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EMERGING RESEARCH ON THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF SOY Dr Mark Messina (Summary of Dr Messina's speech)
	Introduction
	Over the past decade soyfoods have become increasingly popular among Westerners because of their purported health benefits. According to a survey conducted by the United Soybean Board, in 2003, 28% of Americans reported using soy products at least once per week, approximately twice the number who reported using soy products in 1998.
	Expectations are for the spotlight to continue to shine on soyfoods especially in light of the disappointing results from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). In fact, some experts are now recommending that women between 45 and 70 years of age currently taking hormone replacement (HRT) discontinue use. Consequently, many women are seeking alternatives to HRT and many of these women are trying soy.
	Soyfoods provide excellent nutrition, they are low in saturated fat and without cholesterol and the quality of soy protein is equal to the quality of animal protein. Recognition of the high quality of soy protein led the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2000 to allow soy protein to replace 100% of the animal protein in the National School Lunch Program.
	Soybeans contain a number of biologically active components but unquestionable it is the isoflavones that have received the most attention and which are most often implicated as the constituents responsible for the hypothesized health benefits of soyfoods. Isoflavones are quite different from estrogen and have a variety of non-hormonal properties that are especially relevant to cancer prevention and treatment.
	Coronary Heart Disease
	The cholesterol lowering effects of soy protein were first demonstrated in humans in 1967. In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a health claim for soy protein for cholesterol reduction and in the following year the American Heart Association endorsed the use of soyfoods for people with elevated cholesterol. In 2002, the United Kingdom approved its version of a health claim for soy protein under the Joint Health Claims Initiative (JHCI).
	Soy protein may also be hypotensive as a recent review found that two-thirds of the better designed trials reported decreases in blood pressure. Lowering systolic blood pressure from just 2 – 5 mmHg has been estimated to reduce stroke and CHD risk by 6-14% and 4-9%, respectively. Furthermore, isoflavones may have independent coronary benefits. For example, isoflavones have been shown to increase the flexibility of the large arteries, and isoflavone-rich soy protein may enhance arterial reactivity and inhibit LDL-cholesterol oxidation.
	Breast Cancer
	Early life factors are thought to play in the etiology of breast cancer. For example, breast feeding, parity, and early pregnancy, are thought to reduce risk of breast cancer. There is an exciting and intriguing hypothesis that has both animal and epidemiologic support is that early soy intake is also one of these early life protective influences.
	Consistent with the animal studies in the United States are the results from two case control studies, one conducted in Shanghai and the other in the United States that involved women of Asian ethnicity. In the former study, soy consumption (11 g soy protein/day) during the teenage years reduced risk of developing breast cancer by 50%. Soy consumption during adulthood had no bearing on these findings. In the latter study, soy consumption throughout life reduced risk by 35% whereas soy consumption only during adulthood was not protective.
	Osteoporosis
	The skeletal effects of both soy protein and the soybean isoflavones are being investigated. Numerous short-term clinical trials dating back to the 1980s have shown that soy protein decreases urinary calcium excretion when replacing animal protein. This advantage of soy protein is quite attractive considering most women do not meet dietary calcium requirements. Various studies have also suggested that isoflavones may inhibit bone loss in much the same way that estrogen does.
	Initial interest in the role that soy might have in reducing breast cancer risk was based on three early observations: (1) low breast cancer rates in Asia; (2) animal research showing adding soybeans to the diets of rats inhibited mammary cancer; and (3) data showing that weak estrogen-like compounds such as isoflavones can exert antiestrogenic effects under some experimental conditions. It is also widely recognized that isoflavones have potentially important non-hormonal effects relevant to cancer prevention and treatment.
