Protein is an essential nutrient for the human body. The meat, eggs, beans and other foods we often eat are very rich in protein. However, the protein in food is different. According to the source, the protein in meat, egg, milk belongs to animal protein , and the protein in beans and nuts belongs to plant protein .

Recently, the well-known medical journal "JAMA" sub-issue "JAMA Internal Medicine" published a research article on the long-term health effects of different sources of protein. The results show that eating more plant protein can significantly reduce the risk of death.

The study was led by researchers from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They recruited more than 400,000 volunteers from six states in the United States, including 237,000 men and 179,000 women.


In order to clarify the relationship between plant protein intake and overall mortality and specific mortality, the researchers followed up volunteers for up to 16 years and collected their basic information, lifestyle and diet information. At the same time, the number and cause of death of volunteers in 16 years were recorded.

After comparative analysis of diet data and death data, the researchers found that eating more plant protein can significantly reduce the risk of death. Specifically: for every 3% increase in the proportion of plant protein in the daily energy intake (replacing animal protein), the risk of premature death is reduced by 10%. Not only that, the risk of cardiovascular death for men and women was also reduced by 11% and 12%, respectively. In 1,000 kcal calories, for every 10 grams increase in plant protein intake (instead of animal protein), the risk of death for men and women can be reduced by 12% and 14%, respectively.

The researchers also analyzed in detail the results of the replacement of the four major animal protein sources: red meat, white meat, dairy products and eggs. Data shows that replacing eggs with vegetable protein reduces the risk of premature death for men and women by 24% and 21%, respectively; replacing red meat with vegetable protein reduces the risk of premature death for men and women by 13% and 15%, respectively.


It can be seen that eating more plant protein is beneficial to health and also beneficial to reducing mortality from cardiovascular diseases. As the saying goes, "Eating meat is worse than eating tofu, which saves money and is nourishing", and it is true.

In this regard, nutrition experts explained that plant protein contains a lot of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The protein in meat often contains high saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, etc., which is bad for health.

Since eating more plant protein has many benefits, I have to talk about soybeans and their products.

Regardless of the small soy beans, soy protein is the highest quality vegetable protein . In addition, soybeans and their products also contain functional ingredients such as dietary fiber, soybean isoflavones, and soybean phospholipids. Because of its high nutritional value, soybeans are called "meat growing out of the ground".

Here, we summarize some common soy products and their nutrients. We need to remind everyone that starchy beans such as mung beans, red beans, peas, broad beans, and kidney beans are not soy products. The nutrition of starchy beans is closer to grain. If you want to eat more plant protein, you still have a clear score.


Tofu is extremely nutritious and contains calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, niacin, copper, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, folic acid, vitamin b1, riboflavin, vitamin b6, etc., and protein content per 100 grams of firm tofu (harder) It can be as high as 15.7 grams, 8.6 grams of fat, 4.3 grams of carbohydrates, and 0.1 grams of dietary fiber. It can provide 611.2 kilojoules of energy. Two small pieces of tofu can meet a person's daily calcium requirement.

Dried tofu

There are dried brine, dried smoked, dried soy sauce, etc., which are rich in nutrients and contain a large amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron and other minerals required by the human body. It is known as "vegetarian ham".

But in the process of making, salt, fennel, pepper, aniseed and other seasonings are added. Don't eat too much to prevent excessive intake of salt.


The most common ingredients in vegetable dishes have low water content and are easy to preserve. They contain high levels of protein and phospholipids, which can lower blood cholesterol. It is also called "the meat of the vegetable".

Soy milk/soy milk

The predecessor of foods such as tofu, dried tofu, and even yuba is soy milk. Its nutrition is similar to milk. It is also called soy milk or soy milk. It is rich in plant-based protein and trace calcium, and is a source of high-quality protein for vegetarians.

Bean sprouts

Compared with beans, the protein and carbohydrate content of bean sprouts has decreased, but the content of soluble amino acids, vitamins and dietary fiber has greatly increased. Soybeans do not contain vitamin C, but the bean sprouts after germination contain a large amount of vitamin C, which greatly increases the biological potency and utilization rate.

Soy protein powder

Compared with animal protein powder, soy protein powder has more health benefits, including reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain tumors. Plant protein can bring satiety and control calorie intake. An analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association pointed out that replacing animal protein with plant protein, especially processed red meat, may bring substantial health benefits.

Soybean oil

The fat content in soybeans is about 20%, and unsaturated fatty acids account for about 60% of them. Lecithin is an important component of unsaturated fatty acids. It plays an important role in the metabolism of cholesterol on the blood vessel wall and can prevent blood vessel hardening. Soybean oil is a very cost-effective oil product and one of the main oil products consumed by residents.

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