PDA

View Full Version : Soy - how much is too much?



vtveg
Sep 14th, 2009, 04:11 PM
Hello All - so I've ready a number of articles on Soy and how it's important to monitor the intake as it can have negative health impact if consumed too much over a long period of time. But I have yet to come across information on what is considered a 'safe' daily consumption of soy and what is 'unsafe'.........maybe this is because there is still little supporting evidence of how exactly soy impacts body/health/illness/disease...etc.

What are others understanding, suggestions, knowledge of soy consumption?

I would say I consume roughly 2-4 servings of soy a day (servings meaning in 2-4 different meals/snacks). For example; today I've had 2 slices of banana bread made with soy milk (1 1/2 cups I think), 1 serving of Soy Yogurt, 1 1/2 cup Chocolate Soy Milk, I have some soy nuts spinkled on-top my salad, aand will be putting some Edamame in my faux chicken pot pie tonight. Granted my soy consumption varies from day-to-day but I'd say this is fairly typical as far as daily servings are concerned.

Thanks in advance for the input.

everdream
Sep 14th, 2009, 08:56 PM
is the 'chicken' soy based too? I would say that perhaps your intake is rather high, variety is good!
Are there other readily available 'milks' you could buy? Oat milk is really delicious and many are fond of rice milk and nut milks. Maybe put seseme seeds on your salad instead?

Personally I shoot for a max of 2 servings a day, though 2 or 3 times a week it hits three.

linera141
Sep 21st, 2009, 11:38 AM
If you like these soy products and are not physically bothered by them, I would not worry about eating too much of them. There is no evidence that soy products are harmful to the overall population, even at higher levels, as long as nutrient intake is sufficient. Most of the studies suggesting that soy products hurt people were created by meat and dairy supporters that have a financial reason to smear soy. With that said, some people are sensitive to any of several compounds found in soy and need to control their intake. I do not think you need to cut back now, though.

harpy
Sep 21st, 2009, 03:19 PM
A lot of the scare stuff about soya on the web does seem to be propaganda, but having said that I don't like eating too much of any one food all the time because it seems logical to me to hedge one's bets nutritionally by eating a variety of foods. I suppose I have something like tofu at least three or four times a week on average, plus soy milk now and then.

If you wanted a bit more variety then in your sample menu you could have actual nuts instead of soy "nuts", some other kind of beans instead of edamame, and as has already been suggested try other "milks".

jimmeh
Sep 21st, 2009, 11:15 PM
As if by magic this article on soya appeared on The Times' website today

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6840348.ece

flourchild
Jan 17th, 2010, 08:10 PM
Another thing to consider is whether the person consuming the soy, if female, is pre or post menopausal. If premenopausal, some studies show that soy can be a good way to help prevent breast cancer, but after menopause, it's good to cut down a bit. Soy also has phyto nutrients which block the absorption of minerals. All beans have this, but soy has slightly higher levels. One way to still absorb all that you need to is by getting extra vitamin C into your diet.

Another thing to know is that if you eat fermented soy products, such as tempeh, soy sauce, and miso, it's fine to eat because the fermentation gets rid of all the unwanteds. Even the anti-soy studies say this.

patientia
Jan 19th, 2010, 01:32 PM
Clinical studies show no effects of soy protein or isoflavones on reproductive hormones in men: results of a meta-analysis (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T6K-4WH6KPR-3&_user=3875467&_coverDate=06%2F12%2F2009&_alid=1172179761&_rdoc=2&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_cdi=5033&_sort=r&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=142&_acct=C000050661&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=3875467&md5=53aa99bc893683c727a837aa17db2ad7)

Tishy
Jan 21st, 2010, 04:21 AM
I know that some people who have thyroid problems, they can have problems with soy. My boyfriends dad has to have minimal soy because of his thyroid, and my boyfriend has a similar problem, we think, because whenever he eats too much soy, he feels quite sick afterwards.

I've read multiple articles that state soy leading to health problems has actually never come up with conclusive results.