Soybean oil : uses, properties and role in human health

The soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) has become one of the most used agricultural products in the world as an ingredient in human and animal nourishment. One important product obtained from soybean is its oil, considering that the grain contains around 18-21 wt% of oil. This book reviews the uses, properties and role in human health of soybean oil. Chapter One explores feasible spectroscopy procedures which could be handled through chemometric methods in the evaluation of soybean oils. Chapter Two describes the synthesis of plastic foams based on epoxidized soybean oil, which were further reinforced with short sisal fibers to yield completely biodegradable natural polymer foam composite material. Chapter Three reviews the uses and properties of soybean oil and describes the authors' clinical experience in this role in human health. Chapter Four discusses the effects of fresh and heated soybean oil on cardiovascular disease which includes dyslipidemia, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.