You may have heard of soy
described as a miracle food, and with good reason. In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled that 25 grams of soy protein per day, along with a low fat, low cholesterol diet, might reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

However, growing research shows that the benefits of soy protein do not stop there. This extraordinary legume appears to lower cholesterol, reduce osteoporosis risk, alleviate menopausal symptoms, and help prevent heart disease and cancer. It may be in our best health interest to learn more about this wonder food.


Soy appears to minimize the risk of breast cancer

Population studies show that American women experience much higher rates of breast cancer than Japanese women, whose lower rate of this disease is believed to be due at least in part to daily consumption of soy products in the traditional Japanese diet.

In his book The Truth about Breast Cancer, Dr. Joseph Keon describes the role of genestein, a component in soy foods, in preventing the initiation of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast, prostate, ovary and cervix. Genestein may prevent tumor development by preventing them from forming new capillaries.

Soy lowers cholesterol

Numerous studies show that the protein and isoflavones in soy work to lower both total cholesterol and harmful (LDL) cholesterol without decreasing the good (HDL) cholesterol.

A 1995 study in the New England Journal of Medicine examined nearly 40 studies about soy protein and cholesterol, and determined that

people who consumed an average of 47 grams of soy protein per day experienced a dramatic 9 percent drop in total cholesterol and a 13 percent drop in bad (LDL) cholesterol.

However, consuming as little as 25 grams of soy per day has been shown to reduce LDL "bad" cholesterol by 10 percent in individuals with at least mildly elevated cholesterol.

Soy reduces risk of heart disease

According to Dr. Mark Messina,
co-author of The Simple Soybean and Your Health, soy appears to reduce heart disease risk through numerous mechanisms besides lowering cholesterol.

Dr. Messina explains that soy isoflavones have been shown to make the arteries more flexible, and in several studies, isoflavone-rich soy protein has been shown to inhibit cholesterol oxidation, which may promote heart disease.

Soy may help prevent
Osteoporosis

Soy also appears to be a very bone-friendly alternative to milk and dairy products. In his book, The McDougall Program for Women, Dr. John McDougall illustrates how milk, cheese, and yogurt, though high in dietary calcium, can actually increase the amount of calcium needed to protect the bones and prevent osteoporosis.

He explains that the acid/alkaline balance is ideally slightly alkaline, and the body will protect this balance through various means. A diet rich in animal proteins, like milk and cheese, provides an abundance of acids

that must be neutralized for the body to function properly. When these acids are created, the bones release calcium and phosphorus into the blood to buffer them.

Dr. McDougall points out that minerals pulled from the
bones for this purpose are then excreted, which may lead to a bone mineral deficit and predispose us to osteoporosis.

Soy may help alleviate menopausal symptoms

A 1996 study at Wake Forest University showed that women who consumed 20 grams of soy protein daily for six weeks had less severe hot flashes and night sweats.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, women seeking relief from menopausal symptoms should consume two servings of soy per day, in the form of soy milk, tofu, tempeh, soy nuts, or other soy products.

Though soy has long been daily fare in the traditional Asian diet, many Americans are just now learning how to enjoy it. Fortunately, it's easier than ever, since soy-based meat and dairy alternatives like tofu hot dogs, soy sausages, "bacon" bits, numerous flavors of soy milk, yogurt, and "ice cream" have become widely available.

Many cookbooks now offer numerous ways to integrate tofu into traditional recipes. Soy is more than just a valuable alternative to meat and dairy products.

With the long list of other powerful health benefits, we owe it to ourselves to start exploring the possibilities of this miraculous food.