The NSRL Bulletin is published three times a year by the National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, 170 Environmental and Agricultural Sciences Building, 1101 West Peabody Drive, Urbana, IL 61801; telephone (217)244-1706, FAX (217)244-1707. James B. Sinclair, interim director; Robert J. Wynstra, editor; Lynn Hawkinson Smith and Lorinda Dzielak, graphic designers.
Unless otherwise stated, articles may be reproduced or quoted if credit is given to the NSRL Bulletin. The views expressed in signed articles are those of the authors.
The National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois is an affirmative action and equal opportunity institution.
Presented by
College of Agriculture
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
National Soybean Research Laboratory
170 National Soybean Research Center
1101 West Peabody Drive
Urbana, IL 61801-4723
For years, credit for the first mention of soybeans in North America went to Dr. James Mease of Pennsylvania in 1804. But, a plant scientist turned detective has finally set the record straight with the discovery that the soybean was first introduced to North America on a plantation in Georgia during 1765.
Theodore Hymowitz,
professor of plant genetics at the University of
Illinois, examines a library text for new clues in his
search to unravel the history of the soybean. Besides
fulfilling intellectual curiosity, this effort can
provide important avenues to explore in the development
of the soybean as an increasingly important crop.
Theodore Hymowitz is widely known for his numerous expeditions to Oceania and Asia in search of wild relatives of the soybean. In his spare time, he also has become a respected authority on the history of the soybean from ancient to modern times.
These studies concerning the history of the soybean are conducted on his own time and without any grant funds. Currently, he is writing a book about the introduction of the soybean in North America.
Hymowitz recently shared his perspectives on the long and elusive history of the soybean as part of the fall seminar series at the National Soybean Research Laboratory. His witty and provocative presentation was highlighted by the story of the first introduction of the soybean in America.
Until 1981, the
earliest known mention of the soybean in North America
was an 1804 report by Dr. James Mease that soybeans grew
well in Pennsylvania. Then, Hymowitz and a colleague,
Jack Harlan, ran across a mention of Chinese vetches and
six bottles of soy in the 1769 minutes of the American
Philosophical Society for the Promotion of Useful
Knowledge.
The chance reading of that one sentence led to months of research, Hymowitz says. We searched through long forgotten historical records. All of our research was from original documents--things like wills, court records, correspondence, and ships logs.
Hymowitz and Harlan traced this mention of Chinese vetches to a man named Samuel Bowen. Records showed that Bowen had sailed on a British ship that reached Canton, China in 1759. He later claimed to have spent four years as a prisoner in China, being carried more than 2,000 miles from place to place across the interior of the country. In 1763, Bowen returned to London.
The next year, he immigrated to Savannah in the Colony of Georgia and apparently brought samples of the soybean with him. Bowen married a socially-prominent Savannah women and purchased a 450-acre tract of land known as Greenwich.
Before his own land was ready, Bowen asked Henry Yonge, the surveyor general of Georgia, to plant the soybean seeds he had brought from China. Hymowitz found a record in Yonge s correspondence of the first planting of soybeans on North American soil in 1765 on Skidaway Island near Savannah.
Yonge reported
that the pease or vetch Bowen had brought from China grew
well and produced three crops the first year. He
concluded that the plant would be of great utility and
advantage to this and his Majesty s other southern
American provinces.
Bowen later planted soybeans on his own plantation and used the crop to make vermicelli and soy sauce, which he exported to England for several years. In recognition of this commercial effort, he was awarded a gold medal from the Society of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce in Savannah.
Bowen also received a gift of 200 guineas from King George III and a British patent for his new methods of preparing products from plants grown in North America. This first experiment in soybean production and exportation apparently ended when Bowen, a confirmed loyalist, died in London on December 30, 1777.
The story of the early introduction of the soybean in North America, however, does not stop with Samuel Bowen. Instead, the focus shifts to one of the most remarkable figures of early American colonial life--Benjamin Franklin. Hymowitz has uncovered a letter written by Franklin during 1770 in which he mentions sending soybeans home from England.