	Menopausal symptoms
	Messina and Hughes recently reviewed 19 trials involving over 1700 women that examined the effects of soyfoods and isoflavone supplements on menopausal symptoms. Six trials were excluded from their analysis, two involving breast cancer patients, two which reported data on severity but not hot flush frequency, one that was not blinded, and one that did not include a control group. They found among the remaining 13 trials that there was a statistically significant relationship between initial hot flush frequency and treatment efficacy. More specifically, the correlation indicates that hot flush frequency will decrease about 5% (above placebo or control effects) for every additional initial hot flush/day in women whose initial hot flush frequency is 5/day.
	Thus, soy and isoflavones have modest beneficial effects but only in women with frequent hot flushes. In practical terms this means that in theory a women with eight hot flushes per day who experienced a typical placebo response of 25% would experience a 40% improvement by consuming soy or isoflavones; thus, hot flushes would decrease from eight per day to 4-5 per day.

	Cognitive Function
	Dementia rates in East Asia where soyfoods are consumed, are lower than those in Europe and rates of dementia and AD are reportedly higher among Japanese men living in Hawaii compared to native Japanese in Japan. Additionally, maintaining a more Japanese lifestyle is associated with better cognitive function among Japanese women living in the West.
	Three clinical trials have found isoflavones enhance some aspects of cognition and memory.
	Prostate Cancer
	Worldwide, cancer of the prostate is the fourth most common cancer and sixth most common cause of cancer death in men. There are striking differences in prostate cancer rates among regions in the world, however. Compared to Western rates, prostate cancer incidence and mortality in China and Japan is extremely low; in fact, they are as low as the breast cancer rates in those countries. The low rates in soyfood consuming countries provided initial motivation for investigating the impact of soy intake on prostate cancer risk.
	In vitro, the main soybean isoflavone genistein inhibits the growth of testosterone-dependent and independent prostate cancer cells. It also reduces the ability of prostate cancer cells to metastasize independent of cell growth inhibition. In addition, in a dose-dependent manner genistein decreases the growth of human-patient benign prostatic hypertrophy tissue and prostate tumors in histoculture. Although the epidemiologic literature is limited, studies in Hawaii, California, and China, have recently found soy intake to be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.

