House Foods America
House Foods America Corporation's is one of the largest tofu manufacturers in the United States. Their goal is to bring Japanese culture to America via the rich and delicious tradition of Japanese food.
Discovered more than 2000 years ago by the Chinese, tofu is sometimes called "the cheese of Asia," because of its physical resemblance to a block of farmer's cheese. Tofu is a highly nutritious, protein-rich food that is made from the curds of soybean milk. It is a very versatile ingredient that can be used for making salad dressings, appetizers, entrees, desserts, and beverages. One of the appealing characteristics of tofu is that it miraculously takes on the flavor of its surrounding ingredients. Tofu is available in a range of consistencies —soft, medium, or firmer textures—that can suit many different applications in cooking and baking.
Tofu's popularity in the West has mirrored the increasing interest in healthier foods and a greater shift towards vegetarian styles of eating. First gaining more widespread attention during the 1960s, tofu has been skyrocketing in popularity ever since research has begun to reveal the many significant benefits this nutrient-rich plant-based food can provide.
Tofu provides high quality protein, such as that found in meat and dairy products. Tofu also provides essential nutrients including manganese, iron, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Hundreds of clinical trials evaluating the cholesterol lowering effects of soy protein have been conducted. In recent years, studies show that regular intake of soy protein can help lower total cholesterol levels by as much as 30 percent, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels by as much as 35-40 percent, lower triglyceride levels, reduce the tendency of platelets to form blood clots, and possibly even raise levels of HDL (good cholesterol). Recent clinical findings have potentially important public health implications for the 50 million Americans who suffer from metabolic syndrome – a condition associated with obesity. The improvement in insulin sensitivity suggests that by replacing animal meats in diets with soy foods, millions of Americans may be less likely to develop diabetes and heart disease.
Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have identified a group of five phytochemicals that have anti cancer properties, particularly for the breast, ovarian, and prostate. All five of these phytochemicals are naturally found in soy foods, including isoflavones. The primary isoflavone is genistein and is only found in soy foods.
Researchers from the NCI suggest that soy intake during adolescence reduces breast cancer risk later in life. The study found that adult Asian women in the United States who consumed the most soy between ages 5 and 11, were 58 percent less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women who consumed the least amount of soy during this period. For men, the news is also good. A large recently published Japanese prospective study found that soy intake was associated with a reduction in the risk of developing prostate cancer, especially in men above the age of 60.
References
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