Soy Myth and Fact

Hi, everyone. My Today Show topic on Wednesday is all about soy. Myth and fact, actually, since there is so much information – good and bad – about the health benefits of this interesting food. I remember the days when soy was one of those “weird” foods in the supermarkets, found mostly in giant white chunks in the dairy aisle. Now, it’s everywhere in so many great tasting products. People are always asking me “Should I eat soy?” The answer is a qualified yes – if you enjoy the taste of soy (there’s plenty of other nutritious stuff in the food supply). I think soy products can be a very healthful addition to the diet of many people (except those of you who are breast cancer survivors – more on that later), as long as you keep in mind some fundamentals about soy and soy products.

Soy is part of the plant kingdom (the only other one option is the animal kingdom), but it’s not a vegetable. It is called a legume and is a rich source of complete protein (just like beef, chicken, or fish). It’s naturally cholesterol free, and is sort of the chameleon of foods. In its natural state, it is relatively bland in taste, and can take on the flavors of whatever you mix it with.

Most scientific studies show health benefits of soy, when consumed in amounts of 25 grams or more. Is that a lot? For Americans, yes. In Asia, where the diet is soy based, it’s not much at all. With the availability of products like Boca burgers, and all kinds of products ranging from buffalo wings to lasagna, one serving can contain 15+ grams of soy protein. With one glass of soy milk, a handful of soy nuts, or edamame all weighing in at around 10 grams each, it’s fairly easy to get there. Soy snacks abound – and while I’m a big fan of the soy crisps as a great substitute for chips – it’s important to limit your selections to a serving, since the calories can add up quickly. So, be mindful of your servings of soy ice cream, chips, and other treats. And watch your intake of fried tofu – even in heart-healthy oil – it can pack on quite a caloric load. Soy sauce is a favorite, not only for use in Asian food, but as a low-calorie seasoning to replace fattier choices. Be sure to select low-sodium soy sauce, since just a couple of tablespoons of the regular provides your entire sodium intake for the day!

The health benefits of soy can be documented for some diseases. There are some good studies documenting the role of regular soy consumption in helping to lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, and thus helpful in reducing the risk of heart disease. BUT – there is a major BUT here – do not self-medicate, and think that eating soy is a replacement for regular medical care, and that you won’t get high cholesterol if you eat a lot of soy. Make sure you check with your doctor to get your levels measured first. Eating soy can be a help, but your overall diet is also key, as well as your medical history. Food is not medicine, and can promote health, but don’t feel that you’ve failed if you need medications as well.

What about cancer and soy? There is a lot of mixed information, so it’s too early to say for sure. Since soy is a weak estrogen, it is NOT recommended for breast cancer survivors.. Theoretically, a weak estrogen might be helpful to offset menopausal symptoms, like night-sweats, but the data are inconclusive; some people think it works, but the studies do not conclusively support it. On the other hand, there are some studies suggesting that soy can contribute to the prevention of colon and prostate cancer. Again, too early to tell.

On a final thought, some friends brought to my attention the variety of soy candles, soy lip gloss, and other non-edible soy products, and wondered about the health benefits. While soy candles can be healthy for the environment (they are not petroleum based), your own health will not be affected by soy products that are not edible. Nice thought, though…

What are your soy experiences? I’d love to know some products you’ve found that are tasty and healthful, and your thoughts on the health benefits of soy.

Comments

I am trying to eat more soy foods, but to me Boca soy burgers is like eating moist cardboard. wow!

I can only conclude from the one sided story about soy on the today show that Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom must have some connection to the soy industry. The truth of the matter is that the consumption of non-fermented soy is in fact quite dangerous to human health. For more non-biased information on soy people should see the web site http://www.westonaprice.org/ I wouldn't eat soy with my enemies stomach!

I wish you could develop the estrogen link more in your research and reporting. Soy and breast cancer aren't the only concern hinted at in research - there is also thyroid function. Also - why does the ADA recommend against soy formula for babies? I'd like to use more soy in our diets but have concerns that are not answered. Do Asian diets really include the use of a lot of unfermented soy? Thanks.

I am concerned about the quality of imported soy especially with the recent horrific rat poision content that killed many beloved pets. How can we be sure that doesn't happen to soy consumed by humans?

I have been vegetarian for 35 years and my 20 year old daughter has been since birth. (By the way, she is healthy, bright and beautiful!) My husband loves fish and I'm trying to find an alternative for him. I noticed on the Today Show a lovely "tuna" steak - where can I find it?

I believe there needs to be more emphasis on the Soy/ Estrogen connection as it might be very dangerous for people who have APLS and/or other blood disorders that are aggravated by hormones and can cause clotting. APLS is a very UNDER-diagnosed disease in the US and can be deadly if not treated. As it is often not presented as a diagnosis unless someone is pregnant or has a miscarriage, I hope that the medical community would put more stress on the hormonal complications in both men and women.

