Soy: The Ultimate Health Food?
You see soy everywhere—soy milk, soy ice cream, soy Starbucks latte’s. Soy is very popular because people believe it is an all-purpose health food that promotes wellness and fights many diseases. Soy has been credited with preventing heart disease and curing cancer, helping menopause symptoms and preventing osteoporosis.
Some of those claims have been verified, and soy does have some unique health benefits. The FDA has issued a statement saying that soy may help prevent heart disease. Not only is soy high in protein and fiber, but the oil in soy is also the “good” kind, omega-3 fatty acids.
Soy is also the only legume that is a “complete” protein. A complete protein contains all nine of the essential amino acids that humans need to consume. Meat and meat products are complete proteins, but vegetables are usually not complete. Different vegetable products are usually combined to make a complete protein, such as a legume and a grain. Soybeans, however, are a complete protein without being combined with other foods. That makes soybeans and soybean products, like tofu and tempeh, valuable in vegetarian diets.
Some of the other claims for soybeans are controversial, however. Soy isofavones are structurally similar to estrogen, and their effect is uncertain. Some studies have shown that they prevent cancer, and some show that they cause cancer.
Another problem with soybeans is that most soy grown in America is a genetically engineered cultivar called “Roundup Ready.” It is resistant to the effects of Roundup, a broad-spectrum herbicide.
Soy is, however, a good food that does promote health. Organically grown soybeans or soy protein are definitely beneficial. Even though soy isoflavones are controversial, the naturally occurring amount in whole soybeans is probably not a problem.
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