AYURVEDIC FOODS

Soy Beans Benefits (According to Ayurveda)

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Soy bean dominates vast expanses of farmland in the American midwest, reflected the growing presence of soy products in nearly all process foods. Many people ask, is soy good for me? The answer depends upon the person. Soy nuts, like pea nuts are beans. Humans have dined on nuts since the dawn of time. Whole roasted beans, in contrast, are extremely difficult to digest. That's why Asian cultures ferment the beans, to make them more digestible. Fermented soy products like tofu are digestible by most people and provide a valuable protein source.

The natural phyotestrogens in soy can be useful for Vata women during menopause. For Pitta and Kapha constitutions, the estrongenic nature of soy products might cause tender breasts during menstruation and thickening of uterine tissue.

About Soy Beans

Soy bean is an ancient crop from East Asia that was domesticated as early as 6-7,000 B.C., almost 9,000 years ago!

Cooking Soy Beans

Our suggestion is to simply buy one of the fermented versions of soy - including tofu. See Jumping on Beans for different ways to enjoy beans. Learn how to reduce gaseyness in beans.

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Are Soy Beans Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Soy Beans' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Take the Quiz

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.
SERVING SIZE: 1/4 c
FAMILY: Fabaceae

EAT IN: SUMMER

Metabolic Nature of Soy Beans

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.
INCREASES
Guna Help

Increases These Biocharacteristics (Gunas)

Functional Ayurveda helps you assess imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating these characteristics weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which characteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct imbalances before you get sick. Every characteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite characteristic.

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DRY

ABOUT DRY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Dry is identified by lack of moisture, lack of fat, or anything that causes diuresis.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DRY

HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY

DIFFICULT

ABOUT DIFFICULT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Difficult refers to anything that is difficult to digest, or takes a long time to digest.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFICULT

COLD

ABOUT COLD BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold refers to anything that reduces body temperature, metabolism, and blood flow.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COLD

TASTES
Taste Help

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

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ASTRINGENT

ABOUT ASTRINGENT BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Astringency is characterized by constriction, drawing together, or drying.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ASTRINGENT

DOSHAS
Dosha Help

The Three Doshas / Body Types

According to the biocharacteristic theory of medicine, people tend to get sick, over and over again, due to habitual causes and imbalances that are unique to the person. Your body type summarizes this tendency, showing you the 'type' of conditions and imbalances that frequently challenge your health & wellness. Using body type, you can also identify remedies likely to improve your strength and resiliency. Your body type identifies physical and mental characteristics as well as your personal strengths and weaknesses. The calculation of your body type is based on your medical history.

The 3 functional body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha). Catabolic individuals tend to break down body mass into energy. They are easily stimulated, hyperactive, underweight and dry. Metabolic individuals tend to burn or use energy. They tend to be rosy-cheeked, easily irritated, focused, driven, and easily inflamed. Anabolic individuals tend to store energy as body mass. If they store too much energy, they could gain weight easily and have congestion. Anabolic people tend to be stable and grounded.

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PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Pitta pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Vata aggravating
HAS THE FOLLOWING
Family: Fabaceae
HERBAL ACTIONS
(see all)

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Soy Beans
Help
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

High Fiber Laxative

HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE

A class of laxative that adds bulk and water to stools. The large size of the stool stimulates peristalsis so the stool can pass more easily through the colon. It is important to drink plenty of water when using high fiber laxatives, as they can be dehydr

SEE ALL 'HIGH-FIBER-LAXATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Satisfies Stomach

SATISFIES-STOMACH

Provides a sense of gratification and fullness in the stomach.

SEE ALL 'SATISFIES-STOMACH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Hypolipidemic

HYPOLIPIDEMIC

Scrapes fats / cleanses blood vessels by 1) purging bile, 2) strengthening the liver's ability to metabolize fats, 3) by increasing uptake of cholesterol in the liver, and 4) by inhibiting fat cells.

SEE ALL 'HYPOLIPIDEMIC' FOODS / HERBS

,
Lowers Thyroid

LOWERS-THYROID

Reduces thyroid function. Useful for people with hyperthyroid.

