Study: Eating Tofu Lowers Your Risk Of Heart Disease
People who regularly eat tofu or other foods that contain isoflavones are less likely to develop cardiovascular problems, according to a study published in the renowned journal Circulation.
How tofu can protect the cardiovascular system?
Soy products and their health effects are often controversial. Overall, however, there is now predominant evidence in the scientific literature that soy products can have more positive than negative effects on health.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston confirm this with a study published in April 2020 in Circulation, the prestigious journal of the American Heart Association.
The focus of this study was tofu, which — when consumed at least once a week — appears to protect the heart. Tofu is made from soy. The resulting milk is mixed with a coagulant and thickened (similar to quark). The soy whey is then removed and the remaining mass is pressed into solid blocks (similar to cheese). Tofu has a neutral taste and can therefore be prepared both hearty (grilled, fried, etc.) as well as sweet (dessert creams, cake fillings, etc.).
Tofu has a protective effect on the heart at least once a week
For their study, the scientists analyzed the data of more than 200,000 people, all of whom were participants in three large health and nutrition studies. At the start of the studies, all subjects were free from heart disease.
An average of 25 years later, it was found that those people who liked to eat tofu (more than once a week) had an 18 percent lower risk of heart disease — compared to people who rarely eat tofu (less than once a week) per month).
The consumption of soy milk had no significant effect on the cardiovascular system in the Boston study.
Women in particular benefit from the protective effect of tofu
The protective effect of tofu on the cardiovascular system was particularly evident in women — on the one hand in younger women before menopause, on the other hand in older women, but especially in those who did not take any hormone preparations. It could therefore be that synthetic hormones tend to negate the heart-healthy properties of some foods.
Since soy products also seem to have a positive effect on bone health, soy consumption is a good idea, especially for women, to prevent osteoporosis.
Tofu is an excellent addition to a healthy, wholesome diet
Of course, an 18 percent lower risk is not an indication of a superfood with a miracle effect. However, since soy products are said to be harmful to health in various places on the internet, studies like this one contribute to eliminating the uncertainty among readers due to the misinformation that is circulating.
Tofu is therefore a highly recommended food that is an excellent addition to a healthy, varied and wholesome diet. Study author Dr. Qi Sun of Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health in Boston, who adds:
“Peoples from China and Japan whose traditional diet contains isoflavone-rich foods such as tofu generally have a lower risk of heart disease than people who eat a lot of meat and few vegetables.”
Isoflavones are not only found in soy products
Some plant substances from soybeans are called isoflavones. Since they have weak, but definitely estrogen-like properties, they belong to the group of phytoestrogens — certainly one of the reasons that the tofu in the above study had a positive effect, especially on women.
Isoflavones bind to the estrogen receptors of the cell and can be used in this way, for. B. improve endothelial function or have a very positive effect on the intestinal flora. Both in turn — a healthy endothelial function (endothelium = inner wall of the blood vessels) and a healthy intestinal flora — ensure optimal cardiovascular health.
In addition to tofu, other soy products such as edamame (cooked unripe (green) soybeans) are also considered high-quality sources of isoflavones. It is often said that chickpeas, pistachios, peanuts and other nuts, seeds and legumes also contain isoflavones. That is true, but the content of isoflavones in these foods is minimal and therefore cannot be compared with soy products in this regard.
For example, 100 g tofu contains around 30 mg isoflavones, 100 g tempeh contains 43 mg isoflavones, 100 g soy milk around 10 mg, but peanuts only 0.26 mg and chickpeas only 0.1 mg.
The isoflavones in particular are also referred to as so-called goitrogens and thus as substances that can contribute to goiter formation, i.e. could damage the thyroid. However, this fear is not justified, as you can read in our corresponding article about the possible influence of soy products on the thyroid gland.
Tofu is an excellent source of protein and an alternative to meat
Dr. Qi Sun recommends: “Since other human and animal studies (on the relationship between isoflavones and cardiovascular risk) have shown positive effects from eating tofu, people with an increased cardiovascular risk should review their diet. If your diet still contains components such as red meat, sugared drinks and refined carbohydrates, then you should switch to healthier alternatives. Tofu and other isoflavone-rich plant foods are excellent sources of protein and wonderful alternatives to animal protein sources.”
Recipes with tofu or edamame find very numerous in our recipe section or of course on our Youtube channel where you many hundreds of cooking videos in no time using the correct preparation of tofu will learn and other soy products, with special emphasis how delicious taste tofu can — if you know what is important in the preparation.