Benjamin Franklin has been glorified as sending all sorts of items back from England, he says. This includes rhubarb seeds and soybeans. So, the second introduction of the soybean can be credited to Benjamin Franklin.
In addition to unraveling the story of the soybean in North America, Hymowitz has delved deeply into the myths and realities of the soybean s origins as a crop in ancient China. And, through his years of researching the history of the soybean, he has found that there is much more to be gained from this effort than merely satisfying intellectual curiosity.
Understanding of the origin, evolution, and history of a crop plant such as the soybean provides important clues for potential avenues to explore in the future development of that crop, he concludes.
We often receive expressions of interest and concern about the role of the National Soybean Research Laboratory. Briefly, we would like to explain what the NSRL is, what it is not, and what we would like it to be.
The NSRL represents a joint investment by the Federal government and the University of Illinois totaling more than $10 million. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided $5 million of that amount through a special grant for remodeling. The University contributed the building, which was valued at more than $5 million. The University also pays the costs of operating and maintaining the facility.
The special grant from the USDA did not include support for the ongoing programs at the NSRL. Like other research programs, those at the NSRL are funded by various agencies, institutions, organizations, and private firms. The University and the Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board currently provide funds for the interim director and his support staff.
Some of the scientists at the NSRL are employed by the USDA/Agricultural Research Service, and some are University of Illinois scientists associated with the Departments of Agronomy, Plant Pathology, and Food Science, the Office of Agricultural Entomology, and the USAID-funded INTSOY program. Other scientists are part of the Illinois Natural History Survey, a separate state agency located on the University of Illinois campus.
The NSRL also houses the interim director and his staff, including a marketing and communications program aimed at enhancing the public visibility of soybean organizations and soybean research efforts. The director is expected to play a development role by obtaining support for soybean research and support systems, not only for the University of Illinois but also for pro-grams of other institutions and agencies.
Among other activities, the NSRL is expected to take a role in acquiring, building, maintaining, and providing access to databases that contain information of use to all soybean decision-makers. We are working with leaders in the soybean industry to identify ways in which the NSRL can best serve all members of the national soybean community. The external advisory committee will play a key role in shaping the direction of future NSRL programs.
The NSRL definitely is not, nor do we aspire for it to be, the soybean research program of the nation. There are many other institutions and agencies with important research programs and leading soybean researchers. We do not want to replace or duplicate things that others are doing well.
We are committed to finding ways by which the NSRL can help enhance existing soybean research programs, so as to make the total U.S. effort more efficient, effective, and beneficial to the entire soybean industry and to consumers of soybeans and soybean products. By doing that, we will have lived up to the expectations of those who created the NSRL.
The statistics on cancer are grim. Almost one of every three people will develop the disease sometime in their life. In the United State alone, there are 1.2 million new cases of cancer diagnosed each year. Deaths from cancer in the United States now run as high as 500,000 annually.
But, according to nutrition consultant Mark Messina, the data from a number of studies show a promising relationship between soybean consumption and reduction in the risk of cancer.
A growing amount of data suggests that as little as one serving of soy per day reduces cancer risk, he says. That's the equivalent of one- half cup of tofu, one ounce of soy nuts, or a cup of soy milk. Consuming even small amounts of soy flour, concentrates, and textured protein in the form of bakery goods is one potential way to achieve the desired effect.
Messina, who is a former program director in the diet and cancer branch of the National Cancer Institute, made his remarks as part of the fall seminar series at the National Soybean Research Laboratory. His appearance was co-sponsored by the Functional Foods for Health Program at the University of Illinois.
Messina holds a Ph.D. in nutrition from Michigan State University. In 1990, he organized a workshop on the role of soy in cancer prevention, which resulted in the allocation of $3 million toward research on soybeans. During 1991-1992, he served as head of the Designer Foods Program at the National Cancer Institute.
