Publication - Value-added soy protein

Title in English
Value-added soy protein
Publication ID
11018E
Published Year
2009
URL
Author(s)
Organization
Subject(s)
Type
Electronic PDF
Cost
Free Publication
Language
English
Region
Quebec
Also Available In:
Status
Available
Pages
1-2
ISBN
978-1-100-13572-4
Catalogue No.
A52-152/2009E
Summary in English
Consumers are increasingly interested in including proteins from plant sources in their diet, to a large extent because of the beneficial health effects attributed to them. Throughout the world, protein from soy is the most widely consumed plant protein, accounting for 68 percent of total consumption of this type of protein, according to data for 2009. Depending on the type of process used to extract and purify the soy protein, the isolate (90 percent protein content or more) obtained may still contain varying amounts of undesirable compounds, such as trypsin inhibitors and phytic acid. Trypsin is an enzyme that allows protein digestion, and trypsin inhibitors prevent the enzyme from functioning properly. It is fairly easy to eliminate trypsin inhibitors by heating soy flakes or flour before extracting their protein. It is a different story in the case of phytic acid, which binds to the protein and is not destroyed by heat. The presence of phytic acid in the isolate can reduce calcium absorption in the intestines by up to 90 percent and interferes with protein assimilation. In adults with a varied diet, this is not a problem, but the situation can be different for nursing infants, children and adolescents who are still growing, as well as for the elderly, who have higher calcium and protein requirements. That said, most soy protein isolates currently on the market are high in phytic acid.
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