“Drink soy milk, it’s good for you!” they say. But is it really?

Lately there’s been debate over whether soy added to your daily diet is actually good for you or not. In this post, we collate some info about both opinions – we’ll leave the decision up to you, as every ‘body’ is different. What might be good for some could bring out an adverse reaction in others.

Concerns – Is it really ‘soy’ good?

• A cancer magnet?
  Some say that soy can be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, because it affects oestrogen levels. However other studies have shown that groups eating plenty of soy have lower rates of breast cancer, especially in Asian populations.
• Worried with matters of the heart?
  Some studies suggest consuming soy-based products every day may help young adults lower their blood pressure. However, in a study published by theBritish Medical Journal, it was found that too much soy protein shows an increase in the risk of heart disease. So while early research suggested that soy could help lower levels of bad cholesterol, more recent findings have shown that might not be the case, and in 2008 the American Heart Association said that there wasn’t enough evidence to say for sure that soy lowered the risk of heart disease.
• Feeling clucky?
  Soy appears to be beneficial for fertility, as long as you don’t eat too much. Consuming over 100mg of soy isoflavones (or 16 cups of soy milk) daily was linked to reduced ovarian function, found a Journal of Nutrition review. But moderate soy consumption didn’t pose a problem.

Definite No-no’s

When soy is processed, the nutrients are stripped away. Avoid processed soy products like burgers or sausage. Foods like these are also likely to be loaded with added sugars, fats and refined flours.

Everything in moderation

Like all foods, you want to consume soy in moderation. 1-2 servings of whole and fermented soy foods is recommended. One average serving is a half-cup of tofu or 1 cup of soy milk. Remember not all soy products are created equal – make the right selections to ensure you’re getting the best and purest forms of nutrition from soy foods and soy products. Whole soy foods are best, such as Tofu, Tempeh, Miso or other Fermented Soy foods. They are not processed, so they retain the most nutritional benefits.

What do you think of soy products?

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