I can say that i've been eating soy for the past two yrs know, and i personally think its great much better than some hormonial dead animals, and more ever even my 5yr old son think its great and think the sight of any kind of meat on a dish is discusting. But need a little more info of the link to breast cancer.

What about those of us that are allergic to SOY. It is added to almost everything these days. And I think it is in the top 10 list of foods people are allergic to.

I want to eat right by eating soy but I have found that soy and my stomach don't mix and it's the same with my son whom is allergic to soy. So be careful with the soy consupmtion

We thought Soy was good for you and have been taking it when not many Americans knew about it however what we found recently was horrifying. Soy can cause sperm count reduction in males and can also create breasts in men as it has high quantity of estrogen. In females it brings in puberty way early as it is has high quantity of estrogen.
Dr. Please give us your thoughts. I still think Soy is really good for your health however have completely stopped it for the family due to these issues. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

A previous comment about the connection of soy and APLS strike a nerve for me.
My husband has a blood disorder called Porphyria which is also very under diagnosed and deadly if not treated. Soy could kill him. Soy has the higest naturally occuring estrogen and soy is in EVERYTHING as soy protien, soy lechtin, soybean oil (vegetable oil is a combination of several oil including soybeans and is in so many things!). I've learned that to NOT read every label will result in severe pain for him.
Many people think putting soy protein in all processed foods will give us more protein, but, in reality, it makes his life and the life of all porphyria patients, much harder and more complicated.
I do think soy is good for some people, but there are also many people that soy could be not only dangerous, but deadly.

I and at least 4 people I know are "alergic" to soy and soy products. We cannot eat anything with it included in the ingredients without indigestion problems and discomfort. Who came up with the bright idea of adding soy to bread dough. Do they know how difficult it is to buy bread, pastry, crackers, cereal etc with NO soy? Now we have to read, very carefully, each and every lable before buying any product. I can make bread, with NO additives, but crachers?? forget them.

I am curious about soy and pregnancy. Is this something that would be okay to work into my diet??

When talking about soy I wish they would also tell people if you have a thyroid condition eating soy products can hinder your body from absorbing their thyroid medicine.

I was really upset you didn't even mention the fact that soy is not recommended for estrogen positive breast cancer in your segment on the Today Show. I was diagnosed 2-1/2 years ago and was told to steer clear of soy as it feeds this type of cancer. The problem is, you might not know you have this type of cancer.

I'm "happy" to hear of others speaking about soy allergies. I have been a sufferer for years, with a large array of symptoms and when you're allergic, you learn to read all labels, I've even found soy products in canned tuna packed in water! Shopping is a challenge enough ,trying to avoid it, and you do pay extra for the items you can find without it, I certainly wouldn't seek out anything that brags it's got soy in it!!!!

Is it true that eating large quanties of soy will help make your skin more elastic. Therefore when loosing weight or after having a baby it will help you get your stomach back flat?

what allternative is there to soy products. someone in my family is extremely allergic to soy products, peanuts and all other legumes. Allergic reactions can be just as extreme and life threatening as the more commonly known severity of peanut allergies. Why are these dangers related to soy products not noted in the advertising of soy so commonly used in what is the alternative have saturated the market place. There ought to be a warning similar to the one on cigarettes.

All public eating places should have a some items on the menu designated to be safe for people with these allergies.

McDonalds Restaurants are off limits to us since they were forced to change some of the ingredients used in cooking their food to accommodate overweight customers.

Obesity is a health problem that can take a lifetime to kill. In order to accommodate people that can't or won't modify their eating habits we are risking the lives of people with food alleregies with Soy products. Why are these dangerous side effects ignored.

Why is it that in America eveything is all or nothing. 25 grams of soy ( soy protein that is ) is a LOT!!!! Most Asians do not eat 25 grams of soy protein a day on average. There is a whole other side to too much soy protein consumption that is not shown. Like everything else "Consume in moderation is what keeps you healthy". It would be great if you would show the other side of soy since too much has shown to cause problems ( serious problems).
If you actually read food labels, you will see that soy is in just about everything. 60-70% of all food we buy packaged has some sort of soy in it. We might be getting much more of the soy protein than we think we are getting. It is ridiculous to eat a soy burger that has so much soyprotein in it to overdose on.
Like everything else too much can be a bad thing!

A very prominent Doctor specializing in diseases of the breast, removed all soy from my diet--because he believed it was causing breast tenderness--and told me to go off all soy for several weeks before my next mammography.

