When you hear the word ‘soy’ the first thing that comes to mind is all the health claims you remember from years ago. And what about links to breast cancer, thyroid disease, and dementia? But these claims have not been clinically proven, according to experts at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
“Soy is probably the most controversial nutritional topic,” he said. Kathryn Piper, RD, LD, is a registered dietitian and founder of The Age-Defying Dietitian. “The mixed results of the studies are most likely related to differences in how soy was studied.”
Soy can be safely consumed several times a week, especially if you eat it in place of red or processed meat, says the nutritionist we spoke with.
“There are many studies that support the safety of 25 grams of soy protein per day,” says Piper. It seems to have a positive effect on people with diabetes and menopausal women.
Consider the potential benefits of eating more soy. For more, don’t miss 4 amazing benefits of cottage cheese.
Soy is a rich source of protein, which is essential for muscle repair and building. As we have reported many times, muscles are metabolically active. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn and the less fat your body has to bear.
Protein also makes you feel full, keeps you feeling full longer, and fights cravings for sweet carbohydrates. We may be playing an active role in the change,” said a member of the medical review board. Lauren Manaker, MS, RDNis a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Nutrition Now Counseling.
research in international medical journal A study looking at the effects of soy on obese people found that dietary soy protein regularly reduced body weight, fat mass and cholesterol levels.
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A diet rich in soy protein can help you lose weight and reduce the strain on your heart, but there are other circulatory benefits that eating soy and soy products provide. It helps reduce the risk of vascular disease,” said a member of Eatthis.com’s medical review board. Toby Amidor, MS, RDthe author of Diabetes Create Your Plate Meal Prep CookbookShe cites a 2019 meta-analysis. journal of nutritionfound that soy protein reduced low-density lipoprotein, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, in adults by 3-4%.
RELATED: Best protein to lower cholesterol, says nutritionist
Two other conditions that play important roles in heart disease, heart attack, and stroke may be alleviated by eating more soy—high blood pressure and inflammation, says Amidor.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is a condition in which immune system cells consistently flood the body due to an unbalanced diet, smoking, alcohol abuse, and other lifestyle factors. tissue, which can lead to another silent killer, high blood pressure.
Both inflammation and high blood pressure cause plaque to form in arteries, which can break down and cause blood clots that can cause heart attacks and strokes. It has been suggested that blood pressure and chronic inflammation may be reduced.
As you get older, your risk of osteoporosis increases. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, half of adults over the age of 50, about 54 million Americans (including men), are at risk of fractures due to low bone density. Eating more soy may help protect you from fractures.
“Isoflavones in soy foods have been associated with improved bone density and prevention of bone loss due to osteoporosis, regardless of body weight,” says Manaker. Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogens, plant-derived compounds that are more abundant in soybeans and soy products than in any other food.
High levels of estrogen are associated with breast cancer. That’s why women with breast cancer on hormone therapy were once told not to eat soy products. Does not increase the risk of breast cancer. mayo clinicAnd eating soy products may actually have a protective effect, according to a large study in the journal cancerfound that isoflavones, the major phytoestrogens found in soy, were associated with reduced mortality from all causes, not just breast cancer.
Another study published by the American Association for Cancer Research in 2022 found that soy may protect young girls from developing breast cancer in the future, says Amidor. In this study, which examined the diet of 329 girls from puberty to two years after her first menstrual period, there was an inverse relationship between soy intake and absolute fibrous mass. I understand. This indicates a low risk of breast cancer.
Jeff Chatterly
Eat This, Not That! Contributing Writer Jeff Csatari edits books and magazines for Galvanized Media and advises journalism students through the Zinczenko New Media Center at Moravian University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.read more
