Top 6 Health Benefits of Tofu

One health benefits of tofu is to lower the risk of diseases that are related to age and lifestyle. You can live healthier if your diet consists of various plant-based foods, such as tofu. Tofu, which is also widely known as the bean curd, is made by pressing the coagulated soy milk into the shape of white blocks. The Tofu has been used in various cuisines for centuries.

Tofu is good for vegans and vegetarians because it has no animal products and rich in nutrients. Not to mention that tofu can be cooked in various ways.

There are various benefits of tofu, such as:

1. Help You Manage Your Weight

If you want to lose weight, you can choose soy-based low-calorie diet. So if you want to lose weight, eating tofu can help you to achieve your goal.

2. Ease Symptoms of Menopause

If you are a woman, tofu can help you to deal with symptoms of menopause. It is because tofu has organic compounds called isoflavones, which mimic estrogen hormone. During menopause, tofu can help women to ensure their estrogen level stable.

One of menopause symptoms is the hot flash. Symptoms of menopause might not be exactly the same for every women, but women in Asia rarely suffer hot flashes as symptom. This might be because they consume more soy.

3. Prevent Osteoporosis

One key ingredient of bone formation is calcium. Tofu can help you to prevent osteoporosis because tofu is rich with calcium. As you grow old, you can suffer from osteoporosis if you do not get enough calcium. You can keep your bones strong by eating tofu. Isoflavones in tofu can help minimize bone loss and increase the density of bone mineral.

4. Lower Risk of Diabetes

Aside from help you to manage weight, tofu can also help you to lower the risk of diabetes. Studies suggest that eating soy protein can lower insulin level and blood sugar significantly. This can decrease the risk of diabetes.

Various studies show that soy isoflavones in tofu can have good impact for blood sugar control. A study suggests that insulin sensitivity and blood fats can be improved by taking isoflavones every day. One thing you need to remember, the findings on these studies do not apply to everyone.

5. Good for Brain Health

For elderly women, those above sixty five years old, tofu can improve cognitive function and memory. Tofu has lecithin, which help body to create phospholipids phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidic acid (PA), whose function is to help the neurons to function normally.

This has been proven by population studies. They show that people with lower age-related mental disorders are those who live in a region where the people consume more soy.

6. Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Tofu can also affect the health of your heart. Study shows that soy isoflavones can lower the inflammation of blood vessel. Not only that, they can also improve their elasticity. Aside from isoflavones, soy also contains saponins, which believed to help you to protect your heart health.

If you want to get health benefits of tofu, you can start eating it, but you need to know how to buy the best tofu.