Soy: Good or Evil? – Episode 10 – Summer Tomato Live
Last week we talked about the pros and cons of eating soy including it’s role in breast cancer and it’s affect on the, errr, manly arts.
As always, show notes are below.
July 19, 2011 | Tonight on Summer Tomato Live we’re discussing soy. Some say it prevents cancer, others think it promotes it, and some claim it’s evil for causing man boobs. We’ll get to the bottom of these issues and more today during the show.
Join us at 6:00pm PST to learn about how soy affects your health and what to do about it.
To watch live and join the discussion click the red “Join event” button, login with Twitter or your Vokle account, and enter the password when prompted.
I encourage you to call in with video questions, particularly if your question is nuanced and may involve a back and forth discussion. Please use headphones to call in however, or the feedback from the show is unbearable.
See you soon!
Show notes:
Relevant links:
Probiotics and Fermented Foods – Episode 6
Seaweed, salt and iodine – Office Hours (it’s in there I swear)
Healthy Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
Soy sauce
Someone asked during the show how this advice applies to soy sauce. Turns out there are 2 different methods of brewing soy sauce. The traditional way is fermented and has the same attributes as fermented soy products mentioned in the episode. The other method creates the sauces by hydrolyzing soy, which creates a number of unwanted byproducts including MSG and potentially some carcinogenic chemicals. The Wikipedia article on soy sauce is very informative.
Breast cancer
Meta-analysis of soy intake and breast cancer risk
Epidemiology of soy exposures and breast cancer risk
Prostate cancer
Soy consumption and prostate cancer risk in men: a revisit of a meta-analysis
What about demasculizing men?
One of the biggest fears men have about eating soy is the possibility of phytoestrogens demasculizing men, creating sexual dysfunction, infertility and the dreaded man boobs.
Indeed, there have been several studies in rodents suggesting that soy can interfere with reproductive pathways and fertility. However, human and monkey studies show that most men have no need to fear soy.
Hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction associated with soy product consumption
Osteoporosis
Heart disease
Notably, this was not convincing enough for the American Heart Association
A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the Nutrition Committee of the AHA
Thyroid issues
If you have moderate hypothyroid issues, it may be prudent to restrict your soy intake to low levels.
Impact of flavonoids on thyroid function
Memory/cognitive effects of soy
High Tofu Intake Is Associated with Worse Memory in Elderly Indonesian Men and Women