Soybean Oil: Complete Mineral Profile

Soybean Oil ‐ Mineral Information

Introduction

Soybean oil is a type of vegetable oil which can be added to the diet in order to provide essential minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. Soybean oil is high in polyunsaturated fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, it is also particularly rich in Vitamin E. The many beneficial properties of soybean oil have made it a popular choice among health conscious individuals. In addition to providing a range of beneficial components, it has been found that soybean oil contains several important minerals including calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. This paper will look into these minerals and consider their importance when making dietary decisions.

Calcium

Calcium is an essential mineral for human bodies with 99% of the body’s calcium stored within our bones and teeth. It assists in muscle contraction, helps regulate nerve transmission, supports enzyme activation and plays a role in blood clotting. While most people associate dairy products as being the primary source of calcium, a single tablespoon of soybean contains around 26mg of calcium. Given this contribution, soybean oil could then potentially assist in meeting daily recommendations for dietary intake of 1200 – 1500mg for adult females, thus ensuring bone and dental health.

Phosphorus

Achieving regular adequate amounts of phosphorus from one’s diet is vital for strong bones, teeth and hormonal functioning. Phosphorus helps strengthen cell membranes and give structure and strength to genetic material and skeletal tissues. A single tablespoon of soybean provides 54 micrograms of phosphorus, contributing to the overall health goal for adults aged 19 to 70 years old is 700 mg per day.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays an important role in more than 300 metabolic processes in the body, including assisting energy production, protein synthesis and proper nutritional absorption. Whilst some foods are better sources of magnesium than others, they all supply small quantities. Soybean oil provides 17mg/tbsp of this essential mineral. For adult males over 31 years old, there needs to be 350 - 400mg of dietary input each day, whilst adult women of the same age should strive for 310 - 320mg.

Iron

Iron is one of the most common deficiencies worldwide noting its abundance in red meats. Iron deficiency anaemia afflicts around 1.7 billion people globally. Adults aged 19 to 50 require 8 grammes of iron each day and therefore vegetarians especially need to pay special attention to what other types of food they are eating to ensure good health. Soybean oil supplies 0.007 milligrams per tablespoon, yet combined with other vegetarian options that can supply larger doses, may contribute well against deficiency.

Zinc

Zinc is another mineral which is abundant in animal proteins but can nonetheless be obtained from plant based oils too. Zinc is fairly abundant in soybean oil (0.59 milligram per tbsp) and helps with DNA formation, cellular growth and maintenance, along with regulation of activities within genes. Adult males need between 11 and 13 milligrams of zinc each day dependent upon age group, while females need 9-11 milligrams.

Copper

The final mineral sourced through soybean oil is Copper. It serves many biological functions including assisting with biochemical reactions involved in energy production and concentrations necessary for maintenance of healthy blood vessels. Furthermore limited levels of copper can result in issues with skin discolouration and disrupted glucose metabolism. 15 milligrams per day (of Copper) are recommended by health authorities and a single tablespoon of soybean oil contributes 0.010 milligrams towards this total per day.

Conclusion

In conclusion, soybean oil provides a noteworthy amount of minerals when compared to other plant sources. In considered quantitative terms, just one tablespoon of soybean oil meets 2.9% (CA), 7.7% (P), 4.8% (MG), 0.4% (FE), 5.2% (ZN) and 0.6% (CU) of the Daily Reference Intakes for adult humans. For those looking for an increase in nutrition going beyond simple calorie intake and vitamin content, use of sustainable sources of polyunsaturated fat like soybean oil can fulfil part of any complete diet plan.