Example of Complex Issue Affecting Human Consumption

Example of Complex Issue Affecting Human Consumption

Background

Soybeans provide essential nutrients and bioactive compounds vital for human health. Developing, producing, and providing soy-rich foods to promote health and well-being across the lifespan will stimulate new markets and consumer interest for soybeans. There is an opportunity to link innovations in soybean production and manufacturing with increased animal and human consumption and health.

Processed soybeans are not only consumed by humans, but are used as animal feed. The changes in fatty acid desired by farmers to address animal growth could have an impact on human digestibility and bio-utilization of the meat and products such as eggs and milk.

Classic and emerging nutrition research progressively discovers health-promoting attributes of soybeans as rich sources of protein, essential fats, vitamins, minerals, and varied botanical compounds. Increased human consumption is linked with disease prevention and treatment, including bone and muscle wasting (osteoporosis and sarcopenia), cancer (prostate, colon, and breast), cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and possibly altered brain function. Today, advances in agricultural biotechnology allow growers to produce soybeans with specific beneficial traits to enhance the availability, variety, and nutritional value of soy-rich foods and beverages. However, the successful use of soybeans to improve human health must be integrated with biotechnology-driven profitability and sustainability across the value chain, from farm to kitchen – from seed to stomach.

Limitations to Value Realization

There appears to be a gap in capturing and/or understanding value from the farm to kitchen. Clearly, it’s in the best interest of companies and researchers within the value web to develop products that have value from seed to stomach, but most companies aren’t integrated or positioned to leverage or conduct research to understand the benefits. Associations such as the Indiana Soybean Association (ISA) and United Soybean Board (USB) are helping to forge these links through research grants, but products and processes are left on the proverbial table due to the nature of the value chain.

Problem Overview

As the soybean industry evolves with new varieties of soybean (e.g., high oleic acid content), adjustments in growing practices to changing environmental conditions (e.g., more robust swings in temperature, water availability, plant diseases, etc.), and utilizes genetic engineering to produce genetically modified foods, the impact on the animals and humans who consume these soybeans and soy-based products often receives limited high-quality scientific assessment and evaluation.

One example of an issue is the indirect impact on humans from consuming flesh foods from animals which have been fed high-oleic soybeans. The change in fatty-acid content in the animal flesh (meats) would alter the types of fatty acids consumed by humans, which could influence a person’s blood lipid-lipoprotein profile and disease risk.

Research towards a solution

Within Purdue University and around the country, researchers are tackling problems such as this and are positioned to impact issues in advance of a products release into the market. The Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI; is a statewide collaboration of Purdue University, Indiana University, and the University of Notre Dame, as well as public and private partnerships. The CTSI includes human clinical research centersand has time-tested strength to help researchers develop ideas/hypotheses into well-designed translational research projects; provide access to protocol development, pilot funding, biostatistics, IRB/regulatory, and human research support (including nursing and dietary services).

A USB $10,000 pilot grant (Dr. Connie Weaver) in the 1990s launched a series of studies demonstrating the utility of soybean components to increase mineral absorption and bone integrity in animals and humans. Out of this work, NIH awarded Purdue a Botanicals Research Center for Age Related Diseases where researchers were the first to show functional improvement (increased dietary calcium absorption) with diet-induced changes in gut microbiota. Researchers are positioned to assess how soy influences gut microbiota and improves bone, heart, and kidney health. These translational studies could include proof of principal and mechanistic studies in rodents and swine, complemented by studying humans across the lifespan and spectrum of health. For example, the development of low-phosphorus, high fiber soybeans may help the 10% of American adults and 8-16% worldwide who have some level of chronic kidney disease.

For the past 20 years, Dr. Wayne Campbell has studied how dietary proteins from soy, dairy, egg, and meat sources affect skeletal muscle responses to resistance training in older adults and weight loss in overweight/obese adults at risk of metabolic syndrome.These proteins are extensively used in the multi-billion dollar food and beverage supplement and meal replacement categories for athletic performance, weight control, and healthy aging.

Unfortunately, soy-based protein is often considered inferior to animal-based proteins to stimulate muscle growth, in part due to lower amounts of the branch chair amino acids (especially leucine) and is experimentally used as a ‘control’ protein. A Soybean Center could be poised to help the soybean industry develop and assess soybeans with enriched amino acid profiles, and to systematically understand how soybeans can effectively promote the uptake and utilization of nutrients beyond amino acids in humans. For example, emerging research suggests omega-3 fatty acids augment protein synthesis and dietary carotenoid absorption, and new research could position the soybean industry to capitalize on thesetypes of health-promoting effects.

It takes more than research—educating doctors, the public, and policy makers through outreach programs is critical to increasing consumption of well-tested and beneficial soy products. It all begins with knowledge obtained throughout the Value Web. Purdue Extension and industry may partner to develop and disseminate programs and materials to educate Indiana residents on agriculture, natural resources, and human health related to soybeans. Innovative teaching tools available for use could includeZiptrips: electronic fieldtrips for school children (

museum quality exhibits that start at the Indiana state fair and then go on national tour; and computer-based interactive discussions via webinars for state and national extension educators.