Since 1992, he has devoted full time to the study of the health benefits of soy foods. He writes extensively on the subject and has given more than 50 presentations to consumer and professional groups. He is the author, along with his wife Virginia Messina and Kenneth Setchell, of a new book titled The Simple Soybean and Your Health.
During his presentation at the NSRL, Messina pointed to the components known as isoflavones as the key ingredients for the reduction in cancer risk from eating soy foods. This group of compounds are similar in structure to the female sex hormone estrogen. Most importantly, isoflavones are found in abundance in the protein portion of soybeans.
The isoflavones are the most likely explanation for the apparent anti-cancer effects of soy, he says. Soybeans basically are a unique source of isoflavones. On average, a single serving of soy contains nearly 40 milligrams of isoflavones.
Asia is the one area of the world where soy foods make up a substantial part of the diet. Studies over a number of years have confirmed that the Asian rate of breast cancer is much lower than in the West. The breast cancer rate in Japan, for example, is about one-fourth the rate in the United States.
Such studies cannot definitively point to soybeans as the cause of this lower rate, Messina says. But, the results certainly are consistent with the notion that soy intake reduces cancer risk.
With the heightened scientific interest in isoflavones, a number of researchers are conducting studies on the effects of eating soy foods. One recent controlled study in Singapore showed a 50 percent reduction in breast cancer risk among women who ate just 55 milligrams of soy protein per day. Other research has linked soy consumption with a reduced risk of prostate cancer in Japan and lung cancer in China.
This is really astounding in my opinion, Messina says. We now have data that suggests just how potent the isoflavones can be.
New research indicates that the isoflavone known as Genistein is especially effective for inhibiting the growth of cancer cells in vitro. To date, there have been nearly 100 studies looking at the effect of Genistein on cancer cell growth. The results show that Genistein can inhibit growth in a wide variety of cancer cells.
This is the most exciting aspect of the cancer-soy story, Messina says. Genistein clearly inhibits the activity of a number of enzymes that are innately involved in cancer cell growth and regulation. These findings have been responsible for the recent explosion of research on soybeans and cancer risk.
In addition, there are a number of intriguing studies that suggest that soy may have a role in treating existing tumors. Other recent research indicates that Genistein also may make chemotherapy more effective by allowing anti-cancer agents to remain longer in the nucleus of the cell.
Studies confirm that soy intake dramatically increases isoflavone levels in the body. Especially encouraging for the soybean industry is the fact that soybean varieties grown in the United States contain on average about twice the level of isoflavones as the varieties grown in Japan.
If you re eating soy, your probably getting a full supply of isoflavones, Messina says. Isoflavones are contained in soy protein, so soy oil and soy sauce would not count as cancer reducing servings of soy foods. But, consuming even small amounts of soy flour, concentrates, and textured protein would have the desired effect.
Most importantly, according to Messina, soy foods have a number of benefits aside from the potential for reducing the risk of cancer.
I feel quite comfortable recommending that people eat one serving of soy per day, he says. If you eat soy, your nutrient intake improves. Soy even reduces cholesterol, and it s completely non-toxic. There just doesn&39 t seem to be any downside to eating soy foods on a daily basis.
It was like a mini United Nations, are the words Jacqueline Phipps uses to describe the Soybean Processing for Food Uses course conducted on the University of Illinois campus by the International Soybean Program (INTSOY).
Phipps, who is from Jamaica, serves as a scientific officer working in quality control, research, and product development of edible oils. She is employed by Caribbean Products Company, Limited of Kingston. The company is a leading local manufacturer of cooking oils, margarines, and shortenings.
The month-long course she attended covers all aspects of small- and medium-scale processing of soybeans for use in human food and animal feed. Participants work in small groups in the processing pilot plant, the product development kitchen, and the analytical laboratory, where they put into practice the concepts discussed in the classroom sessions.