I have worked with all types of soy products since 1990. I won a chili cookoff at the U.S. Embassy in Canada using TVP (textured vegetable protein aka dehydrated soy) and it sure did tick off some of the guys using various forms of raw beef!! Laughing here because no one could believe that I didn't use meat!! I also used it in teaching single moms how to eat better and lose weight, saving money to invest in the process. If you freeze firm tofu, then thaw and crumble it, color it with dark miso, season it the way you would ground beef and cook it the same way, then let it set uncovered for one hour ... it will taste like the leanest of ground sirloin and works wonderfully well in a variety of recipes, i.e., tacos, bolognese sauce for spaghetti or lasagne, shepherd's pie ... anything where you would normally use ground beef. In fact, I tell people to treat tofu the same as raw ground meat ... both are pretty bland until you work with them ... but one of them is SO MUCH healthier and 3 X more economical

To say that soy protein is complete is meaningless. A protein may be complete and still be of low 'quality'--a much better measure of a protein's worth. High quality proteins are more 'balanced' in their distribution of essential amino acids. Much of low quality protein cannot immediately be used by the body, and the amino acids cannot be stored and must be eliminated--an energy and resource consuming process. This places an additional load on your liver and kidneys. Soy protein is low quality protein, but taken together with some cereal grains may provide a more balanced, higher quality distribution of essential amino acids. Eggs and most meat and dairy products are high quality protein to begin with.

I love using soy as a additive to fruit smoothies or protein shake. The vanilla soy milk adds wonderful flavor and silken tofu adds incredible texture without taste, as it takes on the flavor of the fruit.

I am a very recent breast cancer survivor at only 37 yrs old and have decided to limit my intake of soy due to the risk of the phyto estrogens. I do wish this had been mentioned on the Today show story, if only to encourage viewers to look into it for themselves. The reality here is that experts honestly don't know if plant-based estrogen is absorbed by the human body in the same way as animal based estrogen. The nutritional side of cancer research is gaining momentum, but there is not enough information to go on yet. It is also important to note that conventional cows milk and much of the meat we eat also contains hormones - of the animal variety. Organic varieties may be a better choice here. Due to heavy pesticide usage in the soybean industry, you may also prefer to purchase organic soy products.

I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years and have incorporated soy into my diet throughout the years. I have been making soy based smoothies for years and love them. I use soy protien powder, soy milk and of course fruits for there benefits. It is a great way to start the day and it keeps me full for most of the day. I have always loved vegie and boca burgers but do not use the other products or meat substitutes because I never cared about meet anyway. I love Edamame as a snack and I occasionally buy fried tofu from a specialty store. I use these items on a regular bases and add others like miso and regular tofu on occasion. I am 45 and do hope it is helping with my estrogen levels. It is a relief to know that I'm not overdoing it. I just had a blood test for thyroid etc.. it will be interesting to see the results. Soy is worth pursuing for everyone without an allergy and I hope they keep the research up. I do not know what I would do without it.

I have been a soy lover for years and I recently discovered a new bar called SOYJOY. They have different flavors and it's the perfect snack size - and full of baked soy! I think I got it at Walgreens. Definitely worth a try!

Great article and comments. We at Soy Dairy Concepts, a female owned business, are representing a leading biotech company in the marketing of very flavorful Soy Sour Cream and Soy Cream Cheese. Our market focus is directed at high volume operations who are interested in being on the plus side of health and wellness. These companies are in the commercial and institutional baking industry, food service and nationwide retail establishments. We are also looking for a company to partner with to bring our products to the supermarkets. Any input or leads to a potential partner would be appreciated. The products are great. Our website is under construction and will be lauched soon. Check www.soydairyconcepts.com. periodically to see how we are doing.

I would like to comment on John O'Donnell's statement that the Weston Price Foundation is a non-biased source of information regarding soy. This organization and its members have made many inflammatory statements accusing various health professionals of being funded or connected to the soy industry, especially those that are simply reflecting the numerous double-blind and controlled studies showing soy's various health benefits.
With regard to the Weston Price Foundation, in a review by the Tufts University Department of Nutritional Science for scientific website accuracy, the Weston Price Foundation’s website was given an “unacceptable” rating in 2003. In its review of the website Tufts stated "they appear to select obscure studies, take study results out of context and use undocumented `facts' from their own publications to forward their agenda." Tufts also noted that the Price Foundation’s position on raw cow’s milk infant feeding has been discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Note regarding above comment; the post converted several apostrophies to â. (try "unacceptable" and Foundation's)

Your warning to breast cancer survivors ("should avoid soy")was barely noticeable--similar to fine print in a contract and could easily have been missed by those to whom it could apply. I think this was irresponsible. The link between estrogen and soy should have been verbalized.

I thought Dr. Fernstrom's piece was very well done. The most applicable current scientifically sound data was summarized in an easy to understand format. It would be great if more people could see segments such as this.

