Is Soy Safe?

 

Thank you for the excellent question.  It is not surprising that people are confused about soy because there are many conflicting reports.  The short answer is that according to credible research, soy is not only safe, but good for you!  I am of course referring to Non-GMO soy.   So why all the confusion, misinformation and fear?  As Dr. Michael Greger likes to say, follow the money!

 

A great article on the topic is “Finally, the Truth about Soy” by Leo Babauta - http://zenhabits.net/soy/.  This excellent article contains links to other articles by reputable doctors and researchers.  I encourage you to read all of the articles and decide for yourself.  If you do, I think you will likely conclude that soy is beneficial and that reports claiming otherwise are simply scare tactics.   So, why would anyone want to scare us about soy safety?  Another great question!    

 

As pointed out in Leo Babauta’s article, virtually all sources that state soy is unhealthy trace back to the Weston A Price Foundation (WAPF).  The WAPF promotes a diet high in animal meat, raw milk and saturated fat.  We’ve known for years that such diets are dangerous.  

 

The WAPF arrived on the scene around the same time that soy was being recognized as a health food and as a healthier alternative to cholesterol increasing meat and dairy.  A large percentage of WAPF members (who provide funding for the studies that state soy is unhealthy) are DAIRY & MEAT farmers.  Interesting!  Could there (possibly) be a connection?      

 

Even beyond the funding question is the question of WAPF’s tactics when it comes to quoting science.  WAPF has conducted no peer reviewed studies to back up their “science sounding” statements – or if they have, they are making the studies very difficult to find. 

 

So, why would a person want to eat soy?  According to doctors and researchers in the field there are excellent health reasons for consuming soy. (http://nutritionfacts.org/). In addition to soy being heart healthy, it is low in fat, cost efficient, great for cooking, replaces dairy and eggs in recipes, and can mimic the taste of almost any food. 

 

Dr. Neal Barnard, head of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (http://PCRM.org/), states that “women who include soy products in their routines are less likely to develop breast cancer, compared with other women.”  As to women who have already had breast cancer, soy products may reduce the risk of recurrence, per a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2009.  A study of Japanese women found that the more soy eaten by women, the less women had fibroids. 

 

As to men, an analysis of 14 studies showed that increased soy intake achieved a 26 percent reduction in prostate cancer risk (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition).  The figure was 30 percent reduction when nonfermented soy products were consumed.  Soy consumption does not appear to have adverse effects on male hormone function. 

Soy also appears to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis-related hip fractures.  Soy is also high in protein, although in my opinion too many people have gone overboard thinking that they need extremely high amounts of protein, which we know is not true. 

 

Is soy essential?  No, it is not.  However, if a person chooses to include soy in their diet, science shows that it is beneficial to most people who consume it.  Are there conditions when people should be more careful of consuming soy?  Of course - each individual is different.  For example, a person might be allergic to soy.   

 

Soy has been eaten in many countries for centuries and those countries don’t seem to have the wide range of “western diseases” – until they change to a western diet! 

 

I hope to have eliminated some of the confusion surrounding soy. 

Happy reading and remember. . . AFM (Always Follow the Money)!