What Are Tofu Benefits?
By Yanti
Bean curd or tofu is a food originating from China and spread to many countries especially in Asia such as Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippine, Vietnam, and Singapore. Usually people eat tofu as daily food consumption but because there are some nutrition contained in tofu, then it give tofu benefits for the health of human body.
In addition to bean curd, tofu has many names, among others, is doufu (Chinese), dauphu or dauhu or tauhu (Vietnam), taohu (Thailand), or only hangul (Korean), tofu (Japan), tauhu (Malaysia), tokwa (Filipino), tofu (Tamil and Indonesia), dae fu (Min Be).
Tofu is created by way coagulate soy or soya milk and then compressing the resultant curds into blocks of soft white. Soy milk is derived from soy beans, marinated dried, milled, and then boiled until boiling, and cooled into soy milk. The color of tofu is mostly white, but there are also green or black tofu because it is made of green soybeans (edamame) and black soybeans.
Coagulation of oil or emulsion and proteins that are suspended in the boiled soya milk is the most crucial step in the manufacturing tofu. This method is done with the aids of coagulants are salts and acids that have been used commercially in the tofu manufacture. Calcium sulfate (gypsum) is most widely used in traditional coagulant to make Chinese-style tofu. This produces a type of a little soft but brittle in texture. The use of calcium sulfate make high calcium content in tofu.
Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride has a high level of solubility in water and impact soya protein in the equal way, while the use of gypsum in the process of manufacturing just really slightly soluble in the water and acts differently in soya protein precipitation, as the basis for the establishment process. And usage of this coagulant that makes tofu has a soft texture and smoothness.
Tofu manufacturers can select to usage 1 or more of the coagulant in the process of tofu manufacturing. Coagulant mixture is dissolved into water and then stirs until blended into boiled soya milk till the dough is shaped to be a soft gel. Usage of this coagulant gives out a role in making the desired texture.
With a smooth texture and flavor that is crunchy, and delicious, so tofu is one of healthy food that is quite popular in Asian countries, especially the Southeast and East Asia where many people are consumed raw tofu, fried, boiled, or also mixed with other foodstuffs as vegetable , and some are taking out in other forms such as snacks tofu, curd, sweet, marinated tofu, tofu pickles, tofu fermented, miso soup, soy cheese, tofu skin, and so on
Tofu Nutrition
The content of protein in tofu relatively high with a low amount of calories, and low-fat, all dependent on the coagulant utilized in manufacturing process of tofu. The content of other nutrients that are generally inherent in tofu are calcium, iron, magnesium, and natrium
Tofu Benefits
The content of the nutrients found in tofu give out tofu benefits to the health of the human body, and some health benefits of tofu are as follows
- Tofu is a source of protein from the type of food no meat for a vegetarian or someone who is doing a vegetarian diet program
- Results from the Canadian study prove that consumption of tofu can lower bad cholesterol in the body. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition conducted in 55 men and women who have midlife and have high cholesterol. And other research conducted at the University of Kentucky in 1995 where has conclusion that soy protein is correlated with a significant reduction in serum cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. However, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol did not increase. Soy phytoestrogens are isoflavones (genistein and daidzein) absorbed into the soy protein is an agent which reduces serum cholesterol levels. On the basis of this research, PTI, in 1998, petitioned the Food and Drug Administration for the health claim that soy protein can reduce cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
- Tofu is also believed to prevent breast cancer. An old study has been conducted by Anna H. Wu and colleagues at the University of Southern California, USA. They conducted a study of 144 healthy women of Chinese descent in Singapore. The result gave information that those who took out 25 percent more than the increased formation of estrogen that is not. It also made lower their blood pressure than the group who did not consume tofu. Isoflavones in tofu contain tofu hormonestrogen and provide tofu benefits to prevent the body affected by breast cancer, as well as slowing the aging process in women.
