For years we have been warned about the dangers of trans fat.  In fact, the movement away from trans fat has been in full swing for the last several years since the US FDA started requiring that the amount of trans fat in foods be listed in the nutrition facts panel and the banning of trans fat use in the restaurants of some cities.

More than 70% of the cooking oil used in the U.S. is soybean oil.  Unfortunately, soybean oil is not very stable when heated and therefore will spoil.  To keep soybean oil from spoiling, it was hydrogenated, which resulted in the unwanted formation of trans fat and the destruction of some of the omega-3 fatty acids found in soybean oil.

New research from the University of Missouri and published in BMC Plant Biology indicates that trans fat – free soybean oil is now a real possibility [1].  Using traditional soybean breeding procedures, the researchers have crossbred two different varieties of soybeans to develop a new soybean variety that produces soybean oil rich in oleic acid.  Most soybean oils produced today contain only about 20% oleic acid; however, this new soybean produces oil that is 80% oleic acid.  This is important because oleic acid is a healthier, monounsaturated fatty acid and is heat stable.  Oleic acid is best known as the main fatty acid found in olive oil.  Since this new soybean oil is heat stable, hydrogenation, the process responsible for the formation of trans fat, does not appear to be needed.

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Soybeans are rich in macronutrients like protein, fat, and carbohydrates and contain a variety of micronutrients such as calcium, iron, zinc, riboflavin, and folate [1].  Some of these are discussed briefly below.

Protein. Soybeans are best known as a rich source of non-animal protein.  In fact, about 37% of the raw soybean consists of protein according to the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22 [2]. The amino acid pattern of soy protein provides adequate levels of each indispensable amino acid for normal growth and development. The high digestibility of properly processed soy protein and the bioavailability of its amino acids and nitrogen content make soy protein a high quality protein.  The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of soy protein is 1.0, the highest possible score and similar to other high quality proteins.   Therefore, the addition of soy to the diet is a great way to meet all of one’s protein nutritional requirements.

Fat. Soybeans typically contain more dietary fat than other legumes; however, the fats in soybeans are mainly of the healthier varieties.  According to the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22, raw, mature soybeans contain approximately 20 grams of fat in a 100-gram portion [2].  Of the fat present in soybeans, ~15% is saturated, ~24% is monounsaturated, and ~60% is polyunsaturated; therefore, over 80% of the fat in soy is of the healthier, unsaturated kind.  The predominant unsaturated fats found in soy include linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, two essential fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential omega-3 fatty acid that is metabolized in the body to form eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in small amounts.

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Sustainability is a major buzzword in today’s media.  However, sustainability is more than just a buzzword; it it a critical part of meeting the future food needs of the world’s population.  A recent summit, The Sustainable Foods Summit, took place last week with the goal of bringing major food industry thought leaders together to discuss a variety of topics related to food sustainability including sustainability initiatives, sustainable sourcing and packaging, fair trade practices and ethical marketing practices.

One of the topics presented at this summit was the sustainability of soy as a high quality source of protein.  According to a press release, the vice president of global marketing and strategy at Solae, a leading supplier of soy protein ingredients, indicated that not only was soy a sustainable source of high quality protein, but soy production is done with a smaller impact on the environment than many other food production systems.

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