The Truth About Soy

Concerned With Soybean Consumption? By Isabella dos Santos

Soy has been a very controversial food. Despite of the many concerns about the relation between soy and some diseases, such as cancer (breast and prostate), thyroid problem and dementia, recent studies have not found a negative correlation. On the contrary , some benefits of eating soy have been pointed out.

Soybeans are a type of legume (as are the lentils, chickpeas or black beans). However, they differ of other beans in their high levels of isoflavones and high(er) protein content. Isoflavones are a type of plant estrogen (phytoestrogen) that resemble the function of estrogen in the human body, though with a weaker effect. This is the component that has been studied the most to try and understand how soy can affect the body (positively or negatively).

However, as the School of Public Health of Harvard University has pointed out, studies have not been able to really find a straight forward relation between soy and the human body, mainly due to the different types of variables that scientific studies have . To name a few, the ethnicity of the people studied, the hormone levels of the population studied, and the type of soy used in the study have made a big difference in the results.

Several studies have pointed to a positive correlation between soy consum ption and a decreased risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer. Others have pointed out a probable benefit of eating soy with a reduction in age - related memory loss, as well as a possible relation between soy and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. For thyroid problems, however, some studies have found a possible interference between soy and the hormone medication user to treat hypothyroidism.

After all this confusing data, shall we eat soy or no? My advice is the following: eat it as part of a healthy and diversified diet, and if you have a particular health condition or take specific hormone - related medications, ask your doctor for further ad vice.

The truth is soy is a very nutritious food. It is high in quality protein, meaning that it has all of the essential amino acids needed by the body, which are absorbed in a great percentage by the body. This makes soy a winner when compared with oth er plant proteins. Moreover, soy is rich in B vitamins, fiber, potassium and magnesium.

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