Soy has been incorrectly passed off as a healthy food for a long time. Soybean oil, soy milk, and even tofu are a staple in the lives of many people, especially vegetarians. However, most soy products are not real food — most are highly processed and genetically modified. In my opinion, the marketing of soy as a health food is probably one of the greatest bamboozles of all time.
One of the issues concerning soy is its high level of phytoestrogens — compounds that mimic estrogen in the body. Soy contains two primary phytoestrogens (sometimes called xenoestrogens): genistein and daidzein. Both compounds disrupt the endocrine system in both males and females.[1] These, and all, estrogen compounds are classified as isoflavones.
Isoflavones are estrogen mimickers that increase estrogenic activity. This may be helpful at times for relieving symptoms in menopausal women.[2] However, more often than not, isoflavones block and replace naturally-produced estrogen, an action that many experts believe is cause for concern. So what happens when things get out of balance?
Girls are reaching their first menstruation at earlier ages, now more than ever. Fifty years ago, it was common around a girl's 13th birthday. Now girls under 10 are starting to menstruate. Studies suggest soy is a contributing factor.
Gynecomastia — enlargement or swelling of breasts in males — has been tied to soy consumption.[3, 4] This occurs when there's an imbalance between testosterone and estrogen.
Introducing estrogenic foods like soy into their diet can cause men to experience a loss of sexual desire.[5] Specifically, soy is linked to hypogonadism or a reduction in the size of the testes and even erectile dysfunction. These issues can normalize after soy consumption is reduced or stopped.[5]
Soy may be a factor behind male and female infertility. Specifically, soy consumption has been associated with reduced sperm count in men[6] and with altered ovarian function in women.[7]
There's no denying the connection between xenoestrogens and breast cancer. Considering that breast cancer cells require stimulation via estrogen, it may be a wise idea to keep your consumption of estrogen and estrogen-like compounds in check, from all sources, including soy.[8]
Perhaps the biggest concern with soy is we're not fed this product in small amounts. Soy is a cheap, subsidized ingredient used in processed foods in the form of oil, thickeners, flavor enhancers, stabilizers, preservatives, and nutritive fillers. Check the ingredients; If you're eating processed food, you're probably eating soy.
Fermented soy, like tempeh and natto, can be healthy since the goitrogens and nutritive inhibitors are significantly reduced. Regardless, keep in mind that most soy, even fermented, is likely to be GMO. When it comes to non-organic and unfermented soy, I've personally added it to my "avoid" list.
Length: 86 minutes
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