The Myths Surrounding Soy: Part One

by Shereen Jegtvig

It’s interesting how one food can stir up so much controversy. I get a lot of emails asking about the dangers of eating soy. Dangers of soy? A food that’s been eaten for thousands of years? You’ll also find soy on a lot of superfoods lists. How can that be?

Let me help debunk the soy myths.

Soy isn’t dangerous for your health. In fact, soy and soyfoods are good for you. Studies show soy can reduce cholesterol levels, which improves your heart health, and soy protein is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids (rare for a plant protein). Soy also contains phytoestrogens (plant chemicals similar to, but not the same as, female hormones) that help many women ease the discomforts of menopause. More studies suggest eating soy and soyfoods during childhood may reduce the risk of breast cancer in adulthood.

So how can soy be bad? The soy fear-mongers rely on half-truths and obscure, inaccurate studies to back their claims. One myth is that estrogens from soyfoods, particularly soy formula stunt the growth of children, and feminize little boys, turning them gay. This myth might sound scary to parents who wish to feed soy formula in place of cow’s milk based formula to their infants. But don’t worry, studies have not shown soy phytoestrogens to have any negative effect on testosterone levels. And children who are fed soy formula as infants grow and develop normally, and in fact may have healthier bones than children not fed soy.

Another myth is that soyfoods can damage your thyroid gland, which works like a thermostat to regulate your body’s metabolism. Rats who are fed large amounts of soy have a reduction in an enzyme needed to make thyroid hormone, but their thyroid function doesn’t actually change. And human studies haven’t shown any anti-thyroid affect from eating soy. This myth probably stems from the fact that soy (along with many other foods, herbs and dietary supplements) can have an effect on thyroid medication. It doesn’t mean healthy people who eat soyfoods will do any harm to their thyroid glands.

Soy and soyfoods can be used as a healthy protein source that is low in fat (and the fat it does contain, is still good for you). One easy way to add soy to your diet is buying soy milk,  Look for soy in our FoodEssentials database:

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