Legumes and Health:
The Intriguing Soybean
Beans and peas are generally excellent
sources of a number of nutrients, including
protein, iron, various B vitamins, folic acid,
and starch or oil. Varieties with colored seed
coats provide valuable antioxidants. Among
all the legumes, however, soybeans appear to
have unusual potential for affecting human
health. Epidemiological studies have shown
that countries in which soybeans are a staple
food, notably China and Japan, have
significantly lower rates of heart disease and
cancer. It may be that soybeans are part of the
explanation.
The anatomy of a legume seed. A side view
with one of the two cotyledons removed to