1. Native to East Asia
2. 55% of them are grown here in the United States in 29 states
3. In 1804, a Yankee clipper ship brought soybeans to the U.S.
4. During the civil war, soldiers used soybeans as "coffee berries" to brew "coffee" when real coffee was scarce.
5. In 1904, at the Tuskeegee Institute in Tuskeegee, AL, George Washington Carver began studying the soybean
6. High in protein and fiber and low in carbohydrates - good for anyone on the Atkins Diet
7. Photochemical in soybeans prohibit blood clot formation and it has anti-inflammatory properties - suffer from strokes or arthritis
8. Good source of calcium, magnesium, lecithin, riboflavin, thiamin, folic acid and iron
9. Studies have shown that soybeans may help to protect against osteoporosis -  because they are high in calcium
10. Soy protein is the only vegetable whose protein is complete
11. It has the ability to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels
12. Soybeans also are a rich source of isoflavones, plant chemicals that have a mild estrogen like hormonal effect on the body - the thinking is the consumption of soybeans by Asian women has something to do with the fact that they suffer less from menopause than American Women who consume much less (or none at all)
13. You can find them as Edamame, Mature Soybeans, Dried Soybeans and Soy nuts – Edamame is my favorite – Soy flour, Tofu, soy sauce, vegetable oil and Soy Milk – however the Soy Milk doesn’t contain significant amounts of calcium
14. Soybeans, along with peanuts and sweet potatoes, were planted to replenish the soil with nitrogen and minerals where cotton is grown.
15. Soybeans are also used in oils, soap, cosmetics, resins, plastics, inks, crayons, solvents and biodiesel.

 Negative aspects of soybeans:

1. Soy Milk should not be fed to infants - it doesn't provide enough nutrients and they could starve to death
2. Soy allergies are the most common type of food allergies
3. Soybeans have the highest levels of phytic acid, an anti-nutrient, of any studied grain or legume and are thought to be toxic by some researchers
4. The isoflavones in soybeans are thought to depress the thyroid function
5. Soybeans are one of the plants that have and is being genetically altered

For some strange reason Ayn Rand’s book “Atlas Shrugged” comes to mind whenever I think about soybeans