Sustainable agriculture and soybean, a legume in traditional Chinese medicine with great biological nitrogen fixation

Abstract

China is the home of the soybean. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a natural and organic health care system which view the body as a complex network of interconnected parts. The most important health benefits of soybeans are improving metabolic activity, health weight gain, anti-cancer potential, boost heart health, relieve menopausal symptoms, boost digestion, improve bone health, prevent birth defects, improve circulation, control diabetes and relieve sleep disorders. Soybeans can clear heat, detoxify, ease urination, lubricate lungs and intestine, provides an excellent protein food. In soybean, atmospheric nitrogen (N2) fixation happens in the nodules, nodules grow in the roots that are produced by N2-fixing rhizobial bacterias and most of these bacteria belong to the genera of Bradyrhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Rhizobium and Sinorhizobium. With the world’s increasing dependence on agriculture to feed its population, the use of reduced nitrogen derived from energy provided by fossil fuels is not likely to be sustainable. The key to future sustainable agriculture is to utilize the fundamental knowledge of the process of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in association with other agricultural crops to benefits an increasing world population. Food therapy of traditional Chinese medicine aims to maintain balanced nutrition through diet.