soybean

Also known as soya bean plant, soybean plant, soy bean plant, soy plant, soy, soya, soybeans, Glycine max

The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (Glycine max) is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed.

OverviewAI-generated

Glycine max, commonly known as soybean, is a species within the genus Glycine. It is classified as an annual plant and a useful plant. The taxon is also recognized as an allergen. Its scientific name is cited as L. Merr. or (L.) Merr. The organism is native to Zambia and has a range that includes Beijing, China, Fujian, and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Soybean serves as a source of soybean oil and is used as fodder, a medicinal plant, and a vegetable. Nutritional data for soy beans indicates they contain 27.3 grams of protein, 15.4 grams of fat, and 12.8 grams of carbohydrates per serving. The energy content is 134 kcal. The product has a Nutri-Score of b and a NOVA classification of 1.

The subject is referenced by 2,486 other encyclopedia articles. There are 70,847 PubMed entries related to soybean. Six products are categorized under soy beans in Openfoodfacts. The taxon is distinct from Vigna radiata.

Synthesized by Vinony from 48 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, iNaturalist, PubMed, Encyclopedia of Life, Plants of the World, Openfoodfacts, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Species

Soybean Looper Moth

species

FamilyFabaceae

Native toArgentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Paraguay, Uruguay

Observations12,037

Chile Central

via · Kew POWO

Key facts

Chinese.c: 大豆
Chinese.l: "large bean"
Chinese.p: dàdòu
Chinese.altname: Southern Chinese name
Chinese.s2: 黄豆
Chinese.t2: 黃豆
Chinese.l2: "yellow bean"
Chinese.p2: huángdòu
Chinese.j2: wong4-dau6
Chinese.y2: wòhng-dauh
Chinese.h2: vòng-theu
Chinese.poj2: n̂g-tāu
Chinese.kanji: 大豆
Chinese.kana: ダイズ
Chinese.romaji: daizu
Chinese.hanja: 大豆白太
Chinese.hangul: 대두백태(or 흰콩)메주콩
Chinese.lk: "large bean""white bean""bean for meju"

via Wikipedia infobox

Nutrition · Open Food Facts

Typical values per 100 g · averaged across 6 products

bNutri-Score

1NOVA · Unprocessed / minimally processed

Energy: 134 kcal
Fat: 15.4 g
— of which saturates: 2.2 g
Carbohydrates: 12.8 g
— of which sugars: 4.7 g
Fibre: 5.7 g
Protein: 27.3 g
Salt: 0.04 g

Browse on Open Food Facts →

via Open Food Facts · ODbL

Research

70,847 papers

Soybean seed protein storage vacuoles for expression of recombinant molecules.ReviewCurrent opinion in plant biology · 2023Vianna GR, Cunha NB, Rech ELDOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102331
Molecular Soybean-Pathogen Interactions.ReviewAnnual review of phytopathology · 2016Whitham SA, Qi M, Innes RW et al.DOI: 10.1146/annurev-phyto-080615-100156
Soybean.Current biology : CB · 2026Duan Z, Fang C, Liu S et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.03.039
Dt1 inhibits SWEET-mediated sucrose transport to regulate photoperiod-dependent seed weight in soybean.Molecular plant · 2024Li X, Chen Z, Li H et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2024.02.007
Functional Genomics: From Soybean to Legume.ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Zhou C, Wang H, Zhu X et al.DOI: 10.3390/ijms26136323
Unlocking soybean potential: genetic resources and omics for breeding.ReviewJournal of genetics and genomics = Yi chuan xue bao · 2025Duan Z, Xu L, Zhou G et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2025.02.004
Soybean Cultivation in Low-Latitude Regions: Adaptive Strategies for Sustainable Production.ReviewPlant, cell & environment · 2026Xu J, Fang Y, Cheng Y et al.DOI: 10.1111/pce.70064
Genomic blueprints of soybean (Glycine max) pathogen resistance: revealing the key genes for sustainable agriculture.ReviewFunctional plant biology : FPB · 2024Hina A, Razzaq MK, Abbasi A et al.DOI: 10.1071/FP23295

via PubMed

~57 min read

Encyclopedic overview

72 sections

Contents

Etymology
Description
Germination
Maturation
Flowering
Seed resilience
Chemistry
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Ecology
Cultivation
Conditions
Soils
Contamination concerns
Pests
Cultivars
Disease resistant cultivars
PI 88788
Production
Environmental issues
History
East Asia
Southeast Asia
Indian subcontinent
Iberia
North America
Caribbean and West Indies
Mediterranean area
Australia
France
Africa
Central Europe
Central Asia
Central America
South America
Genetics
Genetic modification
Adverse effects
Soy allergy
Thyroid function
Uses
Nutrition
Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats
Other constituents
Comparison to other major staple foods
Soybean oil
Soybean meal
Livestock feed
Food for human consumption
Soy-based infant formula
Meat and dairy alternatives and extenders
Soy nut butter
Sweetened soybean
Coffee substitute
Other products
Potential health benefits
Reducing risk of cancer
Breast cancer
Gastrointestinal and colorectal cancer
Prostate cancer
Cardiovascular health
Research by constituent
Lignans
Phytochemicals
Phytic acid
In culture
See also
Further reading
References
Works cited

Soy is a key source of food, useful both for its protein and oil content. Soybean oil is widely used in cooking, as well as in industry. Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include edamame, as well as soy milk, from which tofu and tofu skin are made. Fermented soy foods include soy sauce, fermented bean paste, nattō, and tempeh. Fat-free (defatted) soybean meal is a significant and cheap source of protein for animal feeds and many packaged meals. For example, soybean products, such as textured vegetable protein (TVP), are ingredients in many meat and dairy substitutes. Soy-based foods are traditionally associated with East Asian cuisines, and still constitute a major part of East Asian diets, but processed soy products are increasingly used in Western cuisines.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “soybean” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.