THIS superfood can help loose weight and lower cholesterol levels

Ever wondered where the food wastes go or if it’s actually waste? You will be surprised to know that not every food waste is invaluable. In fact there is one particular food made out of these scraps, that can actually help you reduce weight.

From the peel of a banana to the watermelon seeds, there are things which are still edible, but people choose to throw it out. Researchers have recently discovered such a super-food made out of the “waste” left behind after turning soybeans into soy milk or tofu. According to the studies, these left overs can be fermented and turned into a health food with promising potential.

Scientist in Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Waseda University in Japan came up with a study that shows that the pulp-like waste left behind from soybeans, can help improve fat metabolism, manage obesity and even lower cholesterol. This pulpy waste is called Okara.

According to the experts, almost 14 million tons of okara are produced every year which can be put to great usage. It can be a helpful solution to both the human health and environmental health.

While it may sound strange, but okra is actually a very popular ingredient in many Japanese dishes. It contains high amount of protein, fiber and calcium.

Although okara can be consumed in its unfermented state, researchers have found that the fermented version of it has more protein and antioxidants. However, a less amount of soluble fiber was found in the fermented okara. This particular food can be fermented with the similar process used to make miso or tempeh.

Health Benefits Of Okara

More research on it is still to be done to find the exact effects of it on human health. However, the recent observation was performed on a mice and the results are quite promising.

For starters, these observation showed that okara might have the ability to help manage body weight and improve fat metabolism.

For the studies, the mice were grouped into four different diet types; a normal diet, a high-fat diet with fermented okara, a high-fat diet without okara, and a diet with unfermented okara. After three weeks of the study the mice showed visible results such as the ones who were fed fermented okara, gained the least amount of body weight compared to the other groups.

The group that was fed the fermented type of okara, also showed lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. This proves that fermented okara can prevent heart disease and instead keep it healthy.

Okara For Human

The research on human is still pending, hence, the results hold up for human-based studies. Meanwhile, the team of researchers from NTU and Waseda are working with other companies to come up with okara-based snacks and easier ways to consume it. However, it’s powder forms are available in supermarkets, giving you a chance to start something new and unique.

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