Is soy safe? Facts you need to know

Opinions on soy have been polarizing over the past few decades. While touted for being a healthy and nutritious food, there’s also concerns around soy possibly causing fertility problems or cancer due to its estrogen-like properties. 

“There’s a lot of misconceptions around soy,” says Analysa Howe, a registered dietitian at Aurora Health Care. “Luckily, we have ample research showing that soy is a safe food to eat and one that has numerous health benefits.” 

One of the largest concerns around soy is its level of estrogen. Soy contains isoflavones, which can act like estrogen in the body. This may be concerning to some people because increased estrogen has been linked to certain cases of breast cancer.  

“The estrogen in soy has no effect at all on cancer risk,” says Howe. “In some cases, it might actually reduce cancer risk because the isoflavones can act as a blocker for more potent estrogen in the blood.” 

The health benefits of eating soy 

Soy can come in a variety of forms, but is most commonly found in tofu, tempeh, soy milk, edamame and miso. Eating soy as a part of a healthy, complete diet is great for your long-term health. Some of the benefits include: 

• Protein: While not as high in protein as animal products, soy-based products are a great source of plant-based protein.  
• Healthy fat: Soy-based products contain very little saturated fat and are a great source of unsaturated fats. 
• Fiber: Eating soy-based products is a great way to increase your fiber intake as soy products contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. 
• Iron: Substituting red meat for soy products means you will still get the same level of iron intake. 
• Good for cholesterol: Soy contains compounds called phytochemicals that can help control cholesterol levels. 

“Soy-based products also have a lot of vitamins,” says Howe. “Primarily, soy-based foods contain necessary B vitamins, iron, zinc and calcium.” 

Plus, soy-based foods are great protein alternatives for those looking to cut down on their meat consumption or are vegan or vegetarian. 

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