很多网络文章都是bias的,我估计它是肉类产业的propaganda。因为人吃豆腐多了,吃的肉少了,他们赚的钱少了。
Health Benefits
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=111
All the good news about tofu being a health-promoting food is true. Tofu is a very good source of protein, specifically soy protein, as well as numerous other nutrients necessary for good health. While a complete review of all the benefits soybeans offer could easily fill a large book, recently there has been controversy as to the extent to which soybeans are a health-promoting food; we address this issue in our Q+A Are there special concerns related to soy foods?
Cardiovascular Benefits of Soy Protein
Research on soy protein in recent years has shown that regular intake of soy protein can help to lower total cholesterol levels by as much as 30%, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by as much as 35-40%, lower triglyceride levels, reduce the tendency of platelets to form blood clots, and possibly even raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol).
All of this sounds very good to people trying to avoid atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease. High LDL cholesterol levels can lead to a build up of cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels. If these deposits get too large or break, they can cause a heart attack or stroke. Triglycerides are a form in which fats are transported in the blood, so high triglyceride levels, which are often seen in diabetes, can also contribute to the development and growth of these dangerous cholesterol deposits and heart disease. And blood clots can be another major problem for people with heart disease, since they can precipitate a heart attack or stroke. Soy protein, however, can address all of these issues, leading to a greatly reduced risk of heart disease.
Soy for Smooth Sailing through Menopause
Soy has also been shown to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms associated with menopause. Soy foods, like tofu, contain phytoestrogens, specifically the isoflavones, genistein and diadzein. In a woman's body, these compounds can dock at estrogen receptors and act like very, very weak estrogens. During perimenopause, when a woman's estrogen fluctuates, rising to very high levels and then dropping below normal, soy's phytoestrogens can help her maintain balance, blocking out estrogen when levels rise excessively high, plus filling in for estrogen when levels are low. When women's production of natural estrogen drops at menopause, soy's isoflavones may provide just enough estrogenic activity to prevent or reduce uncomfortable symptoms, like hot flashes. The results of intervention trials suggest that soy isoflavones may also promote the resorption of bone and therefore inhibit postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Additionally, most types of tofu are enriched with calcium, which can help prevent the accelerated bone loss for which women are at risk during menopause. Calcium has also been found useful in rheumatoid arthritis, a condition in which calcium may help to reduce the bone loss that can occur as a result of this disease. Tofu is a good source of calcium. Four-ounces supply about 40% of the daily value for calcium and contain approximately 90 calories.
Rich in Minerals for Energy and Antioxidant Protection
Tofu is a very good source of iron, providing 33.8% of the DV for this important mineral in 4 ounces. Iron is primarily used as part of hemoglobin, a molecule essential to energy production since it is responsible for transporting and releasing oxygen throughout the body. But hemoglobin synthesis also relies on copper. Without copper, iron cannot be properly utilized in red blood cells. Fortunately, both minerals are supplied in tofu, which also contain 11.0% of the daily value for copper.
In addition to its role in hemoglobin synthesis, copper may be helpful in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Copper, along with manganese (yet another trace mineral for which tofu is a very good source), is an essential cofactor of a key oxidative enzyme called superoxide dismutase. Superoxide dismutase disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells). Copper is also necessary for the activity of lysyl oxidase, an enzyme involved in cross-linking collagen and elastin, both of which provide the ground substance and flexibility in blood vessels, bones and joints. Four ounces of tofu supply 34.5% of the DV for manganese.
Want to Be "Buff"? Eat Tofu
Think a meal without meat equals a meal without protein? Think again. Four ounces of tofu provides 9.2 grams of protein, that's 18.3% of the daily value for protein, and it comes virtually free of saturated fat (less than 1 gram), and at a cost of only 86 calories.
Cardiovascular Protection from Omega-3 Fats
Fish aren't the only good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Tofu provides 14.4% of the daily value for these especially beneficial fats in just 4 ounces. Omega-3 fats have been the subject of intensive study by researchers. Omega-3 fatty acids have a broad array of health benefits. Omega-3s help prevent erratic heart rhythms, make blood less likely to clot inside arteries (which is the ultimate cause of most heart attacks), and improve the ratio of good HDL to bad LDL cholesterol. And finally, by reducing inflammation, these essential fats play a role in preventing cholesterol from clogging arteries.
Selenium—An Antioxidant, Anti-Cancer, Anti-Inflammatory Trace Mineral
Several other nutrients in tofu are helpful for other conditions. For example, tofu is a good source of selenium; 4 ounces provide 14.4% of the daily value for this trace mineral. Selenium is needed for the proper function of the antioxidant system, which works to reduce the levels of damaging free radicals in the body. Selenium is a necessary cofactor of one of the body's most important internally produced antioxidants, glutathione peroxidase, and also works with vitamin E in numerous vital antioxidant systems throughout the body. These powerful antioxidant actions make selenium helpful not only against colon cancer by protecting colon cells from cancer-causing toxins, but in decreasing asthma and arthritis symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease. In addition, selenium is involved in DNA repair, yet another way in which adequate intake of this mineral is associated with a reduced risk for cancer.
Tofu and Oxalates
Soybeans, and foods made from them like tofu, are among a small number of foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates, naturally-occurring substances found in plants, animals, and human beings. When oxalates become too concentrated in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems. For this reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating soybean-based products like tofu. Laboratory studies have shown that oxalates may also interfere with absorption of calcium from the body.
Yet, in every peer-reviewed research study we've seen, the ability of oxalates to lower calcium absorption is relatively small and definitely does not outweigh the ability of oxalate-containing foods to contribute calcium to the meal plan.(菠菜也有很多oxalates ) If your digestive tract is healthy, and you do a good job of chewing and relaxing while you enjoy your meals, you will get significant benefits—including absorption of calcium—from calcium-rich foods plant foods that also contain oxalic acid. Ordinarily, a healthcare practitioner would not discourage a person focused on ensuring that they are meeting their calcium requirements from eating these nutrient-rich foods because of their oxalate content. For more on this subject, please see "Can you tell me what oxalates are and in which foods they can be found?"