Glycine max or soya bean or soybeans is one of the types of beans we have. It is home to Asia. It can be eaten whole or processed into other forms such as soy flour, soy milk, soy sauce and soyabean oil. It comes in different forms: Green soya beans, yellow soya beans, and black soya beans.

Soya bean is a complete protein as unlike most plant proteins, it contains all nine essential amino acids. It is low in saturated fat and high in vitamin C and folate. It is also a good source of other vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and thiamine. Below are some heart benefits that can be gotten from taking soya bean.

1. Improves heart health:

Soya bean can be useful in improving heart health as research showed that taking it significantly reduce levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and bad cholesterol in the arteries while increasing good cholesterol. It also helps lower systolic blood pressure and prevent stroke.

2. Reduce cancer risk:

Soya bean contain isoflavones that can help reduce the risk of cancer including prostate cancer and breast cancer. This is because, isoflavones may help reduce the growth and spread of hormone associated cancers.

3. Improves blood circulation:

Soya bean is a good source of iron as just a cup contains about 9 milligrams. This is important as iron helps in the circulation of oxygen and blood throughout the body.

4. Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes:

In type 2 diabetes, the cells of the body absorb less sugar from the bloodstream which leaves it to circulate and harm the body. Insulin on the other hand, is a hormone that allows blood sugar or glucose to enter the cells for conversion into energy. The isoflavones in Soya bean has been said to improve insulin sensitivity so that cells respond more to insulin and absorb more glucose consequently, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

5. Relieves sleep disorder:

Soya bean is high in magnesium which is closely related to increasing the quality, restfulness, and duration of sleep. It can therefore be helpful in reducing the occurrence of insomnia along with other sleeping disorders.

6. Improves digestive health:

Soya bean contains dietary fiber which is essential for digestive health. This is because fiber ensures easy bowel movement and helps in stimulating the peristaltic motion in the body. It also contains oligosaccharides, a carbohydrate that is known to stimulate the growth of healthy gut bacteria.

7. Treats osteoporosis:

This is a condition that affects bone growth and leads to easy fractures which comes as a result of estrogen deficiency in women during menopause. However, taking soya bean is effective in restoring bone density due to the isoflavones in it.