- Soybeans are heart healthy
Soyfoods are unique among legumes because they are low in carbohydrate and higher in protein and fat. The fat provided by soybeans is especially heart-healthy. Nearly all the fat in soy is unsaturated; it is a mix of polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated. Unsaturated fat lowers blood cholesterol levels. The US FDA formally recognized the cholesterol-lowering properties of soybean oil in 2017. The soybean is also one of the few good sources of both essential fatty acids as it provides both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.1
2. Soyfoods can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer
Breast cancer rates in soy food-consuming countries are generally much lower than in Western countries. Also, women in Asia who eat soyfoods are less likely to develop breast cancer than women in those countries who infrequently eat soy. Several lines of evidence suggest that soy is one reason Asian women tend not to get breast cancer.2,3 However, studies indicate that to derive this benefit requires eating soy during childhood and/or adolescence. Soy changes cells in the developing breast that appears to make these cells less likely to be transformed into cancer cells later in life. Evidence suggests that consuming as little as one serving of soyfoods per day when young is enough to reduce risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 50 percent.
3. Soybean isoflavones alleviate hot flashes
The first clinical study investigating the effects of soyfoods on hot flashes in menopausal women was published more than two decades ago. More than 20 trials have since been published. The evidence clearly shows that the isoflavones in soybeans alleviate hot flashes by approximately 50 percent.4 Isoflavones are commonly referred to as plant estrogens although they differ from the hormone estrogen. Just two servings of soyfoods per day provide the amount of isoflavones shown to be effective.
4. Soy protein helps to build muscle and increase strength
Maintaining muscle mass is an important element to maintaining health, especially as one ages. Resistance exercise training (weight lifting/training) is key to building muscle and increasing strength. Dietary protein is also essential to this process. Arguments have been made that milk protein is optimal for this purpose. However, a comprehensive analysis that included 9 clinical studies published in 2018 found that among men engaged in weight lifting, soy protein leads to similar gains in strength and muscle mass as animal protein and milk protein.5 Soy protein is especially advantageous because it also lowers blood cholesterol levels.
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5. Soyfoods improve several aspects of cognitive function
The impact of soy on cognitive function has been studied clinically for nearly two decades. In 2015, a comprehensive analysis of the relevant studies concluded that soy isoflavones exert a positive effect on a broad range of cognitive abilities in women.7 Isoflavones are naturally-occurring plant compounds found in uniquely-rich amounts in soyfoods. In 2018, Australian researchers found that soy improved reaction time and reasoning speed in women aged 45 – 75 years.8 Reaction time measured how quickly participants responded to changes on a computer screen by pressing the keyboard. Reasoning speed assessed the ability to make reasoned decisions concerning distal relationships between stimuli.
6. Soyfoods may benefit breast cancer survivors
Asian women who consume soyfoods are less likely to develop breast cancer. But if they do, will soy affect their progress? This question has been hotly debated for 20 years. The most recent evidence is quite compelling and is not only supportive of safety but suggests that breast cancer patients who consume soy are less likely to die from their disease and to suffer a recurrence.9 Not surprisingly, the American Cancer Society, the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund International, have concluded that women diagnosed with breast cancer can safely consume soyfoods.
7. Soy just might reduce wrinkles
Everyone wants healthy and vibrant looking skin. Smoking and sun exposure don’t help in this regard. But what about diet? Can a healthy diet help reduce wrinkles like it can help to prevent heart disease? Increasingly, the answer is yes, and increasingly, the evidence indicates soyfoods are an important part of a skin-healthy diet. A few years ago, a seminal study found that within just 14 weeks, soy reduced wrinkles in postmenopausal women by 10%.10 The more wrinkles at study start, the more pronounced were the benefits. More recently, Japanese researchers found daily soymilk consumption by premenopausal women resulted in an improvement in both subjective and objective measurements of skin health.11 Thus, soy appears to work in women of all ages.
8. Eat soy to reduce prostate cancer risk
Men in soyfood-consuming countries are less likely to get prostate cancer in comparison to men in countries where soyfoods are infrequently consumed. However, when they move to high-risk countries such as the United States, their offspring tend to experience the same prostate cancer rates as their adopted homeland. This change in rates indicates that lifestyle including diet, affect prostate cancer risk. Several lines of evidence suggest that soy may protect against prostate cancer. To this point, that authors of comprehensive review published in 2018 concluded that their results “… support the existing evidence, which indicates that total soy food intake is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer.”12
For more information visit www.soyfoodscouncil.org
1. Slavin M, Kenworthy W, Yu LL. Antioxidant properties, phytochemical composition, and antiproliferative activity of Maryland-grown soybeans with colored seed coats. J Agric Food Chem. 2009;57(23):11174-85.
2. Messina M, Hilakivi-Clarke L. Early intake appears to be the key to the proposed protective effects of soy intake against breast cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(6):792-8.
3. Messina M, Wu AH. Perspectives on the soy-breast cancer relation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;89(5):1673S-9S.
4. Taku K, Melby MK, Kronenberg F, et al. Extracted or synthesized soybean isoflavones reduce menopausal hot flash frequency and severity: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Menopause. 2012;19(7):776-90.
5. Messina M, Lynch H, Dickinson JM, et al. No difference between the effects of supplementing with soy protein versus animal protein on gains in muscle mass and strength in response to resistance exercise. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism. 2018;28(6):674-85.
6. Anderson JW, Bush HM. Soy protein effects on serum lipoproteins: A quality assessment and meta-analysis of randomized, controlled studies. J Am Coll Nutr. 2011;30(2):79-91.
7. Cheng PF, Chen JJ, Zhou XY, et al. Do soy isoflavones improve cognitive function in postmenopausal women? A meta-analysis. Menopause. 2015;22(2):198-206.
8. Zajac IT, Herreen D, Bastiaans K, et al. The effect of whey and soy protein isolates on cognitive function in older Australians with low vitamin B12: A randomised controlled crossover trial. Nutrients. 2018;11(1).
9. Chi X-X, Zhang T. The effects of soy isoflavone on bone density in north region of climacteric Chinese women. Journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition. 2013;53(2):102–7.
10. Jenkins G, Wainwright LJ, Holland R, et al. Wrinkle reduction in post-menopausal women consuming a novel oral supplement: a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2014;36(1):22-31.
11. Nagino T, Kaga C, Kano M, et al. Effects of fermented soymilk with Lactobacillus casei Shirota on skin condition and the gut microbiota: a randomised clinical pilot trial. Beneficial microbes. 20171-10.
12. Applegate CC, Rowles JL, Ranard KM, et al. Soy consumption and the risk of prostate cancer: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2018;10(1).
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