FAQ- Safety of Soy

Warning this is a lengthy one, but deservingly so :) Thank you to those who asked this question :)

FAQ- Safety of Soy

Recent media headlines linking the consumption of soy to certain cancers have alarmed many people. So what are the facts in this area?

What is soy?

The soybean is a legume that has been grown & eaten in China for thousands of years. Today it is extensively cultivated & manufactured all over the world & made into many different products:
-tofu
-soy flour
-soy sauce
-soybean oil
-miso
-textured vegetable protein (TVP)

There are many benefits associated with eating soy products:

-soybeans contain ISOFLAVONES. These are a type of phytoestrogen (plant oestrogen), thought to act as a mild form of hormone replacement therapy & have shown to be helpful in reducing some of the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flushes.
-isoflavones also act as a type of antioxidant, reducing damage from free-radicals in our bodies
-soy protein has been shown to offer heart health benefits also, by reducing blood cholesterol levels & preventing plaque build up in the arteries if eaten in sufficient quantities.

Soybeans are also:

-high in fibre
-low in saturated fat & cholesterol free
-low GI
a source of omega 3 fatty acids

So why the bad wrap?

The negative media surrounding soy recently was related to a review paper that seems to have drawn conclusions beyond what the evidence in the studies actually showed.

There have been some studies done in the past examining the relationship between soy intake & the risk of certain types of cancer. Many of the studies found that a moderate consumption of soy foods was protective against some cancers, however, findings in this area have been conflicting & inconclusive.

In Asian countries, where soy intake is high, the rate of breast & prostate cancers Is much lower, leading scientists to wonder if it is the intake of soy, or some other factor, that leads to this observation. For example, the diets & genetics of the population in these countries is very different & may account for the reduced rates of such cancers. They eat many more vegetables & fish, & much less meat than many westernized countries.

In any case, since phytoestrogens have a very similar structure to the bodies own oestrogen, they have the ability to interact with the actions of sex hormones, High levels of sex hormones (oestrogen in women and androgens in men) over a person’s lifetime are believed to be associated with an increased risk of hormonal cancers such as breast and prostate cancer. The level of phytoestrogens in soy foods is unlikely to be high enough to put any person at risk.

The area to be cautious in, is the intake of soy or phytoestrogen supplements. It appears that whilst there may be benefits in including moderate amounts of soy food in the diet, consuming the extracts in concentrated & isolated forms gives a different effect. In people who have had, or have, hormone related cancers, the intake of these supplements is not recommended or advised.

The final recommendation from the Cancer Council?

The best advice is to eat soy foods in moderation as part of an overall healthy eating pattern, and not to suddenly increase the amount of soy phytoestrogens in the diet. The Cancer Council recommends that women with breast cancer avoid soy and phytoestrogen supplements.

What can women with breast cancer do to improve their health?

Research is underway looking at the types of eating patterns that are protective for women who have had breast cancer. Evidence is starting to emerge that maintaining a healthy weight by eating a low fat diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and being physically active can improve survival and the
overall health of breast cancer survivors.

For more information go to
http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/editorial.asp?pageid=1982

For fact sheets on this issue go to:
www.cancercouncil.com.au
www.sanitarium.com.au