Soy protein

Soy has been used in Asian cuisine for thousands of years. It is a plant based protein source that is increasingly popular not only in the world of body building, but also general wellbeing. Research has shown that soy proteins may help cut the risk of cancer and the really positive aspect of this protein source is that it comes without the 'bad' fats and lactose that tend to accompany other proteins sourced from animal products. In fact nutritionists are increasingly pointing out that diets high in animal products are almost certainly likely to result in a range of negative health outcomes from cancer to obesity and coronary disease.

For many soy based products have become a healthy alternative to animal based protein sources, and being able to use body building supplements made from soy has opened up a huge range of possibilities for vegetarian and vegan body builders. Just like whey it comes in a concentrate form which is 65% protein, and an isolate which is over 90% protein. Whilst the former makes up the difference mostly with carbohydrates, the latter has almost all fats and carbohydrates removed, and provides a first rate protein source.

For those concerned about the environment, soy has a much lower impact than animal based protein sources as well, so there is much to recommend it.

Some soy based protein supplements

The merits of soy have been well known to Asian cultures for millennia and in more recent times the Western world has picked up on it in a big way. Body builders who was a rich protein source that is very low in fats and carbohydrates have embraced soy and there are now a lot of supplements on the market including:

Soy based protein supplements are becoming ever more popular and there are a huge range of alternatives.

Why use soy based protein supplements?

Protein is the building blocks of muscle, so any serious body builder will be using supplements, simply because the body does not store protein and without a constant supply new muscle can't be created and old muscle can be lost. Getting enough high grade protein is an issue and animal based protein sources can come with unwanted extras such as lactose, 'bad' fats and cholesterol. Soy is plant derived so it doesn't have these problems and it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Research indicates that soy may also play a positive role in coronary health and general wellbeing, and possibly even help reduce the risk of cancer. As a plant based protein it also has a vastly lower environmental impact upon the planet, so there are many good reasons to make your protein supplement a soy based one.