Introduction
For decades, soy has been a controversial food. Soy foods are those made from soybean, a legume. Is soy bad for your gut, and is it healthy? In this review we will come to know whether soy is harmful to your gut and how to add it to your diet while protecting your gut health.
Soy is consumed in many forms, such as:-
- Edamame
- Miso
- Natto
- Soy milk
- Soy sauce
- Tempeh
- Teriyaki sauce
- Tofu
- “Veggie burgers”
Does soy cause digestive issues?
One of the biggest questions revolving around soy is: does soy cause digestive problems? Now, let’s find out the answer.
Despite the fact that soy is packed with lean protein (low in saturated fat), it also contains trypsin and protease inhibitors. These are the enzymes that make the digestion of protein incredibly difficult, which causes some gastric distress along with a deficiency in amino acid uptake if soy is eaten in excess. The only way to destroy these anti-nutrients is by soaking and cooking the beans.(1)
Soybeans are high in phytic acid, which binds to specific nutrients and makes them difficult or even impossible to absorb. This can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies when the phytic acid binds to zinc, iron,calcium, or other nutrients.
The undigested particles of soy can cause a number of digestive issues, including gut infections, gut irritation, or a leaky gut.
Soy can also cause digestive discomfort, such as constipation, bloating, and nausea.
What is Soybean agglutinin (SBA)?
Soybean agglutinin (SBA) is a non-fiber carbohydrate-related protein and the main anti-nutritional factor that exists in soybean or soybean products. Soybean agglutinin (SBA) is a major anti-nutritional factor that represents 5–7% of the soybean. This anti-nutritional factor is a glycoprotein that specifically binds N-acetylgalactosamine or galactose and each subunit of SBA has a covalently linked oligosaccharide chain.
Soybean agglutinin (SBA) is a family of similar legume lectins and is more stable than the other legume lectins. This dietary non-fiber carbohydrate-related protein is the only bioactive molecule with a high content in soybean or soybean products and is one of the main anti-nutritional factors that affect the quality of soybean.
The gastrointestinal tract contains thousands of different microbial species. Such species play an important role in the immune system and several other functions.(2) For example, gastrointestinal microbiota is an important participant in human metabolism. It provides substrates, enzymes, and energy for human metabolic processes.
In recent years, the relationship between intestinal microorganisms and obesity has been widely investigated. In addition, there is also a close relationship between intestinal microbial species and diabetes. Some differences between diabetic patients and non-diabetic patients, were found in the intestinal microbial composition showing a lack of butyric acid bacteria in diabetics.(2)
SBA declares negative effects on animal intestinal health by influencing the intestinal structure, barrier function, mucosal immune system, and the balance of the intestinal flora.But, still more human studies are needed to confirm this.(3, 4)
Conclusion
In one animal study of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers suggest that the antinutrients in soy may reduce the gut’s barrier function, possibly resulting in inflammation and digestive issues. However, more human studies are needed to confirm this.
SBA negatively affects intestinal structure, intestinal permeability, mucosal immune system, and intestinal flora. With appropriate supplementation of soybean diets may improve the negative effects of SBA on the intestinal tract. Besides this, some oligosaccharide combinations can be selected to alleviate the intestinal structural and functional damage caused by SBA.(3)
References:-
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- 14 Side Effects of Soy | Eat This Not That
- Commensal microbe-derived butyrate induces the differentiation of colonic regulatory T cells – PubMed (nih.gov)
- The Influences of Soybean Agglutinin and Functional Oligosaccharides on the Intestinal Tract of Monogastric Animals – PubMed (nih.gov)
- Is Soy Bad for You, or Good? (healthline.com)
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