Fermented soy foods (Glycine Max (Merrill) L.): economical importance, health impacts and effect associated to isoflavones and its sugars

Abstract

Brazil is one of the greaters soybean (Glycine max (Merrill) L.) exporting of the world, with an approach production of 56.7 million tons for harvest 2006/2007. Although so the soy represents great importance for the agricultural economy of the country, its use as raw material for elaboration of food products, or still, as source of innumerable food ingredients, but has been little used to advantage for the Brazilian industry. Evidences suggest that the soy consumption is associated with the benefits to the human health, thus the inclusion of this seed as part of the daily diet is highly recommendable. The population of eastern Asia consumes the soy in the traditional food form the 2000 years ago, and such products are in the fermented and unfermented forms. This review had as objective to present the main fermented soy products and to discuss the physiological effects associated to isoflavones and its sugars.