The Secret Health Benefits of Soy

Soy is considered one of the healthiest foods you can eat because it has great protein, great fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. There is a huge controversy over whether soy is actually good for you because some studies seem to link soy to negative health consequences.

Since the verdict is still out on these studies, I personally recommend eating mostly fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, and natto. It's also really vital to find organic and non-genetically modified soy products since soybeans are one of the most commonly modified crops, and we simply don't know what consequences people will endure in the future from eating genetically modified foods.

Soybeans have been found to decrease the symptoms of menopause, especially hot flashes. After menopause, women who eat soy have been found to have lower risks for osteoporosis. The isoflavones have been found to increase bone mineral content, which lowers the risk for osteoporosis.

The lowered risk for breast cancer has been tied to the isoflavones in soy products. Soy may also decrease the risk for colon and prostate cancer. The isoflavones prevent cells from multiplying and reduce the growth rate of cancer cells that are already present.

People often worry that vegans won't get enough protein if they don't eat meat and dairy products. Soybeans have the highest protein of all beans, with 38% of the bean coming from protein. They also have all the amino acids that humans need to create a complete protein, just like meat and eggs.

Rather than eating a huge steak and clogging your arteries, try a tofu steak. Soybeans have no saturated fat or cholesterol (since cholesterol comes only from animal products.) Also, the consumption of soy lowers blood cholesterol levels.

Another one of the health benefits of soy is that they are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which is important for vegans and meat-eaters alike. When most people think of omega-3 fatty acids, they think of fish and fish oil. Unfortunately, even those people who do eat fish are not eating high-quality products anymore; most are farm-raised or in polluted ocean waters and their healthy oil content is negligible. Many non-vegans suffer from an unbalanced ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, which can knock your body way out of whack. Eating healthy amounts of soy can help to rebalance the fatty acid levels in your body.

The FDA recommends 25 grams of soy protein each day to help reduce the risk of heart disease. In early 2008, this claim was challenged and there remains some vagueness about the accuracy of that recommendation.

• How do you feel about the soy controversy?
• Avoid, at all costs genetically modified soy.
• Did you know all the soy products that exist now?
• How to get plenty of vegan protein without soy.

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