Tofu is a common soy product, rich in nutrients and also plays a certain role in conditioning for diseases. For example, when a person is ill and their appetite decreases, tofu can enhance appetite and aid in recovery. However, for some people, although tofu is delicious, it should not be eaten in excess. Do you know which groups of people should not eat too much tofu?
Tofu is also not suitable for everyone.
1. Cardiovascular Disease Patients
Soy products are rich in methionine, which can be converted to cysteine. Cysteine can damage the endothelial cells of arterial walls, making cholesterol and triglycerides more likely to deposit on the arterial walls, leading to arteriosclerosis. Therefore, patients with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases and older people should eat less tofu.
2. Gout Patients
Tofu contains a high amount of purines. For gout patients and people with high uric acid levels, eating too much tofu can easily trigger a gout attack, so it should be eaten as little as possible.
3. Iodine Deficiency Patients
The soybeans used to make tofu contain saponins, which can accelerate the body's metabolism and excretion of iodine. If large amounts of tofu are consumed long-term without supplementing iodine, it can easily lead to iodine deficiency and cause iodine deficiency disorders.
4. Kidney Disease Patients
Under normal circumstances, plant protein from food is metabolized, and most of it is eventually converted into nitrogenous waste, which is excreted by the kidneys. In older individuals or those with kidney problems, the kidneys' metabolic and excretory capacity is reduced. If dietary adjustments are not made and tofu is consumed long-term, the nitrogenous waste from the metabolism of plant protein in food will increase, further burdening the kidneys and being detrimental to health.