Soya is the richest natural vegetable food. The dried bean is 18–22% fat, 35% carbohydrate, and one hectare of soybeans yields 162 kg/357 lb of protein (compared with 9 kg/20 lb per hectare for beef). There are more than 1,000 varieties.
Soybeans are rich in the plant hormones phytoestrogens that in the human body seem to act to dilute the impact of the body's own oestrogens. As exposure to too much oestrogen increases the chances of developing certain cancers, particularly that of the breast, high consumption of soyaSoya Health Benefits products could provide some protection.