Written by: Erika Gaye
Buffalo State Coordinated Dietetics Education Program
Soy foods are a great addition to anyone's diet! It has wonderful benefits and tastes great! Soy is considered to be a complete protein. It has a similar amount of protein when compared with animal protein. If you're looking for a protein alternative to stand up to dairy milk, soy milk is a great plant based alternative.
Soy is considered to be a functional food because regular consumption can help lower LDL cholesterol! LDL cholesterol is considered to be the "bad cholesterol" and too much of LDL can affect the cholesterol that builds up within a person's arteries.
Is Soy Safe to Eat?:
Yes! While there are many myths about soy foods negatively affecting people's health, there is a clear consensus that soy is safe to eat and is even potentially beneficial for a person's diet! The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advocate that eating soy foods may actually help reduce certain types of cancer. Women that consume soy foods that have risk of developing breast cancer could reduce that threat. Men consuming soy foods have a lower risk of acquiring prostate cancer. Children and adolescent girls that consume soy foods have a lower rate of developing breast cancer over the lifespan.
Phytoestrogens:
Phytoestrogens are chemical compounds that originate from plants that can be found within soy. Due to soy foods having these phytoestrogens some people think soy contains actual estrogen. Some people tend to stay away from soy foods because of this very thought. But while soy has a chemical structure that resembles estrogen, these are not actually the same as female estrogens. The American Cancer Society suggests that even breast cancer patients can safely consume up to 3 servings of soy per day. Phytoestrogens aid in the reduction of Osteoporosis and Heart Disease.
WESTSOY Recipe:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup WESTSOY® Organic Unsweetened Soymilk, chilled
1 banana, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup strawberries
1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla soy protein powder
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth
Divide between two well-chilled tall glasses and serve immediately.
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Sources:
https://www.oncologynutrition.org/erfc/hot-topics/soy-and-breast-cancer/
https://eatrightchicago.org/how-safe-is-soy/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074428/
http://www.westsoymilk.com/recipes/recipe-detail/?code=power-fruit-smoothie
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320472.php
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