	有關大豆對健康裨益的最新科學研究馬克.莫西納博士（馬克.莫西納博士講詞節錄）
	引言
	過去十年來，由於大豆據稱對健康帶來良多裨益，西方國家人士一直對其趨之若鶩，相關大豆食品所受追捧的程度與日俱增。根據聯合大豆委員會（United Soybean Board）在二零零三年進行的調查顯示，有百分之二十八的受訪美國人表示每星期至少食用大豆食品一次；較一九九八年錄得的食用人數增加接近一倍。
	婦女健康行動（Women's Health Initiative）新近公佈服用荷爾蒙補充品的統計數據令人失望；因此，眾人把改善健康的焦點，集中於大豆食品。事實上，若干專家建議年齡介乎四十五至七十歲，正在服用荷爾蒙補充品的婦女，應終止有關治療。於此，不少婦女四出尋求可取代荷爾蒙補充品的產品，並嘗試轉用大豆食品。
	大豆食品提供豐富營養價值，在飽和脂肪偏低的同時，更加不具膽固醇成份。其大豆蛋白質的素質，可媲美動物蛋白質。由於大豆蛋白質備受推許，美國農業部在二零零零年決定於其全國學校午餐計劃中，容許以大豆蛋白質百分百取代動物蛋白質。
	在大豆蘊含的云云生物主要成份中，眾人的焦點無疑全皆投向異黃酮的身上，並往往被說成是大豆食品中據稱能促進健康的主要成份。然而，異黃酮跟雌激素可謂極之不同，其擁有的非荷爾蒙特質，尤其適合應用於防治癌症疾病。
	冠狀心臟病
	大豆蛋白質能有效降低膽固醇的人類實例，最早見於一九六七年。一九九九年，美國食物及藥物管理局（U.S. Food and Drug Administration）批准就大豆蛋白質可降低膽固醇發表健康聲明，並於翌年獲得美國心臟協會（American Heart Association）的支持，表示高膽固醇人士可試用大豆食品。二零零二年，英國亦根據聯合健康聲明行動（Joint Health Claims Initiative），准予發表有關大豆蛋白質的健康聲明。
	大豆蛋白質亦料可有助降低血壓，皆因一個新近進行的檢討發現，在經精心設計的測試中，有三分之二匯報錄得血壓下降的結果。據估計，只要能稍稍降低心臟血壓二至五mmHg，承受中風及冠狀心臟病的風險即能分別減低百分之六至十四，以及百分之四至九。此外，異黃酮對保護心臟，並有獨特好處。舉例說，有數據顯示異黃酮能提高大動脈的柔韌性，而具豐富異黃酮成份的大豆蛋白質，亦有助改善動脈的反應作用，阻止低密度脂蛋白氧化的發生。
	骨質疏鬆
	大豆蛋白質及大豆異黃酮對強健骨骼的成效仍在研究中。回溯於一九八零年代進行的無數短期臨床測試結果，大豆蛋白質能替代動物蛋白質，有助降低尿液中的鈣質含量。衡量到大部份婦女未能在日常飲食中達到吸收足夠鈣質的指標，大豆蛋白質在這方面的優勢無疑甚為吸引。更多的調查研究指出，異黃酮可有效防止骨質流失，能跟雌激素發揮相同的功用。
	乳癌
	對於大豆能擔當減低罹患乳癌機會的角色，建基於三個早期的觀察研究：（1）亞洲的乳癌發病率偏低；（2）動物研究發現把大豆加進老鼠的日常飲食中，可防止發生乳腺癌；以及（3）數據顯示弱性類同雌激素複合物如異黃酮，在若干實驗情況下可發揮抗雌激素的作用。此外，異黃酮更被公認為蘊含重要的非荷爾蒙特質，深具防治癌症疾病的潛力。
	從病源學來看，乳癌的成因跟早期生活因素有著不可分割的關係。舉例說，哺乳、曾經生育及早年懷孕，相信皆可減低罹患乳癌的風險。一個獲得動物實驗及流行病學支持的令人振奮的假定，就是越早食用大豆，就越能在生命早期為身體築起防禦網。
	跟美國動物研究結果如出一轍的是兩個對照研究個案。這兩個對照個案一個於中國上海進行，另一則在美國，但均涉及亞洲族裔。前者研究個案顯示，在青年時期食用大豆食品（每天11克大豆蛋白質），可把罹患乳癌的機率減低百分之五十，而在成年期才食用大豆食品則無關降低患病機會。至於後者研究個案方面，一生均食用大豆食品可減低風險達百分之三十五，而在步入成年期才食用大豆食品，則不具保護作用。
	更年期病症
	莫西納博士及曉治博士不久前曾為超過一千七百名婦女進行十九個實驗測試，以評估大豆食品與異黃酮補充品對更年期病症所起的作用。他們的分析剔除了六個測試，因為其中兩個涉及乳癌病人；兩個紀錄顯示潮熱的輕重程度而非頻率；另一個未受騷擾；而最後一個則沒有設定對照組別。在餘下的十三個測試中，他們發現初期的潮熱頻率與藥物治療功效在統計上有著明顯的關係。更須指出的是，它們的相互關係顯示，若婦女的初期潮熱頻率每天相等或多於五次，則每天每額外出現潮熱一次，潮熱頻率相對會下降約百分之五（不受安慰劑或對照的影響）。
	即是說，大豆及異黃酮能帶來適度的益處，但僅對經常出現潮熱情況的婦女而言。這意味在理論上若婦女每天出現潮熱八次，而其中四分一有典型的安慰劑反應，則食用大豆或異黃酮能有效改善情況達百分之四十，讓潮熱每天出現的次數由八次減至四或五次。
	認知能力
	在有食用大豆食品的東亞國家，痴呆病症的發病率遠較歐洲為低；而根據紀錄，住在夏威夷的日本男性患有痴呆病症的機會率，亦較日本本國男性為高。此外，相對居於西方的日本婦女，維持較傳統日本生活方式的日本女性擁有較佳的認知能力。
	這三個臨床測試顯示，異黃酮有助提升某方面的認知及記憶能力。
	前列腺癌
	前列腺癌是全球第四號癌病殺手，並在最常見男性癌症疾病榜上位列第六。然而，在世界不同地方，前列腺癌的病癥亦不盡同。相較西方國家的數據，前列腺癌在中國及日本的發病及死亡率極低；而事實上，後者的乳癌發病機會率同樣偏低，從而引發研究食用大豆產品對防治前列腺癌的相互關連。
	大豆中的主要異黃酮──金雀異黃酮，能防止睪丸素及各別前列腺癌細胞的增長，並能阻止細胞增生，減低前列腺癌細胞轉移的能力。此外，在藥物並行治療下，金雀異黃酮能減慢病人過度肥大的良性前列腺細胞及在細胞培植中前列腺腫瘤的生長。目前而言，即使流行病學在這方面的文獻有限，新近在夏威夷、美國加州及中國進行的研究顯示，食用大豆食品與減低發生前列腺癌關係密切。

	BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF SOY FOOD INTAKE ON BONE HEALTH Dr Suzanne C. Ho (Summary of Dr Ho's Speech)
