Is Soy Bad For Health?

by Jenna
(Arizona)

Dear Cathleen,

I have been hearing a lot about hormonal problems with soy. I drink soy milk every day and propably have some sort of tofu every other day. Is there anything I should be careful of. Do you think the whole soy bean thing is a spoof or real.

~Jenna, Arizona



Hi Jenna,


That's a great question! This is a hotly debated topic. Some people take the position that all soy is bad, others differentiate between soys, and some think it's all incredibly healthy for you. Check out a page on the topic here and join the discussion here.

I personally fall somewhere in between. I think the soy to eliminate is the genetically modified soy that is grown mostly for livestock, and the processed soy that is added to processed foods (like soy lechitin, TVP, soy protein isolate, soy powders, etc). What's ironic is that people eating meat-based diets actually consume more soy than those of us who stick to plant proteins because of all the added soy in processed foods.

Asian cultures have been eating soy as their dominant protein for thousands of years, and they never have the health problems that Westerners have. Also, from what I understand from my research, it appears that fermented soy products are extremely healthy for us. Those are things like tempeh, miso, natto, and even fermented soy sauce.

As of right now, it seems we don't have a definite answer as to the benefits or drawbacks to soy, but I am sure within a few years we will get to the bottom of it. I would love to hear your opinion on the comments page.

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