Vegetarian Advice: Soy Foods And Vegan Men

Question: What's the latest on soy products effects on vegan men?

I'd like to know what the latest views are on Soy milk and Soy products eaten often by vegans. Especially if there are any negative effects for men who eat lots of soy. - C.X.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice:

Dear C.X.,

Here are some links to articles which suggest that soy is a good thing for men with regard to prostate cancer:

And cholesterol:

Here's another article which suggests that the health benefits of soy are overrated:

And another article which is very down on soy - my only objection to the authors of this article is that they have a strong anti-vegetarian bias:

Here's my view:

Whole soy products like tofu are a good source of vegetarian protein, and fermented soy products like tempeh and miso are easier to digest than tofu, because the fermentation converts sugars that cause gas or other reactions. I think it's fine to eat small quantities of those foods, if you have no adverse reactions. However, soy is a notorious allergen, and for some people, is a thyroid or hormone disruptor. Soy consumption should be approached with caution by everybody.

The soy in most processed vegetarian foods, like veggie burgers or veg sausage, is soy protein isolate, or TVP, made from soy meal, a by-product of soy oil production, and a highly processed food itself, which I don't recommend anybody eat. See the SV article: Soy Isolate or TVP - This Is A Health Food?

Keep in mind that there are many healthy vegetarian and vegan foods which can supply all of our nutritional needs, and the same health benefits, without ever eating soy. It's best to eat a wide variety of whole foods, including grains, beans, nuts, seeds, veggies, and fruit for maximum nutrition and a varied diet, rather than rely heavily on one food. A vegetarian diet which just replaces big slabs of meat with big slabs of tofu or veggie burgers isn't much of an improvement, in my opinion - you could just be trading one set of health hazards for another.

Hope this helps! All the best, J. Kingsbury

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