	Although soy is a traditional food among Chinese with a history over 5000 years, data on its possible relation with health outcomes in the Asian population are still limited. Numerous scientific and medical studies in recent years reveal the many beneficial health effects of soybeans. These include improved lipid profiles, heart health, improvement or protection of hormonal dependent diseases/conditions such as menopausal symptoms, breast cancer, prostate cancer and possibly osteoporosis and improved cognitive functions. Comparisons between Asian and Western populations indicate that Asian populations with higher soy intake also have lower incidences of many of these diseases/conditions.
	The benefit of soy foods may be attributed to its components called phytoestrogens or isoflavones, of which soy is the most important dietary contributor. The School of Public Health and the Food and Nutritional Sciences Programme of The Chinese University of Hong Kong have initiated a series of studies looking into the health effects of soy and the intake profile in the population. Mean soy protein intake in the Hong Kong Chinese population is around 6-8 grams per day, with a range from about a mean intake of 2 grams per day in the low quartile intake group, to 18 gram per day in the high quartile intake group.
	One of the study topics is osteoporosis, an increasing public health problem in Hong Kong and Asia. Building up peak bone mass in childhood and adolescence and maintenance of bone mass in adulthood prevents fractures from osteoporosis in later life. Recent studies in 454 early postmenopausal Chinese women with a mean age of 55 years have observed that habitual high intake of soy foods is associated with higher bone mass in women beyond the first four years postmenopausal. Those in the highest soy intake quartile had 4-8% higher hip and total body bone mass compared to those in the lowest intake quartile.
	Another newly completed one-year intervention study has assessed the effects of calcium-fortified soymilk (375 ml/) on bone mass in local adolescent girls aged 14-16 years. About 100 girls received supplementation for one year, and another 100 girls as the control. The two groups had similar characteristics and bone mass at the beginning of the study. Girls receiving supplementation daily for one year had significantly higher percentage increase in hip bone mass compared with the control group. The mean percentage increase of bone mass at various sites of the hip ranged from 2.7% to 3.8% among the supplementation group, while that for the control group is 1.6% to 2.6%. The difference between the supplementation and control group ranged from 45% to 113%. The data indicate that calcium fortified soymilk intake could be an effective way of building up healthy bone in adolescent girls.

