As a diabetic, before adding anything new to your daily diet, you will wonder about the effects of the same on your blood glucose levels and the overall health. This is important as diabetes can be extremely complicated and if not managed appropriately, can even prove to be fatal in most of the circumstances. In this article, we shall analyze the effects of eating soybeans on the daily diet of a person who is diabetic.
So, come and join in for the article “Is Soybeans Good for Diabetic Patients?”
Table of Contents
Benefits of Soya Beans for Diabetic Patients
Soya offers the following advantages if included in the diet of a diabetic person:
- If you are a woman and have attained your menopause, eating of soybeans will help you benefit in managing type 2 diabetes in an effective manner. This is possible due to the presence of the compound phytoestrogens which helps in the improvement of sensitivity of the body towards insulin.
- Besides, phytoestrogens go a long way in helping to prevent any type of heart-related conditions.
- One of the most common complications in those who suffer from diabetes is the complication of diabetic nephropathy. In this case, the nephrons of the kidneys are damaged to a great extent. By helping to manage blood glucose levels, soybeans go a long way in helping to smoothen the function of the kidneys.
- It also has a rich fiber content, which means it can be used for management of weight in diabetes which is of critical importance.
- The beans in the soy are known to be a storehouse of several minerals and nutrients including iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, amongst others. They are also abundant in omega-3 fatty acids. All these go a long way in helping to better manage diabetes effectively.
- Is of lav ones in the soybeans play a great role in stabilizing the blood pressure levels of the diabetic patient. The nitric acid which is mainly responsible for the smooth functioning of the blood vessels is released and thereby the blood pressure of the body is efficiently managed.
- In some studies, it is also believed that the compound is of lav ones improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin while also stabilizing the levels of blood glucose.
- Some studies have also shown that when you take the recommended amounts of soybean supplements as part of your diabetic diet, there is an improvement in the levels of fasting glucose as well as the glucose levels after eating the meal.
- In some cases, soybeans are also known to improve the levels of good cholesterol in the body of the patient who suffers from diabetes, thereby reducing the chances of heart-related conditions.
Thus, as seen above, having soybeans does benefit the people who suffer from diabetes to some extent. Having said that, studies with respect to the benefits of the same are still ongoing and the researchers have pointed out some of the risks that might adversely affect the patients who are diabetic and include soybeans in their diets.
Risks of Including Soya Beans in Your Diabetic Diet
Following are some of the risks associated with the inclusion of soya beans in your diet if you happen to suffer from diabetes:
- Soy is rich in isoflavones which can cause hypothyroidism. When you are suffering from hypothyroid, your blood glucose will increase and so will your weight. As we know, weight gain, as well as raised blood glucose levels, are something that is alarming for people with diabetes. Having said that isoflavones have a lot of benefits as well for the diabetic patients as mentioned above and the same cannot be ignored.
- Besides, it is a known fact that soy contains phytates. The phytates are bound to chemicals present in the food. Due to this, it is harder to absorb soybeans which increases the chances of increased blood glucose in patients who already have diabetes.
Several studies are still being conducted to see whether or not soya beans are actually harmful to those with diabetes.
How Should You Include Soya Beans in YourDiet?
Given the benefits of soya beans for diabetics, you would want to include the same in your daily diet. Soya beans are available in several forms namely edamame, soy nuts, soy milk, soy textured milk, as well as even tofu.
Following are some of the ways in which you can include the same in your everyday diet:
- Fresh soya beans are also called edamame. You can eat the same as a snack by adding just minimal amounts of salt.
- You can have edamame in salads as well.
- Make a puree of fresh soya beans and use the same as a dip.
- Silken tofu can be made into a smoothie.
- Soy nuts can also be used as a snack
- Replace your cheese in pasta and lasagnas with tofu
- You can also go ahead and use tofu in soups, tacos, etc.
- You can also cook tofu with vegetables such as onions, carrots, broccoli, amongst other vegetables.
- Tofu can be sauteed and made into a sauce as well.
These are just some of the ways in which the healthy vegetable can be included in your daily diet. There could be other healthy ways in which you can include soya beans in your diet.
Guidelines to Follow
As seen above, eating soya beans can be harmful to the diabetic patients. Hence, you should be careful and follow the below-mentioned guidelines if you do want to include soybeans in your day to day diet:
- Remember to not go overboard with the consumption of soybeans. You should show to your doctor and eat only the recommended quantity as prescribed by your medical expert.
- When you are eating soya beans in the form of tofu, make sure you are eating organic tofu to the extent possible.
- Avoid different types of soy foods that you get in the market which has been modified genetically because they pose several adverse health effects.
- Soy hot dogs, as well as soy chicken strips, should also be avoided.
- Finally, remember to stay away from soy food items and products which include concentrates and isolates, textured vegetable protein, hydrogenated forms of soya oil, amongst others.
We hope that the above article has been helpful in improving your understanding about soybeans and diabetes and how can a person who has diabetes can include the different forms of the vegetable in his or her diabetic diet. There cannot be a precise answer to the question “Is Soy Beans Good for the Diabetic Patients?” as studies are still going on the effect of this vegetable on the diabetes patients. So, till then, you only need to remember that when you think of including soybeans in your diet, do consult your doctor and eat only the recommended amounts and forms of the protein-rich vegetable!!