Can soy have a negative affect on women?

Question

I don't do too well with dairy products, as it is not even MEANT to be consumed by humans in the first place. So I drink soy milk (and hemp milk when I can afford it) and eat soy cheese. Sometimes I'll use soy yogurt for my smoothies. I have recently heard that the isoflavones in soy have a similar effect as estrogen in women. It is like you are drinking plant hormones. I also tried to look this up and there was a horror story about a woman who had tons of cysts and cancers she claims were CAUSED by soy-intake. This terrified me but I also want to hear some other stuff because there are always two sides to things. I heard it can cause weight gain and growth in b*****s...if this is the case then it answers a lot of questions for me! Please shed some light on the subject, extra kudos to anyone with personal examples! Thanks...

Answer 1

Yes it can. However  the harmful effects are most noticeable in women with sensitive thyroids. ( Personal experience talking here!)My thyroid swells up and looks huge when I eat too many soy products so I'm one of the people who must be vigilant in keeping track of how much of it I eat.Reducing my amounts also reduces the swelling.Although soy can mimic estrogen in the body and provide some initial relief from hot flashes etc  it's important to not over do it by eating too much too often.2 times a week should be  pretty safe.Soy is also high in oaxalates which for those with kidney stones means trouble as the oaxalates bind with calcium  to form the stones.You'll almost never hear anyone in the media or marketing talk about  the negative side effects of soy since they seem to be more interested in making money.

Have you tried almond milk as your dairy substitute?

Answer 2

I have heard both that soy is bad and good for you.  Most often I hear it is okay as long as it is in small doses.  My friend has  B.A. in nutrition and she says if you want to be totally safe stick with Rice or Almond milk.  I like vanilla almond milk.

Answer 3

no, actually soy is especially good for women

1 serving soy per day reduces your chances of breast cancer up to 50%!

*kay

Answer 4

Soy proteins contain isoflavones that can mimic a weak oestrogen effect. It's not the same as the oestrogen the body makes - it is 1,000 times weaker than your body's oestrogen.

There are other plants that contain oestrogen too.

There is no scientific evidence that soy causes, prevents, contributes to or affects the progress of breast cancer, either in men or women, though there are concerns.

But there are also those in the field who argue that isoflavones may be of help in preventing breast cancer or be beneficial to women who have had breast cancer.

I'd say, on the balance of evidence, keep eating soya if you enjoy it

Answer 5

Those who consume cows' milk are ingesting far more and far more powerful hormones than anything in soy.  Plant estrogens are quite weak when compared to those in animal foods.  Soy has been recommended for women going through menopause.  Just make sure you're eating organic soy products.

If you're worried, you can use rice milk, oat milk, nut milk, or hemp milk (blech) or mix the soy milk with another plant milk.

Answer 6

I did some research and here is an interesting article I found:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0...

"Many nutritionists recommended soy for reducing exposure to cancer-linked hormones--but they always cautioned women of childbearing age against a potential, soy-related reduction in fertility. That may change, however, as new research concludes that soy is unlikely to impede fertility in women.

Women in Asian countries--where a lot of soy is consumed--have dramatically lower rates of breast cancer compared to women in North America and Europe. Isoflavones, the plant estrogens found in soy, are thought to play a role in this lower incidence, either by increasing menstrual cycle length or reducing ovarian hormones--both of which would reduce lifetime exposure to estrogen."

Hope I helped :)