Meeting the latest recommendations

The importance of eating a well balanced diet to maintain good health is well recognized.
The inclusion of soya protein in the diet can help towards meeting current healthy eating recommendations of reducing total fat (no more than 30% of total energy) especially saturated fat (10% of energy) and replacing this with the ‘healthier’ unsaturated fats: (linoleic fatty acids (1.3-2 % of energy) and alpha-linolenic fatty acids (4-8% of energy.) Soya foods (drinks, desserts and yoghurt) are low in saturated fat and are a good source of the essential fatty acids that should be included as part of a healthy diet.

The protein found in soya beans is of higher quality than that found in other legumes, but it is also the only plant protein that is considered ‘complete’, ie it contains all the essential amino acids. Thus the quality of the soya protein is equivalent to animal protein and can therefore be a suitable protein alternative to meat, poultry, eggs and milk in the diet.

Mean daily adult Japanese soy protein intake is approximately 8 to 10 g,50 but there is epidemiologic evidence indicating the health status of Asian men and women who consume above average amounts of soy is superior to those who consume the average amount or less.51 On the basis of clinical and epidemiologic data and the importance of consuming a varied diet, a reasonable soy protein intake goal is 15 to 20 g per day. This amount of soy protein is provided by approximately two to three servings of traditional foods.

Substituting dairy products for soya products (in the same quantity) brings a favourable shift in the diet. The energy and protein content in 100 ml semi-skimmed cow’s milk or soya milk is almost identical. The main difference is the shift toward less unfavourable saturated fatty acids and more poly-unsaturated fatty acids with soya products. The total sugar content is also lower.

* Nubel (Belgian Nutritional table), third edition
** soya drink, enriched with calcium

For this reason, the healthy nutrition model of different countries recommends the use of calcium enriched soya products in equivalence to the milk products (see pictures).