SEE ALL 'LOWERS-THYROID' FOODS / HERBS

Estrogenic

ESTROGENIC

Increases estrogen, helpful in menopause. Estrogen is anabolic and increases muscle growth, bone density, and moisture.

SEE ALL 'ESTROGENIC' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Alpha Linolenic Acid, Essential Fatty Acids,
Inositol

INOSITOL

Inositol is an alcohol sugar made naturally in the human body from glucose. It is lipotropic (aiding fat metabilism in the liver). It affects a variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, steroid, growth factors and water.

SEE ALL 'INOSITOL' FOODS / HERBS

,
Iron

IRON

Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.

SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS

,
Isoflavone

ISOFLAVONE

A type of naturally occurring isoflavonoid. Many have a phytoestrogen effect. Frequently found in the pea family (Fabaceae).

SEE ALL 'ISOFLAVONE' FOODS / HERBS

, Omega 3 Fatty Acids,
Phytates

PHYTATES

Phytates prevent absorption of nutrients. They are commonly found in all seeds, including nuts, grains, and beans. Sprouting greatly reduces phytate content, as well as long, slow cooking with vinegar.

SEE ALL 'PHYTATES' FOODS / HERBS

, Potassium, Protein,
Saponins

SAPONINS

Can be used to make soap. Saponins stimulate mucus membrane secretion, liquefying mucus for easy removal (expectorant).

SEE ALL 'SAPONINS' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Soy Beans

Black-eyed Peas

Black-eyed Peas has these Actions in Common

Satisfies-stomach, Hypolipidemic, Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative

LEARN MORE

Yellow Lentil (Toor Dal)

Yellow Lentil (Toor Dal) has these Actions in Common

Satisfies-stomach, Hypolipidemic, Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative

LEARN MORE

Lima Beans

Lima Beans has these Actions in Common

Hypolipidemic, Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Brown Lentil

Brown Lentil has these Actions in Common

High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach, Hypolipidemic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Red Lentils (Masoor Dal)

Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Chickpea (Garbanzo)

Chickpea (Garbanzo) has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Butter Bean

Butter Bean has these Actions in Common

Hypolipidemic, Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

White Navy Bean

White Navy Bean has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Pinto Beans

Pinto Beans has these Actions in Common

Hypolipidemic, Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach

LEARN MORE

Fava Beans

Fava Beans has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, High-fiber-laxative, Satisfies-stomach, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Herb Supplements with a Similar Nature to Soy Beans

Maca

Maca has these Actions in Common

Estrogenic, Lowers-thyroid, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Joint Balm

Joint Balm has these Actions in Common

Hypolipidemic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Shatavari Ghee

Shatavari Ghee has these Actions in Common

Estrogenic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Red Clover

Red Clover has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Estrogenic

LEARN MORE

Ginseng, Chinese

Ginseng, Chinese has these Actions in Common

Estrogenic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Shatavari

Shatavari has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Estrogenic

LEARN MORE

Motherwort

Motherwort has these Actions in Common

Estrogenic, Lowers-thyroid

LEARN MORE

Vidari

Vidari has these Actions in Common

Nutritive, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Dong Quai

Dong Quai has these Actions in Common

Estrogenic, Hypolipidemic

LEARN MORE

Licorice Ghee (9oz)

Licorice Ghee (9oz) has these Actions in Common

Estrogenic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE

Licorice Root (Yastimadhu)

Licorice Root (Yastimadhu) has these Actions in Common

Estrogenic, Nutritive

LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized school of biocharacteristics medicine.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR THESE SYMPTOMS

Soy Beans may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.

Clinical Tools & Resources

Give smart recommendations to your clients and improve efficiency in your clinic with these tools.
About John Joseph Immel

About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda biocharacteristics. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs Joyful Belly's School of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's interest in Ayurveda and specialization in digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel, as well as public service work in South Asia. John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing. In addition to his certification in Ayurveda, John holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University.

John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church. Jesus expressed God's love by feeding and healing the sick. That kindness is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his wife and 7 kids, and pursuing his love of theology, philosophy, and language.

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Comments & Impressions of 'Soy Beans'

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