The course provides opportunities for the group members to interact among themselves and to share their experiences in soy preparation and utilization. Hearing firsthand reports from other course participants on conditions in different parts of the world helped Phipps discover that many countries face very similar problems.
We re all trying to find protein sources and improve diets for those below the poverty level, she says. There may be different languages and foods, but we re all in the same boat. I was really surprised by the diversity of uses for soy meal.
Phipps attended the University of the West Indies, where she received a bachelor s degree in chemistry. She came to the course seeking knowledge relevant to her present job and new information that might assist her colleagues in their work.
I expected to make contacts in my field, she says. I hoped the course would put me in touch with a lot of people who have expertise in my field. I came with many questions to ask.
Phipps attended the 1993 course with financial help from the U.S. Agency for International Development. Others in the course received support from soybean growers through the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board and the American Soybean Association.
The course was useful, but the real thing is the contacts it provides, she says. I didn&39 t want just course materials but channels, links, ways to make the information work.
Information from her visit and course participation is being shared with her professional colleagues in Jamaica through a series of reports and presentations. She is especially interested in introducing new techniques for quality control and for using sensory evaluation as a tool.
The INTSOY course was a great experience, Phipps says. The people were so nice, so accommodating. I really experienced America. I d definitely recommend it as a worthwhile experience. In fact, I d encourage it.
More than 150 people from 26 countries have attended the course over the last 15 years. Like Phipps, many course participants have developed lasting relationships with INTSOY in the development of soybean processing and utilization projects.
Past participants have opened their own businesses, developed and marketed new soybean products, and launched government soybean utilization programs. In recent years, many agribusiness representatives have attended the course because of its direct relevance to their needs.
The next soybean processing and utilization course is scheduled from May 17 to June 15, 1995. Additional information on the course and other INTSOY activities is available from the International Soybean Program, 169 National Soybean Research Center, 1101 West Peabody Drive, Urbana, Illinois 61801.
A fundamental characteristic of the National Soybean Research Laboratory is its commitment to serving the needs of soybean producers, processors, and consumers from every region of the country.
The boundaries of the laboratory extend far beyond the University and the state of Illinois, says James B. Sinclair, interim director of the NSRL. Every step of the way, we want consumers, farmers, processors, and commodity organizations from across the nation to be directly involved in shaping the agenda of the NSRL.
To meet this goal, the NSRL has an external advisory committee that represents major components of the national soybean industry, while at the same time providing the widest possible geographical perspective on the problems facing that industry. This newly reorganized committee will meet twice a year and will serve as the key component in developing the future programs of the NSRL.
The current Advisory Committee of the National Soybean Research Laboratory includes representatives from the following organizations:
American Soybean Association
John R. McClendon
American Oil Chemists Society
David L. Berner
Archer Daniels Midland Company
Edward Campbell
Cargill,Inc
David Cyrus
Center For Soybean Improvement
H. Roger Boerma
Central Soya, Inc.
Arthur Konwinski
Continental Grain Company
Sadru Dada
Illinois Farm Bureau
Allan Aves
Illinois Soybean Association
James R. Biddle
Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board
Ken Dalenberg
Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board
Rick Elliot
Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board
Alan Puzey
Indiana Soybean Development Council
Robert Brodbeck
Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
Robert Reeves
Iowa Soybean Promotion Board
Roger Carlson
Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council
Roger Peterson
National Agricultural Chemicals Association
Jay Vroom
National Milk Producers Federation
William Lenschow
National Oilseeds Processors Association
Ronald Moeller
North Carolina Soybean Producers Association
Darryl Corriher
North Central Soybean Research Program
David Schmidt
Protein Technologies International
Doyle H. Waggle
QARD, FGIS
Steven N. Tanner
Quincy Soybean Company
J. Richard Galloway
United Soybean Board
John Becherer
Ex Officio
Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board
W. Lyle Roberts
National Soybean Research Laboratory
James B. Sinclair
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