	大豆食品有助改善骨骼健康何陳雪鸚博士（何陳雪鸚博士講詞節錄）
	雖然進食大豆在中國歷史上已有五千年歷史，大豆對中國人來說是傳統的食品，但是有關大豆與健康的研究在亞洲地區並不多。近年來很多科學與醫學研究都顯示了大豆對身體的益處，包括改善血脂、心臟健康，改善及減低一些與賀爾蒙有關的疾病或不適，如更年期的徵狀、乳癌、前列腺癌，以及骨質疏鬆症及改善認知功能等。另外, 一些亞洲與西方的比較研究又顯示，在大豆攝取量較高的亞洲地區，與賀爾蒙有關的疾病或不適的發病率亦相對較低。
	大豆是植物性雌激素或大豆異黃酮的主要食物來源，大豆的益處可能與這些成份有關。香港中文大學公共衛生學院及食物及營養科學系曾進行一系列關於大豆攝取量及其對健康的影響的本地研究；香港人平均每日大豆蛋白攝取量約為六至八克，由最低平均每日二克至最高平均每日十八克。
	研究的其中一個課題是骨質疏鬆症，骨質疏鬆症是本港及其他亞洲地區日益嚴重的公共健康問題。在兒童期及青年期建立一個高的骨峰值，以及於成年後有效保持骨質密度，能防止在晚年由於骨質疏鬆症引致的骨折。中文大學最近進行了有關454名，平均年齡五十五歲的更年期後華人婦女之健康研究，發現在更年期後的頭四年，日常進食大豆食品較多的婦女，其髖骨及全身的骨質密度會較高。在攝取量最高四分值的婦女，其髖骨及全身的骨質密度會較最低四分值的婦女高4-8%。
	另一項為期一年有關加鈣豆奶補充對年青女性(年齡十四至十六歲)的骨骼健康之影響的評估研究將研究對象分為兩組，每組約一百人，兩組女性的特徵和骨質密度相似；其中一組每天獲提供三百七十五毫升的加鈣豆奶補充，另一組則沒有提供任何補充作為對照。一年後，接受加鈣豆奶補充的一組的髖骨密度增加幅度較對照組顯著地高，增加幅度為2.7% 至 3.8%，對照組則只有 1.6% 至 2.6%；兩者分別達 45% 至 113%。這些數據顯示進食加鈣豆奶對年青女性來說可能有助建立健康骨骼。

	SOY CONSUMPTION AND HEALTH OF PEOPLE IN CHINA Dr Keyou Ge (English Summary of Dr Ge's Speech)
	Introduction
	Soy originated in China thousands of years ago. Chinese nutrition scientists have found the enormous health benefits of soy and soyfoods.
	Production and consumption of soy in China
	In 1936, the total production of soy in China was 11.3 million tons. Subsequently the total production dropped to 5.086 million tons in 1949. That said, China ranked the world's second largest soy producer, accounting for 26.6% of the total production of soy in the world. Due to different reasons, China's production of soy reached 7.63 million tons in 1970 and 10.18 million tons in 1980.
	In 2000, the total production of soy in China was 15.41 million. China ranked the fourth largest soy producer in the world, accounting for 9.5% of its total production.
	In terms of soy resource per capita in China, it was 15.2 kg per capita in 1950s; 10.9 kg in 1987; and then rose to 11.9 kg in 1997.
	Taking the number for year 1997 as an example, China's soy resource per capita was 47.4% of the world's average of 25.1 kg.
	In 1992, the average individual consumption of soy and soyfoods was 1.20 kg and 2.88 kg, respectively, in China.
	According to the national nutrition surveys in 1982 and 1992, the consumption of soy for Chinese people decreased.
	Based on China's Statistics Year Book and agricultural research data, the average annual consumption of soyfoods in urban areas of the Mainland China has remained relatively stable after 1992.
	There's an imbalance and a gap between China's production and consumption of soy.
