Is Soy Really That Bad?

At Planet Pink, we take hormones really seriously since they’re an integral part of reproductive and endocrine health and we want to eliminate anything that can potentially jeopardize this. Over the last couple of decades, there has been lots of hoopla over soy and it’s potential to mess with our hormones and play a role in causing cancer. We want to know: is it actually bad or is this just another health myth? 

With so many people adopting vegan diets, soy is a popular protein substitute- it’s PACKED with protein compared to tempeh and seitan. Additionally, soy has a good amount of fiber, vitamin B (another essential vitamin that is hard to get without meat), potassium and magnesium. Unprocessed soy is actually said to reduce the risk of heart disease, breast and prostate cancer. Sounds good right? So, what’s the beef with tofu? (HA I know we’re cheesy)

Soy contains isoflavones which are estrogen- like compounds. Back in the day, this was a huge concern for researchers studying the plant. With the potential to mimic estrogen, researchers thought soy could be considered a hormone disruptor meaning – it could impair fertility and cause the big C.  There are in fact natural plant estrogens in soy, however they are much weaker than the real thing and shouldn’t be a cause of concern. 

But wait, there’s more. We’re talking about the whole, unprocessed plant here. When it comes to soy isolates, soy that is processed and packed into protein bars, fake meats etc., there is a  much higher level of soy isoflavones. High levels of this compound can contribute to unbalanced hormone levels which can then play a role in cancer risk. 

The soy conversation is controversial and confusing but consuming the whole food in its natural state is safe. While grocery shopping, be sure to check those ingredient lists for those sneaky soy isolates because they are definitely a little suspicious!

It’s safe to say that we will be diving headfirst into that edamame.