Is Soy Good (or Bad) for You?

Soy is one of those foods that seems to have an equal number of equally ardent proponents and detractors. Proponents tout soy as helping to prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, and hot flashes. Detractors claim that soy can bring on early puberty, feminize men, damage your thyroid, and prevent nutrient absorption. 

Today, we'll take a look at the claims on both sides of the soy debate, as well as questions about the healthiest types of soy and recommended intakes. 

What makes soy special? 

Soybeans are a member of the legume family. All legumes are good sources of plant-based protein, as well as fiber. But soybeans have some unique qualities that elevate them above other beans. Unlike most plant-based protein sources, soy is a complete protein, containing all nine of the essential amino acids. Soybeans are also particularly rich in isoflavones, compounds with a variety of biological effects. Many of the health claims for soy are centered on these isoflavones. 

Many of the health claims for soy are centered on isoflavones.

Another thing that sets soy apart from other beans is the following FDA-approved health claim:

Diets that include 25 grams of soy protein a day (and are also low in fat and cholesterol) may reduce the risk of heart disease.

However, this claim has recently come under scrutiny.

RELATED: Soymilk vs Cow's Milk

Does soy prevent heart disease?

The FDA approved the heart health claim for soy in 1999, citing significant scientific agreement on the issue. However, in 2017, the FDA announced that they had reevaluated the research on soy and heart disease and did not find it as convincing as it originally appeared. As a result, a proposal to revoke this health claim was introduced, pending a period of public comment. The debate over the science continues and a final ruling on the health claim has not yet been reached but is expected in early 2021.

Keep in mind that the heart health claim for soy also stipulates that your diet be low in fat and cholesterol.

For the soy foods industry, the heart health claim is a valuable marketing tool that confers a sort of health halo over all soy foods. But the real impact of soy food consumption on heart disease risk in Western countries is questionable. For one thing, few Westerners are consuming anywhere near the amount of soy protein that some (but not all) studies found to be preventive.   

In general, it’ll take you about four servings of whole soy foods like soymilk, tofu, or edamame to get to 25 grams of protein. With a...

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