	Promotion of soy for health improvement for infants, children and youth in China
	In the early 1950s, Zhou Qi-yuan, a Chinese nutritionist, and his colleagues had conducted research and nutrition studies on the milk substitute in the market. As a result, they successfully used soy to produce the "5410 milk substitute". This milk substitute, with soy and rice as key components, contained vitamins A, D and others. Studies and experiments have proved that the "5410 milk substitute" helped infants to maintain good appetite and digestion as well as normal physical growth and excellent health condition. This was a clear evidence of promoting soy to improve the health of infants, children and youth in China.
	Implementation of the "Soy Action Project" in China
	Recent surveys in China revealed that nutrition problems existed in approximately 40 per cent of primary and high school children in rural areas with low protein intake. They suffered from marked calcium deficiency and high prevalence of anemia.
	A joint-action program titled "Soy Action Project", with the approval of the State Council, was initiated and implemented in China by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Health, the National Commission of Education and the Association of Light Industries. 11,391 students, aged between 7-18, from 22 primary and high schools in 10 provinces participated in the project. According to the findings of the experiment, the health of these students was improved after drinking soymilk for three semesters.
	As a result, some provinces in China have strongly promoted the consumption of soymilk to enhance the health of the students. This is also a more feasible approach to improve the health of the students in poor rural areas of China.
	Benefits of soy-based diets
	From a Chinese medicine perspective, soy has been seen as a key component of health diets for many Chinese people who understand and appreciate the nutrition benefits of soyfoods. Examples of soyfoods will be used to demonstrate the sayings.

	中國人的大豆消費與健康葛可佑教授（葛可佑教授講辭節錄）
	引言
	大豆原產於中國，已有數千年的歷史。中國營養學家發現大豆和大豆製食品對身體健康有很大的益處。
