{"id":47686,"date":"2016-02-17T07:15:55","date_gmt":"2016-02-17T12:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=47686"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:05:56","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:05:56","slug":"is-soy-bad-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/is-soy-bad-for-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Eating Too Much Soy?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Is
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Between tofu<\/a> and tempeh, miso and soy milk, and the ever-popular edamame<\/a>, there\u2019s certainly no shortage of soy on the shelves of your local food store. Long touted by health-minded folks as a better-for-you, eco-friendly alternative to meat, soy is a favorite among followers of increasingly mainstream plant-based diets<\/a>. Yet, do a quick Google search for \u201csoy\u201d and some of the first results include headlines like, \u201cThe Dangers of Soy\u201d and \u201cIs Soy Bad for You?\u201d<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the deal? Here\u2019s what you should know about the pros and cons of eating soy.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> What the Color of Your Pee Means About Your Health<\/a><\/p>\n

The Benefits of Swapping Hot Dogs for Soy <\/strong><\/h3>\n

One of the biggest benefits of eating soy is that it can replace foods that may compromise your health, says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson Vandana Sheth<\/a>, RDN, CDE. \u201cIf we are talking about soy in its whole form such as edamame, tofu and whole soy milk, then it is healthier than meat in the sense that soy provides an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals \u2014 without the cholesterol<\/a> and saturated fat<\/a> found in meat,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same rationale the Meatless Monday<\/a> campaign uses to validate the claim that forgoing meat one day a week can lower your risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. You\u2019re probably (or, hopefully!) swapping out less healthful foods, such as red meat, in favor of plant-based foods. And while there\u2019s some evidence that soy might slightly lower your risk of heart disease, the effects are minor \u2014 but more on that below.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 9 Healthy Dinner Recipes for Meatless Monday<\/a><\/p>\n

But Is Soy Really a Superfood?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Aside from the idea that eating more soy might lead you to eat less meat, there\u2019s not much evidence that soy itself produces health benefits. Claims that it lowers cholesterol, calms hot flashes, prevents breast and prostate cancer, aids weight loss and wards off osteoporosis are all based on preliminary research, inconclusive evidence or overstated claims according to a 2014 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health report<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause everybody is different, it is impossible to know what the \u2018right\u2019 amount of soy is.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For example, while the American Heart Association used to advocate eating soy as part of a “heart healthy diet,” they have since backed off that recommendation<\/a> because the data did not support such a claim, says Heather Patisaul<\/a>, a developmental biologist at North Carolina State University who has studied the effects of eating soy. \u201cFor most people the benefits of soy on heart health are very small: a few cholesterol points but not much else,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n

In fact, an American Heart Association review<\/a> of 22 randomized trials found that eating 50 grams of soy a day only lowers LDL (aka: bad) cholesterol by three percent. To put that in perspective, you\u2019d have to eat one-and-a-half pounds of tofu or drink eight, eight-ounce glasses of soy milk a day in order to consume 50 grams of soy<\/a>. And that\u2019s a lot <\/em>of tofu, even for the most dedicated of soy fanatics.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Why Young People Need to Worry About Cholesterol, Too<\/a><\/p>\n

The Darker Side of Soy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Soy has a shadier side, too \u2014 most notably regarding the effect it may have on your hormones. That\u2019s because soy contains isoflavones<\/a> \u2014\u00a0a type of phytoestrogren that mimics the effect of estrogen on the body. When you eat lots of soy, it has the potential to disrupt estrogen-sensitive systems in your body, including the reproductive system (which includes the brain, the pituitary gland and the reproductive organs), says Patisaul. There have even been cases<\/a> where women have eaten so much soy (think: 60 grams a day for a month) that they\u2019ve temporarily shut down their menstrual cycle, Patisaul says. \u201cThe developing brain is also very sensitive to estrogen, as is the mammary gland and the heart,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same argument you\u2019ve likely heard against using plastic water bottles containing bisphenol A (BPA)<\/a>, except that soy is even more estrogenic than BPA, according to a review of research on the pros and cons of phytoestrogens<\/a> by Patisaul and her team. Beyond that, the NIH states<\/a> that soy\u2019s possible role in breast cancer is \u201cuncertain\u201d and advises that, \u201cwomen who have or who are at increased risk of developing breast cancer or other hormone-sensitive conditions (such as ovarian or uterine cancer) should be particularly careful about using soy and should discuss it with their health care providers.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> The Science Behind Why You Get Hangry<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause everybody is different, it is impossible to know what the \u2018right\u2019 amount of soy is, but people can certainly go overboard,\u201d says Patisaul. \u201cFor people wanting to achieve a reasonably healthy protein intake<\/a> without experiencing possibly negative effects of soy, there is no need to have soy at every meal or to replace all foods [like milk and cheese] with soy-based ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Takeaway<\/strong><\/h3>\n

So should you give up soy for good? Not necessarily. Eating some soy can be a healthy way to cut back<\/a> on meat while still making sure you\u2019re eating enough protein. But too much of a good thing has the potential to take its toll on your hormones and your health. \u201cFor healthy adults, I think about soy the way I think about things like sugar<\/a>, alcohol and caffeine,\u201d says Patisaul. \u201cModeration is key.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whether you love tofu, or hate it, you\u2019ve probably heard rumors causing you to question the benefits of this bean. So is soy bad for you, or not? We got to the bottom of it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[51,59,341,364,119],"class_list":["post-47686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-food-choices","tag-healthy-substitutions","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2alternative-treatments","tag-tofu"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}