Soy is unhealthy, even dangerous! It’s all over the internet so it must be true, right? Well NO, the internet can be a great thing, but it can also spread false or misleading information quicker than that dude who just broke the sound barrier crashing down to earth from 25 miles in space! It’s truly unbelievable the number of people I come across who are so anti-soy. And based on what? If you look carefully, most anti-soy stories can be traced back to ONE single group in the US called the Weston A Price Foundation (WAPF). My personal issue with soy is that it’s 90% GMO not the misleading information of the WAPF.
I mention (to otherwise smart and informed people) that we drink non-GMO soy protein shakes daily, and a look of pity comes over their faces. “This supposedly healthy chick doesn’t know the dangers of soy, and might get cancer, her ovaries are going to fall out, her hubby will get man boobs and they both are going to get Alzheimers”, they’re saying quietly to themselves. The truth is that whole statement is completely FALSE and it’s been proven over and over again that there is no evidence for any of those claims. I won’t get into all the claims, mostly because so many people before me have done a great job of that already. I suggest reading the below articles as well as the advice from the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, other reputable organizations and read my other articles on soy Why We Choose Shaklee Soy and Tips for Choosing a Quality Soy Protein.
- Weston A. Price Foundation, Stupid Traditions
- Weston A. Price Foundation: Shills & Quacks
- The Truth About Weston A. Price Foundation
- Reflections on the Weston A. Price Foundation
- Questioning Weston A. Price Foundation
- Finally, The Truth About Soy
- Misinformation of Barry Groves and Weston Price
I’d encourage you to read these and consider the arguments and evidence, not necessarily the sources. While some of these articles are from vegetarians, that doesn’t negate the arguments — they just seem more motivated to do the research on WAPF than most people are {including me!}. Plus, they cite many other reputable studies showing the benefits of soy {see also the list below}.
It’s important not to take my word or opinion as final. But rather do your own research and ultimately make your decision. If you do choose to question this blog, please show me the peer-review studies not sciency mumbo jumbo that ultimate links back to the WAPF study. We personally choose to include non-GMO soy products into our diet and feel great! For more information on the soy we choose read my previous blog post.
Here are just some of the studies I’ve found showing the benefits of soy or debunking the soy myths:
1. Food and Drug Administration. Food labeling, health claims, soy protein, and coronary heart disease. Fed Reg 1999; 57:699-733.
2. Arjmandi BH, Smith BJ. Soy isoflavones’ osteoprotective role in postmenopausal women: mechanism of action. J Nutr Biochem 2002; 13:130-137.
3. Breslau NA, Brinkley L, Hill KD, Pak CY. Relationship of animal protein-rich diet to kidney stone formation and calcium metabolism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1988; 66:140-6.
4. Messina M, Barnes S. The role of soy products in reducing risk of cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 1991; 83:541-6.
5. Dashwood RH. Indole-3-carbinol: anticarcinogen or tumor promoter in brassica vegetables? Chem Biol Interact 1998; 110:1-5.
6. McCarrison R. The goitrogenic action of soya-bean and ground-nut. Ind J Med Res 1933; XXI:179-181.
7. Duncan AM, Underhill KE, Xu X, Lavalleur J, Phipps WR, Kurzer MS. Modest hormonal effects of soy isoflavones in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999; 84:3479-84.
8. Duncan AM, Merz BE, Xu X, Nagel TC, Phipps WR, Kurzer MS. Soy isoflavones exert modest hormonal effects in premenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999; 84:192
9. Bruce B, Spiller GA, Holloway L. Soy isoflavones do not have an antithyroid effect in postmenopausal womem over 64 years of age. Faseb J 2000; 11:193 (abstract).
10. Ham JO, Chapman KM, Essex-Sorlie D, et al. Endocrinological response to soy protein and fiber in midly hypercholesterolemic men. Nutr Res 1993; 13:873-884.
11. White LR, Petrovitch H, Ross GW, et al. Brain aging and midlife tofu consumption. J Am Coll Nutr 2000; 19:242-55.
12. Brzezinski A, Debi A. Phytoestrogens: the “natural” selective estrogen receptor modulators? Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 1999; 85:47-51.
13. File SE, Jarrett N, Fluck E, Duffy R, Casey K, Wiseman H. Eating soya improves human memory. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2001; 157:430-6.
14. Giem P, Beeson WL, Fraser GE. The incidence of dementia and intake of animal products: preliminary findings from the Adventist Health Study. Neuroepidemiology 1993; 12:28-36.
15. Engelhart MJ, Geerlings MI, Ruitenberg A, et al. Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of Alzheimer disease. Jama 2002; 287:3223-9.
16. Foley DJ, White LR. Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of Alzheimer disease: food for thought. Jama 2002; 287:3261-3.
