Soya foods contain two times as much as protein of meat, 3 times as much as eggs and 11 times as much as fresh milk. They also contain 4.6 % vitamins and minerals which protect the children from the attack of illness and diseases.
Thus the advantages on using soya proteins for growing children are summerised as under -
A. PROTEINS FOR BODY BUILDING: Proteins are the main solid matter in the muscles and several amino acids in proteins provide supporting structure to the soft tissues and hence responsible for growth and body weight.
Thus, soya proteins improve the heights and weights of growing children.
B.PROTEINS FOR BRAIN DEVELOPMENT: Experiments on animals have proved that increasing quality and quantity the dietary protein increases the concentration of most essential amino acids in serum and brain. In brain, the free amino acids provide the raw materials from which neuro transmitters are synthesized.
Hence soya proteins are required for the functioning of the brain. Similarly, there is evidence that lecithin present in soya plays an important role in the development of brain.
Studies have proved that providing adequate proteins in the diet will improve the intelligence, memory power, perpetual ability, abstract ability and verbal ability of children.
C. PROVIDING ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS: Whole Soya flour contains 11.5% linoleic acid, 1.5 % linolenic acid and 0.7% lecithin. These essential fatty acids are found to be highly effective in promoting the growth. They are further metabolised in the body into other fatty acids and some of them form part of cell structures and others have a specific role in vision and on the function of central nervous system. These essential fatty acids also serve as a raw material for the synthesis of prostaglandins, thromboxanes and prostacyclines which regulate the blood pressure, blood viscosity, muscle contraction, pain relief, male fertility and female conception.
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