	中國大豆的生產與消費
	在1936年，中國的大豆總產量為1,130萬噸，但1949年的產量跌至508萬6千噸。中國是世界第二大大豆生產國，佔全球總產量的26.6%。由於種種原因，中國在1970年的大豆產量為763萬噸，而1980年則為1,018萬噸。
	在2000年，中國的大豆產量為1,541萬噸，佔全球總產量的9.5%，居第四位。
	以中國人均佔有大豆資源計算，1950年代為15.2千克，1987年為10.9千克，至1997年增至11.7千克。
	以1997年的數字為例，世界的人均佔有大豆資源平均為25.1千克，而中國的數字是該平均值的47.4%。
	在1992年，中國平均每人消費1.20千克大豆及2.88千克大豆製食品。
	根據1982年及1992年的全國營養調查資料顯示，中國人的豆類消費在減少。
	另據中國統計年鑒和農業統計資料，1992年以後城鎮居民平均每人每年豆制品消費量比較穩定。
	中國大豆的生產能力和消費需求之間有不平衡的現象。
	應用大豆改善中國兒童和青少年的健康狀況
	在五十年代初，中國營養學專家周啟源和其同事對當時市場銷售的代乳品進行調研和營養評價。結果，他們成功地用大豆製成「5410代乳品」。這種以大豆和大米為主要原料的代乳品蘊含維生素A、D及其他營養素。研究和實驗証明
	「5410代乳品」能夠幫助兒童維持良好食慾和消化情況、發育正常及保持健康體魄。這是利用大豆去改善中國兒童及青少年健康的典範。
	中國「大豆行動計劃」的實施
	最近的調研報告指出，近百分之四十的農村地區中小學生因缺乏蛋白質而產生營養問題，大多數問題是缺乏鈣質及貧血。
	為此，國家食物與營養諮詢委員會提出建議，經國務院批准，農業部、衛生部、國家教委、中國輕工總會共同組織實施了“大豆行動計劃”。在10個省共22所中小學選了11,391名年齡由7至18歲的學生進行試點工作，每個學生每天喝一杯豆奶，持續三個學期。試驗完成後發現學生們的健康狀況均有改善。
	結果，中國其他省份都銳意推廣以飲用豆奶來改善學生的健康，這也是改善中國貧窮地區學生健康的較可行方法。
	大豆食品與食療
	從中醫的角度來看，大豆是健康飲食的主要成份，廣為瞭解和欣賞其營養價值的中國人所食用。各類大豆製食品都具備不同的保健功能，可以改善身體健康。
	據歷史記載，公元前200年中國已經開始用大豆製作食品。前漢書籍中就有劉安做豆腐的記載。中國傳統大豆食品可分為發酵豆製品與非發酵豆製品。發酵豆制品包括腐乳類、豆豉類、豆醬類、醬油類。非發酵製品包括豆漿、豆腐、腐竹及由豆腐和腐竹進一步加工而成的各類豆製品。
	各類大豆製食品有以下不同的保健功能：
	大豆
	性平味甘，具健脾寬中，潤燥利水之功效。綜合各家如漢代《神農本草經》、梁代《名醫別錄》和明代李時珍的觀點，大豆有以下三大功能：
	(一) 益氣養血，氣血虛弱者宜之。
	(二) 健脾寬中，下氣利大腸。治疳積下利，消化不良。
	(三) 潤燥消水，治水脹、小便不利。
	豆腐
	性涼味甘，具寬中和脾，生津潤燥，清熱解毒之功效。豆腐性涼能清火，肺熱痰黃，咽痛，胃熱口臭，便秘者較適宜。此外，豆腐亦有作為藥用，《本草綱目》載其功用為「寬中益氣、和脾胃、消脹滿、下大腸濁氣及清熱散血」等。
	豆漿
	性平味甘，補虛潤燥，具清肺化痰之功效。《本草綱目拾遺》載其功能為「清咽、祛膩、解鹽鹵毒。」久食可使人肌細膚白。
	豆芽
	豆芽煮食味甘性寒，中醫認為入脾、胃、膀胱，有利濕清熱之效。主治胃氣積結、胃中積熱、水腫疼痛、濕痺筋攣膝痛、破婦人惡血等。黃豆經水侵出芽後，某些營養素的含量與豆相比有所改變。在豆芽的子葉部分，維生素C的含量大有增加。在蔬菜短缺的冬季不失為好的維生素C的食物來源。
	腐竹
	性平味甘，有清肺養胃之功效。《飲食辨》中提到腐竹不但無油，更精華之萃也。諸病宜之，熱病津液枯少，病後大便常結，及孕婦尤宜。
	豆腐乳
	性平味甘，具養胃調中之功效。病中、病後、脾胃虛弱及納食不香者，食用豆腐乳及新梗米粥，可開胃醒脾，能助胃氣，使消化功能早日恢復。
	豆豉
	豆豉是整粒大豆經蒸煮，發酵而成的調味豆制品，味道鮮美，既可調味，又能入藥。據《本草綱目拾遺》，「豆豉主解煩熱、熱毒、寒熱、虛勞、調中、發汗、通關節、殺腥氣、治傷寒鼻塞。」食用豆豉，可開胃增食，消積化食，驅風散汗。
	大豆食療方劑
	歷代中醫不僅對大豆的食療作用有極高的評價，而且針對不同症狀和疾病，形成一系列的食療方劑，應用於疾病的治療和症狀的緩解，現列舉數例如下：
	防治感冒
	大豆一把，干香菜一錢（或蔥白3根），白蘿卜3片，水煎溫服。
	習慣性便秘
	大豆皮4兩，每日一劑，水煎分三次服。
	瘧疾
	豆腐3塊炒熟，鵝不食草9克，於發作前3小時服食。適於持久性瘧疾症。
	肺結核
	澤瀉鮮莖葉共豆腐煮食，每日1劑，連服1～2月可愈。
	寧嗽補血
	豆漿煮沸沖雞蛋花，加白糖適量，每日晨起空腹服。
	總結
	各種大豆制食品功能略有不同，用其補益氣血時宜煮食之，或與其它補益食物如肉類、黃花等同煮食。用其健脾消食，潤燥利水時，則宜用豆漿。用其通利大便時可生用。