The Vegetarian Resource Group: "Calcium in the Vegan Diet." Institute of Food Technologists: "How Tofu Is Processed." University of California Davis Integrative Medicine: "The Essentials - Part One." Chan School of Public Health: "Straight Talk about Soy." Department of Agriculture: "USDA Branded Food Products Database." University of California Davis Department of Nutrition: "Nutrition and Health Info Sheet: Soy." Or use tofu as a soft cheese, especially in lasagna or manicotti dishes. Replace cream with tofu and you'll raise the amount of protein in your sauce. It soaks up whatever flavor you want to splash on. Tofu is like a blank canvas for countless dishes. Tofu is also full of vitamins and minerals like: This gives you an extra calcium boost beyond tofu's natural calcium content. Most tofu brands use calcium sulfate to combine the protein and oil in the soymilk. All that protein packed into a 3-ounce slice does a great job keeping you full for longer, which is a big help if you're trying to keep your weight in check. Unlike other plant proteins, tofu contains all nine essential amino acids that your body can't make on its own. Their levels of plant estrogens are much higher and may cause problems. The plant-based soy in tofu is safe, but talk to your doctor before taking soy supplements. Combine the two and your blood pressure could get dangerously high. MAOIs block the enzyme that breaks tyramine down. Tofu contains tyramine, an amino acid that helps balance your blood pressure. Tofu Risks and WarningsĪvoid tofu if you take medicines called MAOIs (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) for mood disorders or Parkinson's disease. Several studies suggest the isoflavones in soy and soy protein make bones stronger by preventing bone loss. Research suggests the isoflavones in soy might help skin look younger with fewer fine wrinkles.īone health. A study found a diet high in soy helped women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) to lose weight.īetter skin. Some studies suggest soy foods like tofu might prevent memory loss and trouble thinking as you get older. Tofu has fiber, and high-fiber diets keep your colon healthy and cancer risk low. This means the cancer grows more slowly or not at all.Ĭolorectal cancer. If you have this disease, eating tofu may keep your prostate specific antigen ( PSA) levels low. Tofu is also rich in calcium and vitamin D, which is good for bone health, too. Plant estrogens in tofu can make up for that drop-off. When estrogen levels go down after menopause, women can lose bone mass. Research shows that if you eat 10 ounces of tofu a day, it can lower your levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol by 5%. That's the tissue that lines your blood vessels and the inside of your heart.Ĭholesterol levels. That's because they improve how well your endothelium works. Plant estrogens may help make it less likely that you'll get heart trouble. Studies show that the estrogens in tofu (and other soy-based foods) cut down how often women in menopause get hot flashes and make them less severe.Ĭoronary heart disease. When researchers noticed that most Japanese women get fewer hot flashes than women in other cultures, they followed the pattern. Tofu can be helpful for several health concerns: And some research suggests tofu may lower your risk of the disease. Studies with people show that tofu doesn't have enough plant estrogens to cause breast cancer. Those animals process soy differently than humans do. For many years, people thought soy added too much estrogen to your body and led to breast cancer in women.īut much of the research that raised that concern looked at the effects of soy on rodents. Like other soy-based foods, tofu contains plant estrogens. And it's got a lot of health benefits going for it. Some people complain that it's bland, but it nicely takes on the flavor of the sauce or seasonings you prepare it with. It’s gotten popular in other places more recently. People in Japan have made tofu for more than 2,000 years. It can be sliced into different shapes and cooked in lots of ways. Some tofu is firm while others are more soft and smooth. Tofu - or bean curd - is made by pressing curdling soy milk into a solid block.
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