There is so much at stake. Both my grandfathers died of heart disease before I was born, if they had not eaten so much meat and dairy and more soyfoods maybe they would still be here. Another important reason I eat soyfoods is the enviromental impact. Meat and Dairy foods impact the earth far more than eating soyfoods directly. Yes, cutting down trees for farmland is an impact, but only a fraction of the land would be needed if people ate the very nutritious and healthy soyfoods directly.

All the comments about hormones are I think somewhat off base. Animal Hormones (including human) are very different and much more potent for us than a plant "phytoestrogen". How much potent animal hormones are in dairy and meat products??? More than in soy!

It is very interesting to read all these comments and all the debates on a traditional food that have been used by Asians for thousands of years.

You don’t have to look far to see the consequence of consuming too much meats. Just look at the health conditions of Chinese population. Due to recent years of rapid modernization and westernization, Chinese diets in the affluent areas (coastal) are changing rapidly with much more meat consumption and less traditional products like soy and vegetables. The consequence is the rapid rise of high blood pressure, obesity, heart diseases, and diabetes among the population. I saw some reports saying the rate was like 30 – 40% rise annually. Every time I visited China, I always warn people around me about the consequence of westernizing their diets.
(to be continued)

Yes, Chinese did consume a lot of soy before, mostly all unfermented tofu and soy milk. It supplied us good quality protein and calcium because traditional Chinese style tofu is mostly made with calcium as coagulant. Therefore, the fear of consuming unfermented soy foods (as posted by John O’Donnell) is unfounded.

For soy allergy: It is nothing new that protein rich foods could cause some type of allergic reaction, and soy is no exception. People can be allergic to shell fish, dairy, tree nuts, peanut, etc. Even bread (or the gluten in bread) causes allergy (Celiac). A food that causes allergy doesn’t make it bad. We just have to know ourselves more and be careful. That’s why we all have to read label carefully nowadays, especially if you’re allergic to some particular foods.
(to be continued)

Regarding Jon Cobin’s posting about protein quality: Like dairy, meat, and egg, soy does completely meet our amino acid needs. When experts look at protein quality, an index named PDCAAS (Protein Digestability Corrected Amino Acid Score) is being used which takes into account of the subject protein’s amino acid profile and its digestability by human. This method uses the limiting amino acid as the indicator for the whole protein. Unlike other plant protein (e.g. gluten), the score of soy is equal to that of animal source proteins. Plenty of studies have demonstrated that so there is no point to trash soy’s protein quality without reviewing current available information. Jon, if you want to know more, post your e-mail and I will forward you the principle of determining PDCAAS so you will have a better understanding.

Soy consumption and human reproduction (from CJ’s posting): I can laugh at this one! If this were true, the Chinese government wouldn’t need a “one-child policy”, and Japan, Taiwan, and other Asian regions wouldn’t be that crowded.

Soy and breast & prostate cancer: There are lots of studies on these subjects. As Dr. Fernstrom puts it, it simply is not conclusive from scientific standpoints. We can’t be extreme on this type of subject, one side or the other. For people with breast cancers or those in high risk group, they should consult their physicians about this. If the advise is to limit soy consumption, that’s fine. Being careful is good, being extreme is, well, being extreme.
(to be continued)

Soy is not the silver bullet that can cure all. If it were, I would be the first one to stay away from it because it simply cannot be true. Soy simply is a good source of superb quality protein WITHOUT lots of the negative components brought by meat (such as fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and of course, mad cow disease, and bird flu).

And soy allows many people who wish to choose a different life style, such as vegetarian, vegan, animal rights, etc.

So how bad can soy be?

I was recently at the Expo West in Southern California where I tried many many foods. Some of my favorite high protein foods have always been different types of tofu. Two exceptional tofu dishes I recently discovered are ultra dense high protein organic tofu snacks out out by 'Sunergia' www.sunergiasoyfoods.com , they have a 'More than Tofu' and a soy feta, to a veteran tofu fan these two varieties are simply awesome. I am also a bit of a gourmet chef and I definately recommend these. Check them out one is seasoned and infused and the other is a kind of feta --both are very dense and high in protein not to mention exceptional not to mention organic. I love em and they are easy to work with hot or cold. Great Vegetarian foods are on the rise and these 2 are most definatley included.

I've been a vegetarian for 25 years and eat soy products daily. My doctor was wowed by how low my recent cholesterol test was. My two children have also been soy-eating vegetarins their whole lives and are healthy and thriving. Eating organic soy - like delicious, ready-to-eat seasoned tofus - make for easy, quick and HEALTHY meals.

Go rice, if you have concerns about soy. Rice-based drinks are delicious (and non-dairy). My fave is Rice Dream - love mint carob chip frozen dessert.