Soybean is a legume aiding in the nutritional value of today’s world food supply. An important food crop that has been cultivated for thousands of years, especially in China.
Soybean(Glycine max) is a legume aiding in the nutritional value of today’s world food supply. An important food crop that has been cultivated for thousands of years, especially in China. Soybean is an excellent source of proteins and has many health benefits like curing osteoporosis in women and it prevents certain types of cancer as well. A legume that aids in health as well as a promising crop, especially in Pakistan.
In this article, we shall get an overview of the history, cultivation, and future of soybean in Pakistan and a conclusion.
A legume that is native to East Asia and is widely used in china for edible purposes. Soybean has been cultivated in China for thousands of years and has numerous nutritional as well as health benefits. It is nowadays used in a number of food types like tofu, soymilk, nato, tempeh as well as soy sauce.
The health benefits are numerous as it prevents osteoporosis in women and prevents certain types of cancer. Soybeans have all the essential amino acids that are needed for perfect health and normal functioning of the body. Moreover, soybean is also been used in the poultry industry especially in Pakistan as a part of poultry feed. It contains a certain amount of dietary fiber as well as vitamin B.
Soybean has been cultivated in East Asia for thousands of years, especially in China. An important food crop. Soybean has been domesticated in China between 7000 to 6600 BC and between 5000 to 3000 BC in native areas of Japan.
According to the history of China, the people included soybean in the 5 sacred plants. In China soybean has been cultivated since 2000 BC and has been used in a number of products like soy sauce, and soymilk, and in dishes like tofu. Soybean is a hardy plant that can be grown in different areas. The larger producer is United Stated followed by Brazil and China.
The crop is usually grown in the spring season and harvested in the fall. Several methods are followed for the cultivation of soy including conventional and organic methods to induce resistance against certain stress.
An excellent source of proteins and amino acids as it contains all essential amino acids. All of the 9 essential amino acids are present in soybean aiding in maintaining excellent health.
It also serves as a source of vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Soybean has high protein content and also serves as a replacement for meat in vegan diets and is popular among vegan people. The protein contents are almost similar to Meat.
Soybean has numerous health benefits. It aids in preventing cardiovascular problems. It aids in lowering blood cholesterol levels from 9 to 3 percent. It prevents osteoporosis in women. Research has also revealed that whole soy food is more effective in reducing cholesterol levels than soy supplements.
Soybean contains compounds called isoflavones that have antioxidative as well as anti-inflammatory effects. It also serves as a shield against breast and prostate cancer. It serves purposes like estrogen in women and serves in maintaining bone health.
The future of soybean in Pakistan looks promising as the government is taking steps to increase soybean cultivation and production in the country. The value of soybean has been recognized as a high-value crop as it has been used in different food products as well as a major component of poultry feed because of its protein contents.
Today the poultry industry of Pakistan is in demand and so is soybean because of its use in feed. Moreover, people are recognizing the health benefits and are now including soy in daily life.
This increasing demand in also driving investments in the crop and per annum cultivation of soy has been increasing lately. The government departments are taking initiatives to focus on the quality as well as the quantity of soybean production in the country.
Punjab Agriculture department has contributed by providing new soy varieties and by persuading the farmers to cultivate soybean.