17. Morris MC, Evans DA, Bienias JL, et al. Dietary intake of antioxidant nutrients and the risk of incident Alzheimer disease in a biracial community study. Jama 2002; 287:3230-7.
18. Ortega RM, Requejo AM, Lopez-Sobaler AM, et al. Cognitive function in elderly people is influenced by vitamin e status. J Nutr 2002; 132:2065-8.
19. Yaffe K, Barnes D, Nevitt M, Lui LY, Covinsky K. A prospective study of physical activity and cognitive decline in elderly women: women who walk. Arch Intern Med 2001; 161:1703-8.
20. Heaney RP, Weaver CM, Fitzsimmons ML. Soybean phytate content: effect on calcium absorption. Am J Clin Nutr 1991; 53:745-7.
21. Weaver CM, Plawecki KL. Dietary calcium: adequacy of a vegetarian diet. Am J Clin Nutr 1994; 59:1238S-1241S.
22. Messina VK, Burke KI. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc 1997; 97:1317-21.
23. Ma J, Stampfer MJ. Body iron stores and coronary heart disease. Clin Chem 2002; 48:601-3.
24. Messina MJ, Persky V, Setchell KD, Barnes S. Soy intake and cancer risk: a review of the in vitro and in vivo data. Nutr Cancer 1994; 21:113-31.
25. Petrakis NL, Barnes S, King EB, et al. Stimulatory influence of soy protein isolate on breast secretion in pre- and postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 1996; 5:785-94.
26. Hargreaves DF, Potten CS, Harding C, et al. Two-week dietary soy supplementation has an estrogenic effect on normal premenopausal breast. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999; 84:4017-24.
27. Lamartiniere CA, Zhao YX, Fritz WA. Genistein: mammary cancer chemoprevention, in vivo mechanisms of action, potential for toxicity and bioavailability in rats. J Women’s Cancer 2000; 2:11-19.
28. Shu XO, Jin F, Dai Q, et al. Soyfood Intake during Adolescence and Subsequent Risk of Breast Cancer among Chinese Women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2001; 10:483-8.
29. Messina MJ, Loprinzi CL. Soy for breast cancer survivors: a critical review of the literature. J Nutr 2001; 131:3095S-108S.
30. Bennetts HW, Underwood EJ, Shier FL. A specific breeding problem of sheep on subterranean clover pastures in Western Australia. Aust J Agric Res 1946; 22:131-138.
31. Buck GM, Vena JE, Schisterman EF, et al. Parental consumption of contaminated sport fish from Lake Ontario and predicted fecundability. Epidemiology 2000; 11:388-93.
32. Mitchell JH, Cawood E, Kinniburgh D, Provan A, Collins AR, Irvine DS. Effect of a phytoestrogen food supplement on reproductive health in normal males. Clin Sci (Lond) 2001; 100:613-8.
33. Kurzer MS. Hormonal effects of soy in premenopausal women and men. J Nutr 2002; 132:570S-3S.
34. Strom BL, Schinnar R, Ziegler EE, et al. Exposure to soy-based formula in infancy and endocrinological and reproductive outcomes in young adulthood. Jama 2001; 286:807-14. 35. Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, Rosner B, Willett WC. A prospective study of dairy foods intake and anovulatory infertility. Hum Reprod 2007;22:1340-7.
36. Messina, M, Watanabe S, Setchell KDR. Report on the 8th International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention and Treatment. J Nutr 2009;139:796S-802S.
37. Gardner-Thorpe D, O’Hagen C, Young I, Lewis SJ. Dietary supplements of soya flour lower serum testosterone concentrations and improve markers of oxidative stress in men. Eur J Clin Nutr 2003;57:100-6.
38. Goodin S, Shen F, Shih WJ, et al. Clinical and biological activity of soy protein powder supplementation in healthy male volunteers. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16:829-33.
39. Hamilton-Reeves JM, Vazquez G, Duval SJ, Phipps WR, Kurzer MS, Messina MJ. Clinical studies show no effects of soy protein or isoflavones on reproductive hormones in men: Results of a meta-analysis. J Am Dietetic Assoc (in press).
40. Celec P, Ostatnikova D, Hodosy J, Putz Z, Kudela M. Increased one week soybean consumption affects spatial abilities but not sex hormone status in men. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2007;58:424-8.
41. Kumar NB, Krischer JP, Allen K, et al. A Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of purified isoflavones in modulating steroid hormones in men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. Nutr Cancer 2007;59:163-8.
42. Kumar NB, Krischer JP, Allen K, et al. A Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of purified isoflavones in modulating steroid hormones in men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. Nutr Cancer 2007;59:163-8.