Does soy really inhibit testosterone or produce estrogen.?

Question

Just wanting to knwo as I drink soy milk, why did this myth strat if it isn't true than? Also do Cruciferous or brassica family vegetables really inhibit estrogen or help testosterone in the body?

Answer 1

I highly doubt it, I think that rumour only came out, because people thought that vegetarian and vegan men were g*y, because they refused to eat meat, which is so not true !

Answer 2

The reason that these so-called estrogens are call PHYTOestrogens is that they are part of the hormone balance of PLANTS.

Plant estrogens are VERY different from human estrogens or the estrogen of any other mammalian species for that matter.

If they actually threw anything off balance, our bodies would detect it if we are healthy and increase testosterone to correct the ratio.

The fact is, these "estrogens" are very weak and have little to no effect.

Answer 3

Soya 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 the body's oestrogen.

There are other plants that contain oestrogen too.

@J.C. - There is no scientific evidence that soya causes, prevents, contributes to or affects the progress of cancer, including oestrogen positive breast cancer which is the one most often cited. There are  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.

There is current research into whether increasing phyto-oestrogens in the diet helps to prevent breast or prostate cancer, and a study in 2002 found that women with the highest levels of soya products in their diets had the lowest breast density. Higher breast density is associated with higher breast cancer risk. This is the first time that soya has been found to have a direct effect on breast tissue.

Women with the highest levels of isoflavones in their diet are reported to have significant risk reductions for uterine cancer.

On the balance of evidence, I'd say keep eating the soya.

Answer 4

Some studies have shown that soy does decrease testosterone in men and increase the likelihood of breast cancer in women, but the results are somewhat inconclusive. There is much disagreement as to how much these estrogen-like chemicals affect men and women. But there are several other things about soy that have made me decide to limit my intake.

Take a look at this:

http://www.drlam.com/opinion/soyandestro...

From what I have read about cruciferous/brassica vegetables, they reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men. Prostate cancer has been linked to high estrogen levels, so if these veggies fight this kind of cancer, it's likely that it's because they promote healthy levels of testosterone and hormonal balance in men.