit
Soy flour refers to soybeans ground finely enough to pass through a 100-mesh or smaller screen where special care was taken during desolventizing (not toasted) to minimize denaturation of the protein to retain a high protein dispersibility index, for uses such as food extrusion of textured vegetable protein.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> It is the starting material for soy concentrate and protein isolate production.
Soy flour can also be made by roasting the soybean, removing the coat (hull), and grinding it into flour. Soy flour is manufactured with different fat levels.Template:Sfn Alternatively, raw soy flour omits the roasting step.
- Defatted soy flour is obtained from solvent extracted flakes and contains less than 1% oil.Template:Sfn
- "Natural or full-fat soy flour is made from unextracted, dehulled beans and contains about 18% to 20% oil."Template:Sfn Its high oil content requires the use of a specialized Alpine Fine Impact Mill to grind rather than the usual hammer mill. Full-fat soy flour has a lower protein concentration than defatted flour. Extruded full-fat soy flour, ground in an Alpine mill, can replace/extend eggs in baking and cooking.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Full-fat soy flour is a component of the famous Cornell bread recipe.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- Low-fat soy flour is made by adding some oil back into defatted soy flour. Fat levels range from 4.5% to 9%.Template:Sfn
- High-fat soy flour can also be produced by adding back soybean oil to defatted flour, usually at 15%.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Soy lecithin can be added (up to 15%) to soy flour to make lecithinated soy flour. It increases dispersibility and gives it emulsifying properties.Template:Sfn
Soy flour has 50% protein and 5% fiber. It has higher levels of protein, thiamine, riboflavin, phosphorus, calcium, and iron than wheat flour. It does not contain gluten.Template:Sfn As a result, yeast-raised breads made with soy flour are dense in texture. Among many uses, soy flour thickens sauces, prevents staling in baked food, and reduces oil absorption during frying. Baking food with soy flour gives it tenderness, moistness, a rich color, and a fine texture.Template:Sfn
Soy grits are similar to soy flour, except the soybeans have been toasted and cracked into coarse pieces.
Kinako is a soy flour used in Japanese cuisine.
Soy-based infant formulaEdit
Soy-based infant formula (SBIF) is sometimes given to infants who are not being strictly breastfed; it can be useful for infants who are either allergic to pasteurized cow milk proteins or who are being fed a vegan diet. It is sold in powdered, ready-to-feed, and concentrated liquid forms.
Some reviews have expressed the opinion that more research is needed to determine what effect the phytoestrogens in soybeans may have on infants.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Diverse studies have concluded there are no adverse effects in human growth, development, or reproduction as a result of the consumption of soy-based infant formula.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=Nutri>Template:Cite journal</ref> One of these studies, published in the Journal of Nutrition,<ref name=Nutri /> concludes that there are:
... no clinical concerns with respect to nutritional adequacy, sexual development, neurobehavioral development, immune development, or thyroid disease. SBIFs provide complete nutrition that adequately supports normal infant growth and development. FDA has accepted SBIFs as safe for use as the sole source of nutrition.
Meat and dairy alternatives and extendersEdit
Soybeans can be processed to produce a texture and appearance similar to many other foods. For example, soybeans are the primary ingredient in many dairy product substitutes (e.g., soy milk, margarine, soy ice cream, soy yogurt, soy cheese, and soy cream cheese) and meat alternatives (e.g. veggie burgers). These substitutes are readily available in most supermarkets. Soy milk does not naturally contain significant amounts of digestible calcium. Many manufacturers of soy milk sell calcium-enriched products, as well.
Soy products also are used as a low-cost substitute for meat and poultry products.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Food service, retail and institutional (primarily school lunch and correctional) facilities regularly use such "extended" products. The extension may result in diminished flavor, but fat and cholesterol are reduced. Vitamin and mineral fortification can be used to make soy products nutritionally equivalent to animal protein; the protein quality is already roughly equivalent. The soy-based meat substitute textured vegetable protein has been used for more than 50 years as a way of inexpensively extending ground beef without reducing its nutritional value.<ref name=Riaz2006 /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Soy nut butterEdit
The soybean is used to make a product called soy nut butter which is similar in texture to peanut butter.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Sweetened soybeanEdit
Sweet-boiled beans are popular in Japan and Korea, and the sweet-boiled soybeans are called "Daizu no Template:Interlanguage link" in Japan and Kongjorim (Template:Langx) in Korea. Sweet-boiled beans are even used in sweetened buns, especially in Template:Interlanguage link.
The boiled and pasted edamame, called Template:Interlanguage link, is used as one of the Sweet bean pastes in Japanese confections.
Coffee substituteEdit
Roasted and ground soybeans can be a caffeine-free substitute for coffee. After the soybeans are roasted and ground, they look similar to regular coffee beans or can be used as a powder similar to instant coffee, with the aroma and flavor of roasted soybeans.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Other productsEdit
Soybeans with black hulls are used in Chinese fermented black beans, douchi, not to be confused with black turtle beans.
