BULLETIN No. 182. 



DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY. 



SOY BEANS {GLYCINE HISPIDA) AS HUMAN FOOD. 



BY ARAO ITANO. 



INTRODUCTION. 



For centuries the importance of soy beans as human food has been 

 well known in oriental countries. Kellner,i Atwater ^ and others ^ bear 

 testimony to this importance by their studies of the chemical composi- 

 tion, digestion and assimilation. Soy beans have furnished the chief 

 source of protein to the people of Japan and China; they are in universal 

 use, and have played the role of meat and milk for these nations. A lack 

 of animals, the economic conditions and rehgious rites have all had their 

 influence in making soy beans the leading protein food crop in this, one 

 of the most densely populated sections of the globe. Although a great 

 favorite and very important, the position of the white bean of the United 

 States is scarcely comparable with the conspicuous place occupied by the 

 soy bean in these eastern countries. It is the richest, cheapest and most 

 productive of aU legumes, and is prepared by nearly as many methods for 

 human consumption as cow's milk. 



At this particular time, when this country as well as others is searching 

 out economical food and food production, it may be well to inquire into 

 this article of food and its methods of preparation for humans, for it is 

 doubtless one of the most promising in sight. 



This being a popular presentation, the technical and theoretical dis- 

 cussions of the subject will be held for future treatment. Not only from 

 the standpoint of food supply, but also from the standpoint of nitrogen 

 supply to the soil and industrial uses, the soy bean occupies a very im- 

 portant place. 



1 O. Kellner: U. S. Dept. Com., Bur. For. and Dom. Com., Special Agents Series, No. 84, 

 Pt. I., 35. 



2 W. O. Atwater: Farmers' Bull. No. 142, 1902, U. S. Dept. of Agr. 



3 The Japanese investigations. Bulletins from College of Agriculture, Tokyo and Sapporo, 

 Japan. 



