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Soy Protein Bars Contain Isoflavones

A lot of people believe that protein derived from soy beans is particularly healthy for you.

Therefore, they are looking for soy protein bars to provide that nutrition in a convenient form.

One reason for thinking soy is healthier is that it's a major form of food of the people of Okinawa the longest-living people on average in the world. Japanese in general are very healthier, but the people on the island on Okinawa are generally healthier than mainland Japanese.

And they eat about 100 grams of soy protein daily on average.

Many people are vegetarian or vegan and need additional protein because they aren't eating animal foods. Soy beans are extremely high in protein content, despite being a plant food. They're the only plant food which contains more protein than carboyhydrates.

Soy has another virtue which those of us on the Zone diet and anybody who wants to limit their insulin levels -- which should be everybody -- it contains a lot of a amino acid which causes your body to release more of the hormone glucagon.

Glucagon is the hormone that balances insulin. It tells your body to release stored carbohydrates to burn them for fuel. This keeps carbs from being added by insulin to your fat cells, plus keeps you from feeling hungry.

Soy also contains isoflavones, which are phytochemicals that research indicates help your body prevent certain diseases.

However, be aware that soy isoflavones mimic the hormone estrogen, leading some people to warn against eating soy foods, especially men. That's because, although men are supposed to have some estrogen, the ratio of testosterone to estrogen is supposed to remain about nine to one. These critics maintain that men eating soy foods reduces this ratio, resulting in the "feminization" of males.

Other people say that the small amounts of soy isoflavones in bars is not enough to make a different or is outweighed by their health benefits.

Besides, there's no evidence that Okinawan men are being feminized. They're just a lot healthier and live longer.

One of the leading company making soy snack foods is Genisoy. Their bar lines are: Genisoy, Ultra bars, Protein Crunch Bars, and Organic bars.

Genisoy bars contain 14 grams of soy protein. The flavors are: Cookies & Cream, Crispy Chocolate Mint, Creamy Peanut Yogurt, Chunky Peanut Butter Fudge, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Cafe Mocha Fudge, Triple Layer Chocolate Almond, and Triple Layer Chocolate Caramel.

Ultra bars flavors: Chocolate Caramel, Chocolate Raspberry, Strawberry, and Tropical. These are intended to have a very flavor.

Protein Crunch bars contain only 2-3 grams of "impact" carbs -- which I think means it has more carbohydrates than that, but they're not counted because they allegedly have a low glycemic index. Flavors: Raspberry, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, and Chocolate.

Organic bars are 95% organic ingredients, and carry USDA organic seal. Flavors: Apple Cinnamon, Rich Chocolate, and Mixed Berry.

Eating soy protein bars are healthier than candy bars or fast food and certainly convenient.