Run a Google search for “soy” and the first page or two are dominated by “soy kills” websites. The general public seems to think that soy is not good for you.
Many of these sites have one thing in common; by the time you get past all the hype, everyone seems to agree that, so long as you avoid processed and GMO, soy may actually be good for you. This means anything that contains TVP (textured vegetable protein), most veggie burgers and any soy product that is not labeled as organic or GMO free.
In addition, since soy is so darn prevalent in our processed foods and infant formulas, soy allergy is not uncommon. There also does seem to be some relationship between soy and thyroid function, but there is very little actual research to back this concern up.
In all the research that I have read over the years, it is almost unheard of to find negative effects of soy. The vast majority of the studies show distinct and powerful effects on human health. This particular study, looking at the effect of different soy-based foods on the risk of ovarian cancer. And the results are pretty stunning:
- In this China-based study of 500 ovarian cancer patients, Information on habitual consumption of soy foods, including soybean, soy milk, fresh tofu, dried tofu, and soybean sprout, was obtained.
- There was a lower average consumption of soy in ovarian cancer patients compared to matched controls (75.3 grams/day versus 110.7 grams/day.
- It was determined that that regular intake of soy foods could slash ovarian cancer risk by 71% in women who consumed at least 120 grams/day when compared to those who consume less than 61 grams/day.
To put this in perspective, a ½ cup of edamame is 90 grams and 1/3 cup of tofu is about 85 grams, so we’re not talking about mass amounts of soy. Basically, less than 2 servings per day.
Seventy one percent lower risk of ovarian cancer. Add in a diet low in red meat, skip dairy and avoid hormone replacement therapy and you’ve pretty much eliminated all risk of ovarian cancer.
Just don’t wait for soy to make it to the front page of the newspaper as being good for you.