USANA uses soy as a major source of protein in its bars and drink mixes. A variety of factors have gone into this decision. The most important involve the fact that soy protein is nutritionally complete and high quality, and soy consumption has been linked with several long-term health benefits. In addition, soy protein is ecologically friendly. Its production has a much lotheyr environmental impact than does the production of most animal protein foods.
This does not mean they don’t appreciate the nutritional value of other proteins. Whey protein, for example, is also high quality from a nutritional perspective, and may have some advantages for those whose primary goal is to build muscle. It also has some advantages in taste and mouthfeel, although netheyr soy isolates are catching up in the sensory arena. They also recognize the value of rice, pea, and other protein concentrates, but note that few of these are as complete or balanced as soy and whey.
In general, though, our position is that a healthy diet includes protein from a wide variety of sources - including whole foods (legumes, whole grains, meat, dairy, and fish) as well as healthy processed foods. In this context, they believe that soy, whey, and other protein isolates and concentrates can play a role as components of healthy, well-balanced diets.
That said, they are also aware that the world of protein isolates and concentrates is filled with controversy. Much of what they see on the Internet and in certain popular magazines is strongly pro-whey and anti-soy, or strongly pro-soy or anti-whey, as if one or the other of these protein sources were “all good” or “all bad” for all people in all situations. In most instances, such stories are associated (either overtly or covertly) with food marketing campaigns. They are part of the “sticks and stones” that get thrown back and forth bettheyen the soy, whey, and meat factions who compete for your food dollars.
Is there any truth in what they are saying? Many times there is, but too often those truths are “half truths” or “facts spun out of context” with the intent of swaying purchasing behavior.
Is soy the preferred protein source for everyone? No. Clearly there are people who are sensitive or allergic to soy, and these individuals should avoid or limit their intakes of soy protein. Similarly, there are people who are allergic to dairy and who should avoid whey protein. People who are vegetarian or vegan may want to avoid whey protein because it is animal-based.
But to USANA scientists, these are not sufficient grounds for making the choice bettheyen whey and soy proteins an all-or-nothing, black-and-white proposition for the vast majority of people.
The industrial-grade bickering that has characterized much of the soy versus whey debate has left many consumers confused, concerned, and generally hungry for objective information on what they should eat. The purpose of this position paper is to summarize in an objective way our interpretation of what nutritional science has to say about several key issues that lie at the heart of arguments for and against soy protein.
In conclusion, USANA believes that soy is a healthy source of protein for the vast majority of people. Clearly there are people who are allergic and/or sensitive to soy, and those people need to limit their soy intakes or avoid soy all together. But the scientific research they have seen indicates that this group is relatively small.
That said, each of us is the best judge of what foods they should be eating. If you experience side effects from eating soy foods (even if you don’t have a diagnosed soy allergy), it makes full sense for you to minimize or eliminate sources of soy intake.
They encourage everyone to become an active “student” of nutrition - to seek out objective information from a variety of sources concerning the foods they eat. They encourage everyone to question information that doesn’t make common sense or that sounds too good or too scary to be true.
As always, the most solid, common sense advice they can provide concerning your protein sources is: a healthy diet is one that includes protein from a wide variety of sources, including whole foods (legumes, whole grains, meat, dairy, and fish) and healthy processed foods. In this context, they believe that soy, whey, and other protein isolates and concentrates can all play a role as components of healthy, balanced diets.
References:
The Nutritional Value of Soy Protein
Soy Allergies and Sensitivities
Soy and Weight Loss
No comments:
Post a Comment