Studies show pros, and cons, of soy consumption
Bill Fech
Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Fitness & Health
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Health nuts swear by it.
Meat lovers shun it.
Ah, the joy of soy.
This April is the Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA)'s 11th annual "Soyfoods Month," a month in which lovers of soy products can revel in their culinary lifestyle.
For years, vegans and those of similar ingestion orientations have championed the health benefits behind soy, often passing on the pork and other animal products in favor of soymilk, nuts and other foods.
Followers of these eating habits have often struggled to supply their personal soy diets in a culture wrought with meat-hungry ideologies, and yet some recent findings from health institutions around the world have provided them with national backing for their cause.
The National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan confirmed this month the previous findings of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that soy protein can help lower bad cholesterol in the blood, lowering the risk of heart-related health problems, according to an April 10 Press Newswire article.
Such news is no surprise to long-time consumers of soy products.
Nichole Reynolds, a freshman geology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been a vegetarian since age 7 and a vegan since 13.
She said that the health effects of soy can vary from culture to culture, yet she maintains that soy is still healthier than the alternative.
"Certain people from certain cultures can digest soy better than others," Reynolds said. "Asian cultures, for example, can handle soy much better than most Western cultures because they have been exposed to it for much longer."
Soy selections cover a broad range of foods, including milk, nuts, cheeses and pastas. With so many options available to the soy-consuming populace, Reynolds warns that too much soy can cause negative side effects.
"Some of my vegan friends drink a lot of soy milk, and when they do they tend to get upset stomachs," she said. "It's important to balance out soy with other dairy substitutes."
Meat lovers shun it.
Ah, the joy of soy.
This April is the Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA)'s 11th annual "Soyfoods Month," a month in which lovers of soy products can revel in their culinary lifestyle.
For years, vegans and those of similar ingestion orientations have championed the health benefits behind soy, often passing on the pork and other animal products in favor of soymilk, nuts and other foods.
Followers of these eating habits have often struggled to supply their personal soy diets in a culture wrought with meat-hungry ideologies, and yet some recent findings from health institutions around the world have provided them with national backing for their cause.
The National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan confirmed this month the previous findings of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that soy protein can help lower bad cholesterol in the blood, lowering the risk of heart-related health problems, according to an April 10 Press Newswire article.
Such news is no surprise to long-time consumers of soy products.
Nichole Reynolds, a freshman geology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been a vegetarian since age 7 and a vegan since 13.
She said that the health effects of soy can vary from culture to culture, yet she maintains that soy is still healthier than the alternative.
"Certain people from certain cultures can digest soy better than others," Reynolds said. "Asian cultures, for example, can handle soy much better than most Western cultures because they have been exposed to it for much longer."
Soy selections cover a broad range of foods, including milk, nuts, cheeses and pastas. With so many options available to the soy-consuming populace, Reynolds warns that too much soy can cause negative side effects.
"Some of my vegan friends drink a lot of soy milk, and when they do they tend to get upset stomachs," she said. "It's important to balance out soy with other dairy substitutes."
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