The wonder bean that vegans, vegetarians, and health food nuts have sworn by may not be as beneficial as we’ve been led to think.
In 1999, the FDA may have approved the claim that soy is “heart healthy” and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, but not without the protest of two FDA researchers.
Researchers Daniel Doerge and Daniel Sheehan were opposed to labeling soy food as heart healthy because “abundant evidence that some of the isoflavones found in soy…demonstrate toxicity in estrogen sensitive tissues and in the thyroid.”
Sounds kind of bad, but what the heck does that mean?
Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, or plant-based estrogen that mimics human estrogen.
Consuming soy elevates estrogen levels, which is correlated with increased risk for breast cancer (and other estrogen-sensitive cancers as well), as 80 percent of U.S. breast cancers are associated with estrogen supplementation!
In one study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who already had breast tumors were given a soy drink for 14 days and their breast tumor growth increased significantly.
In another study, soy is linked to brain aging, shrinking, and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In this 35-year Hawaiian study of 8,900 Japanese men and 500 of their wives, tofu intake was the only factor that correlated with an increased occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease.
The United Kingdom and New Zealand health ministers have advised parents not to use soy-based infant formula. Studies have found that soy-fed infants have estrogen levels an average of seventeen thousand times higher than infants fed human or cow’s milk.
The Israeli Health Ministry warns men to exercise caution in regards to soy consumption as it has been shown to lower virility—since eating soy reduces testosterone and increases estrogen.
In a study, researchers found that in subfertile men, those eating the most soy had forty-one million fewer sperm per milliliter than those who consumed none.
Proponents of soy refer to the long history of its use in Asian culture, but what they DON’T tell you is the average amount of soy consumed on a daily basis is two tablespoons in Japan, while in China it├óΓé¼Γäós two teaspoons.
In fact, in China soy is typically used as a condiment, rather than a substitute for meat, which has become the fad here in the states for most vegetarians and vegans.
We know how conflicting these “studies” can be and are aware that a new study disproves another study every week, but still, it’s definitely some food for thought.
What do U think of this news? Are U still swearing by soy or will U take a second look at your dietary choices?
[Image via AP Images.]