Alicia Silverstone Explains the Soy Situation

Ah, the soy situation. I know soy has good properties but there's the idea out there that too much of it can be bad for you - which is even further complicated by not knowing how much is too much. I mentioned my uncertainty back in the Non-Fish Omega-3 Sources post and even further back in my review of The Kind Diet. But I know it's something I already include in my diet in forms such as edamame, the occasional pieces of tofu and the once-in-awhile scoop of soy-based ice cream. (There's more but you get the point.) Soy is a rich source of protein, fiber, and... no-surprise-see-link-above omega-3 fatty acids.

Well Alicia Silverstone - yes, the same one who in my review of her book I said confused me on the soy situation - cleared things up a bit.

edamame image from Food Thinkers on Flickr

Basically she's saying that phytoestrogen (which is different than the estrogen you find in dairy products) in soy (especially organic soybeans) can help regulate our own hormone levels. But the soy you should really moderate is the heavily processed soy... like my aforementioned soy ice cream. According to her post, this is because there is some evidence suggesting this highly concentrated form of the protein can produce an insulin-like growth factor in the bloodstream linked to high cancer risk.

Ok. So I still don't know quite how much soy is too much, but now I have an idea of which soy is helpful and which I should have small amounts of, if any.

The strange thing is I knew this already. Processed foods tend to not be as nutritious and/or have elements that can harm your health in the long run. But it took Alicia Silverstone bringing up the issue for me to realize this applies to soy too.

Her post also mentions 5 soymilk alternatives (nut, rice, oat, hemp, coconut). Cow's milk has never been a staple of my diet due to intolerance so I was never in the mindset that I had to replace it with soymilk. Pretty much the only time I use a milk of any kind is if I have to when I'm baking and when I make smoothies, but in both cases I use almond milk because almonds are good for you (helps lower bad cholesterol, Vitamin E source, and more), I can tolerate it,  I don't mind the taste, and it can be gluten-free. Also it helps make smoothies a bit creamier.

Now I also know soy has issues all on its own in regards to farming subsidies, but as far as health goes (which is the main concern of this blog) - going for whole/non-highly-processed, organic-when-possible soy sources can be a helpful part of your diet.

And if you haven't tried edamame yet, do it. (It's on the good soy list.) Simple. Yummy. Great snack, appetizer, or side.

Well. I'm feeling better on this issue.

If you want to read the whole Alicia Silverstone post, you can find it on her blog with a title of "the deal with soy... and five soymilk alternatives."

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