Soybean: A novel food grain for human health: A review

Abstract

Malnutrition among under-five children is a major health problem in India. Nearly 30 percent of humanity is currently suffering from one or more of the multiple form of malnutrition. Therefore various preparations based on cereal-pulse combination are of paramount important to improve the protein quality of Indian diet. Due to high cost of non-vegetable protein and their inaccessibility by the poorer sections of population, cereal and legume assumes significance as a cheap and concentrated source of proteins in Indian diets. Soybean is most important, because of content of high amount of protein (40 percent). The proteins present in soy meet the amino acid needs of body, both for adults and children. Soybean is extensively used for extraction of edible oil. The residual defatted cake is good source of protein. The utilization of soybean oil cake in different low cost food products can useful in controlling malnutrition condition of developing countries.