The Truth About Soy

By Carly Hoilman

      One day during my freshman year of high school, my grandma, who was visiting my family at the time, commented on my obsession with soy. I hadn’t realized it until she pointed it out, but she was right. Soy burgers, soy bars, and soy milk were among the many soy byproducts that I was eating on a daily basis. I’ve always been a health nut, and I had only heard positive things about soy, so I was quick to replace a good portion of my diet with soy products. Little did I know that I was trading already healthy things in my diet for high-sodium, hormone-rich foods whose protein value hardly canceled out the toll they were taking on my health.  

     In the past few years, soy has gone from an obscure oddity to a nutritious necessity. Soy is glamorized as this healthy super-food that everybody should eat. Products such as Silk soymilk, Boca soy meat substitute, Morning Star Chik’n and soy burgers, Luna bars, and Soyjoy bars are advertised in health magazines and health food stores. But do people really know why or why not soy is good for them, or is this “soy craze” just another sneaky example of how propaganda works?

     Recent studies have shown soy to have many negative health effects, particularly on women. Soy partially consists of a group of compounds known as isoflavones. The isoflavone genistein can inhibit thyroid function and is especially bad for someone with a low thyroid function. Over time, high levels of isoflavones in the body can lead to an estrogenic and toxic effect. Phylates, a component of unfermented soy acts as an anti-nutrient, blocking the body’s absorption of minerals. It can also lead to deficiency of calcium and Vitamin D. Unfermented soy can also upset and even cease menstruation in women. Because estrogen is involved in the development hormone sensitive cancers such as breast cancer, it is important to keep the estrogen level as low as possible in the body. Unfermented soy increases estrogen, so it should be avoided by those who are at risk of, have symptoms of, or are in an estrogen dominance state.

     In contrast, fermented soy can have many health benefits. Fermented soy includes miso, tempeh, and natto do not have the negative properties of unfermented soy. Miso is used as a base for many Japanese soups. Natto, a bad smelling soy bean preparation also has a high concentration of vitamin K2, a critical nutrient for bone building. It also has the ability to dissolve blood clots and keep our blood vessels clear. So although soy is not this nutritious breakthrough, there are some healthy ways to enjoy it.

    After cutting out the soy in my diet and replacing it with healthy fats and proteins, I noticed a huge difference in my health. I gained healthy weight (I was underweight at the time) and muscle. As for my current soy standing, I still miss my yummy soy milk and low-cal protein bars, but I have learned to look more carefully at the foods I eat before things get out of hand.