Soybeans are also used in industrial products, including oils, soap, cosmetics, resins, plastics, inks, crayons, solvents, and clothing. Soybean oil is the primary source of biodiesel in the United States, accounting for 80% of domestic biodiesel production.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Soybeans have also been used since 2001 as fermenting stock in the manufacture of a brand of vodka.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1936, Ford Motor Company developed a method where soybeans and fibers were rolled together producing a soup which was then pressed into various parts for their cars, from the distributor cap to knobs on the dashboard. Ford also informed in public relation releases that in 1935 over five million acres (20,000 km2) was dedicated to growing soybeans in the United States.<ref name="PM Apr 1936">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Potential health benefitsEdit
Reducing risk of cancerEdit
According to the American Cancer Society, "There is growing evidence that eating traditional soy foods such as tofu may lower the risk of cancers of the breast, prostate, or endometrium (lining of the uterus), and there is some evidence it may lower the risk of certain other cancers." There is insufficient research to indicate whether taking soy dietary supplements (e.g., as a pill or capsule) has any effect on health or cancer risk.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
As of 2018, rigorous dietary clinical research in people with cancer has proved inconclusive.<ref name=lpi/><ref name=Yu/><ref name=Tse/><ref name="acs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="vandie" />
Breast cancerEdit
Although considerable research has examined the potential for soy consumption to lower the risk of breast cancer in women, as of 2016 there is insufficient evidence to reach a conclusion about a relationship between soy consumption and any effects on breast cancer.<ref name=lpi/> A 2011 meta-analysis stated: "Our study suggests soy isoflavones intake is associated with a significant reduced risk of breast cancer incidence in Asian populations, but not in Western populations."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Gastrointestinal and colorectal cancerEdit
Reviews of preliminary clinical trials on people with colorectal or gastrointestinal cancer suggest that soy isoflavones may have a slight protective effect against such cancers.<ref name="Yu">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Tse">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Prostate cancerEdit
A 2016 review concluded that "current evidence from observational studies and small clinical trials is not robust enough to understand whether soy protein or isoflavone supplements may help prevent or inhibit the progression of prostate cancer."<ref name=lpi/> A 2010 review showed that neither soy foods nor isoflavone supplements alter measures of bioavailable testosterone or estrogen concentrations in men.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Soy consumption has been shown to have no effect on the levels and quality of sperm.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Meta-analyses on the association between soy consumption and prostate cancer risk in men concluded that dietary soy may lower the risk of prostate cancer.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="vandie">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Cardiovascular healthEdit
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the following health claim for soy: "25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."<ref name=fda-chd/> One serving, (1 cup or 240 mL) of soy milk, for instance, contains 6 or 7 grams of soy protein.
An American Heart Association (AHA) review of a decade long study of soy protein benefits did not recommend isoflavone supplementation. The review panel also found that soy isoflavones have not been shown to reduce post-menopausal "hot flashes" and the efficacy and safety of isoflavones to help prevent cancers of the breast, uterus or prostate is in question. AHA concluded that "many soy products should be beneficial to cardiovascular and overall health because of their high content of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low content of saturated fat".<ref name="cardio" /> Other studies found that soy protein consumption could lower the concentration of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) transporting fats in the extracellular water to cells.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Research by constituentEdit
LignansEdit
Plant lignans are associated with high fiber foods such as cereal brans and beans are the principal precursor to mammalian lignans which have an ability to bind to human estrogen sites. Soybeans are a significant source of mammalian lignan precursor secoisolariciresinol containing 13–273 μg/100 g dry weight.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
PhytochemicalsEdit
Soybeans and processed soy foods are among the richest foods in total phytoestrogens (wet basis per 100 g), which are present primarily in the form of the isoflavones, daidzein and genistein.<ref name="lpi">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Because most naturally occurring phytoestrogens act as selective estrogen receptor modulators, or SERMs, which do not necessarily act as direct agonists of estrogen receptors, normal consumption of foods that contain these phytoestrogens should not provide sufficient amounts to elicit a physiological response in humans.<ref name="pmid11352776">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The major product of daidzein microbial metabolism is equol.<ref name="pmid30614249">Template:Cite journal</ref> Only 33% of Western Europeans have a microbiome that produces equol, compared to 50–55% of Asians.<ref name="pmid30614249" />
Soy isoflavones—polyphenolic compounds that are also produced by other legumes like peanuts and chickpeas<ref name=lpi/>—are under preliminary research. As of 2016, no cause-and-effect relationship has been shown in clinical research to indicate that soy isoflavones lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.<ref name=lpi/><ref name="cardio">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Phytic acidEdit
Soybeans contain phytic acid, which may act as a chelating agent and inhibit mineral absorption, especially for diets already low in minerals.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In cultureEdit
Although observations of soy consumption inducing gynecomastia on men<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> are not conclusive,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> a pejorative term, "soy boy", has emerged to describe perceived emasculated young men with feminine traits.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
FuturesEdit
Soybean futures are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade and have delivery dates in January (F), March (H), May (K), July (N), August (Q), September (U), November (X).
They are also traded on other commodity futures exchanges under different contract specifications:
- SAFEX: The South African Futures Exchange<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- DC: Dalian Commodity Exchange<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- ODE: Osaka Dojima Commodity Exchange (formerly Kansai Commodities Exchange, KEX) in Japan<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref>
- NCDEX: National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, India.
- ROFEX: Rosario Grain Exchange in Argentina
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See alsoEdit
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- Alternative fodders
- Cash crop
- List of soy-based foods
- Organic infant formula
- Soy molasses
- Soybean in Paraguay
- Soybean management practices
- Soybean agglutinin, a lectin
Further readingEdit
- da Silva, Claiton Marcio; de Majo, Claudio, eds. The Age of the Soybean: An Environmental History of Soy during the Great Acceleration (White Horse Press, 2022) online review
ReferencesEdit
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Works citedEdit
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