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| Had Cleopatra known the great benefits of soybeans, she
would have undoubtedly immersed herself in a tub filled with soy milk as her daily health and beauty ritual. Alas for
the Egyptian Queen who lived from 69 to 30 BC, soybeans
only first took root as early as the 11th century BC in
northern China. Nevertheless, it was another member of royalty, Chinese Emperor Shen-Nong, who discovered the
nutritional and medicinal value of this humble grain and
declared it as one of the five sacred crops essential to the
existence of Chinese civilisation. |
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Since taking root in North America in 1765, the soybean plant has over the centuries emerged from a niche product sold in health food stores to a much more mainstream commodity in western countries. A recent survey in the US found that
33% of Americans consume soy foods or soy beverages once a month or more.
The growth in consumers' demand has also been influenced by the FDA approval
of a health claim linking soy with heart disease reduction.
In the UK a recent revamp of the government healthy eating guidelines tool
resulted in soy being, for the first time, clearly and officially included. This reflects
the fact that 3 million consumers include soy foods in their shopping basket each
week in the UK. |
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| While the staggering growth seen in the last 20 years in
western countries may not be as evident in South East
Asia, growth of soy products in the region stands at a
healthy 7% year on year. This growth continues as the
health benefits of soy remain a driving factor for
consumers and as new technologies have enabled soy
products to be more exciting and innovative. The health
benefits of soy have also resulted in more fortified
functional beverages being launched with ingredients like vitamins, minerals, omega acids, and fruit and
vegetable extracts. |
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