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Soy (Dou Chi, soya)
Glycine max
This page contains information on soy and how it is used as a herb in alternative herbal treatments to treat ailments and problems, such as aging, liver disease and cancer.
On this page
Please note that we are not advocating that people stop using their normal medication, but would like to make people aware that some alternative therapies can be very effective to help treat problems and create a healthier, younger and more vital you. For more information on our range of products, please click here.
Although we believe in the therapeutic and healing properties of herbs, care must be taken in the use thereof, as they are powerful compounds.
Family |
Fabaceae |
Genus and specie |
Glycine max |
Soya, soybean and Dou Chi.
Soybeans are harvested from this erect bushy annual with small white or mauve flowers, followed by dark to nearly black pods, containing the seeds.
The seeds and oil are used.
Soybean is a sweet, cooling and slightly bitter herb used in Chinese medicine for a variety of ailments. It has sedative, anti-spasmodic, diaphoretic (causes sweating) and anti-pyretic properties, with hormonal balancing effects and has great benefit to the liver and circulation.
It contains phospholipids, soy protein, protease inhibitors, isoflavonoids and triterpene saponins.
- Internal use
- Soybean is used internally in Chinese medicine for fever, headache, insomnia, restlessness, and chest discomfort associated with colds and measles.
- Some studies also indicate that it can be useful in the treatment of menopause and post-menopausal conditions, cancer, hypertension, aging, and benign prostatic hyperplasia.
- Soy lecithin lowers serum cholesterol levels, and the soy phospholipids are useful in combating chronic liver disease as well as chronic hepatitis.
- Unripe soybeans are cooked and can be eaten like peas, while the dried beans can be cooked in soups, stews and casseroles, roasted as a coffee substitute, liquefied with water to make soy milk, tofu (bean curd), sprouted for salads, or ground and fermented to make soy sauce and other sauces and pastes.
- External use
- The oil expressed from the seeds has a multitude of benefits for the skin.
- Soybean oil is 61% polyunsaturated fat and 24% monounsaturated fat.
- Soybean oil is also rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the two essential fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic, that are not produced in the body.
- The oil has a regenerative effect on the cutaneous tissues due to the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, and therefore enhances local circulation in the area treated to bring about revitalization of the dermis.
- The combined properties of soybean oil makes it a valued emollient for cosmetic use.
- Not only is it a superb moisturizer, but its intrinsic phytoestrogen content is valuable in promoting good skin care. The protease inhibitor effect that it also has can play a role in fighting unwanted changes in the cell, which gives the oil anti-tumor properties.
- The oil contains a high proportion of phytosterols. These components have been attributed with the improvement of certain disorders of the conjunctive tissue and cutaneous injuries, because they cause an increase in the collagen biosynthesis of the fibroblasts and enhance the reduction ofreticular collagen. Phytosterols contained in the oil may therefore be used in specific treatments for aged skin, thanks to their revitalizing and emollient properties.
- Their incorporation is also advisable in sun screen products due to their anti-oxidizing and anti-inflammatory action, in attenuating erythemas and peeling at the same time.
- The antioxidant effect of the oil also plays a role in preventing premature aging.
- The presence of sugars and amino acids cooperate in moisturizing the moisture of the horny layer of the skin and give it back the elasticity and flexibility that are characteristic of normal skin.
- Aromatherapy and essential oil use
- The oil is extracted from the beans and is a good source of vitamin E as well as lecithin and unsaturated fatty acids. It can used as a massage carrier oil in aromatherapy.
None noted, although excessive intake of soy phospholipids may cause loose stools and minor diarrhea.
To promote the interest and use of herbs and natural complementary health alternatives, we have included information on the following herbs.
Please note - although we discuss a wide variety of herbs, not all of them are used or sold by us.
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