You may have heard that you shouldn’t eat soy if you are at risk for Breast cancer. Then you read headlines claiming that it could prevent the disease. So what’s the truth?
Even for those with a good understanding of health, it can be difficult to tell fact from fiction.
It is crucial to know the truth about soy, especially since it is becoming more popular in American cuisine. Soy, in addition to its traditional forms such as edamame and tempeh, miso, and tofu, is also a popular low fat source of protein. protein. It’s in soy milk, meat substitutes, cerealYou can also find baked goods, energy bars and other goodies.
These foods are worth avoiding or should you eat more? The simplest answer is to think “whole” — as in, as close to nature as possible — so you don’t get too much.
These five myths are a great way to get more information.
1. Myth: Breast cancer is a risk factor for all soy foods
There’s no need to banish tofu and edamame from your diet.
“For years, soy got a bad rap because of its isoflavones,” says Marleen Meyers, MD, director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center Survivorship Program at NYU Langone Medical Center.
These plant-based chemicals have a similar structure Estrogen. Most Breast Cancers are sensitive to estrogen (or, as doctors say, “estrogen-receptor-positive” or “ER-positive,”) which means that estrogen fuels their growth.
“So there was a fear that soy could act as estrogen in the body and stimulate cancer cells,” Meyers says. “It was spread on blogs, and people would tell each other to avoid soy.”
But a steady stream of studies showed that a diet high in soy didn’t increase the chances of developing Breast cancerIt may even lower that risk.
Researchers found that women who consumed at least 13g of soy in a study of 73,000 Chinese women revealed a higher intake of the protein. proteinOne to two servings per day were about 11% less likely than those who had less than 5 grams.
“In Asian cultures, where people eat a lot of soy from a young age, there are lower rates of breast cancer,” Meyers says. People still consume soya in its original forms in these societies.
A second analysis of eight studies revealed that those who consumed the most soy isoflavones, which is about the amount found in a portion of tofu, were 29% less likely get the disease than those who had the least.
“As part of a healthy diet, whole soy foods are safe,” says Denise Millstine, MD, director of integrative medicineScottsdale, AZ.
2. Myth: All kinds of soy have the exact same effects on the body
Your body may process the natural soy in tofu, miso, and soy milk differently than the kind that’s added to processed foods.
The soy proteinSupplements, protein powders, or meat substitutes often contain isolated proteins that are usually devoid of nutrients like fiber.
“It’s also a more concentrated form of soy,” Millstine says. “So you’re much more likely to get a high dose if you’re having protein shakes and soy hot dogs than if you’re eating edamame.”
Researchers aren’t certain how large amounts of soy affect Breast Cancer risk. In one early study, soy supplements were shown to “switch on” genes that encourage cancerGrowth in breast cancer patients.
Experts recommend consuming a moderate amount or one to two portions of whole soy per day. One serving of whole soy includes:
- Half a cup of cooked Edamame
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 ounce soy nuts
- 3 ounces of tofu
3. Myth: Breast cancer can be prevented by eating soy.
While eating a moderate amount of soy is fine, it’s too soon to suggest eating more to protect your breasts.
“The results are promising, but there’s still not enough information,” Meyers says. Experts believe that soybean isoflavones could actually inhibit estrogen’s attachment to breast cancer cells, rather than promoting growth as once believed.
Meyers noted that many of the most important studies have been done in Asian countries. This is because soya in its traditional form is what people grew up eating. “That may influence the way their body processes soy,” she says. “We need to look at if having soy later in life has the same effect.”
There needs to be more research on the amount of soy consumed at different ages. “Soy may have more of an impact on a postmenopausal woman who’s not producing as much estrogen as a healthy 20-year-old,” Millstine says.
4. Myth: All soy products should be avoided if you have had or are currently having breast cancer.
Just as eating a moderate amount of whole soy doesn’t make you more likely to get breast cancer, it also doesn’t seem to raise your risk for recurrence.
“Still, I’d recommend that breast cancer patients avoid soy supplements,” Millstine says.
Researchers analysed data from diet surveys taken by more than 9500 American and Chinese females. The risk of having cancer returned to 25% was lower for those who ate the most soy than those who ate less.
Experts are concerned that soy may interfere with breast-cancer drugs that lower estrogen levels such as Tamoxifen. However, the same study also showed that soy was protective against recurrence among patients who had taken tamoxifen.
The study covered tofu and soy milk as well as fresh soybeans. As you would expect, Chinese women ate more of it than Americans. When the researchers took into account this fact, the results held.
5. Myth: Soy is only good for breast cancers that are sensitive or estrogen-sensitive.
While it’s true that soy isoflavones play a bigger role in estrogen-receptor positive breast cancers, early research links it to a lower risk of other Different types of breast carcinoma.
That finding comes from a study of 756 Chinese women who had breast cancer and about 1,000 others who didn’t have the disease. All the women were asked questions about their diets. According to the study, those who ate more soybeans were less likely than those who ate fewer.
That finding doesn’t prove that soy prevented breast cancer in any of the women. There could also be other factors.
“More research still needs to be done,” Meyers says. “It could be that people who eat more soy have healthier lifestyles in general.”
Watch this space to see if this helps you, regardless of whether you eat tofu or soy milk. snackOn edamame
