In my career I always have to pay special attention to food families that are either under-consumed or under-appreciated in relation to their nutritional value.
Soy-based foods like tempeh, tofu, edamame, and soy milk definitely check both boxes.
While I’ll be the first to admit that no one NEEDS to eat soy to live a happy and healthy life, that doesn’t take away from the fact that soy foods offer access to unique compounds like isoflavones and soy protein that are simply found in no other foods.
Keep in mind that no one NEEDS to drink green tea or eat blueberries – but to ignore the evidence for their benefit is as unjustifiable as to ignore the evidence supporting the intake of soy foods.
My bigger picture philosophy
It’s just that variety in protein intake over time is beneficial for health and longevity.
Most people in North America have consumed large amounts of poultry, eggs, and red meat in their lifetimes and relatively low amounts of soy foods.
My vision is that, perhaps, these foods could play a slightly larger role so that more people can tap into their unique benefits.
So what are these benefits and who is most likely to reap them?
Let’s find out.
Who will benefit most from soy?
#1 Women in menopause with hot flashes, inflammation
Soy intake has regularly been associated with improvements in specific symptoms of menopause, including both hot flashes and vaginal dryness;
According to a 2021 test by Menopause period, soy may reduce both the frequency and severity of hot flashes with The amount of daily isoflavones most likely to achieve this benefit is ~50mg.
50 mg of isoflavones could be found in:
- 200 grams of tofu (1/2 package)
- 100 grams of tempeh
- 50 grams of soy isolate or concentrate or soy protein
We also have meta-analysis data to suggest this Soy intake at this level lowers CRP [inflammatory marker] in postmenopausal women.
These findings are further supported by observational evidence suggesting that soy polyphenols reduce the risk of someone ending up with high levels of inflammatory markers.
Since inflammation greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, findings like these are important boosts to soy’s nutritional value.
#2 People [Especially Men] With high LDL cholesterol & triglycerides
High LDL cholesterol is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and one of the most common reasons for a prescription in North America.
I have helped many clients with this problem and incorporate soy based foods into my solution for the simple fact that soy protein has been consistently shown to lower LDL.
The expected result is a reduction of up to 5% when soy protein intake is around ~25 grams per day – as per meta-analysis data.
25 grams of soy protein could be found in:
- 1 scoop of soy protein powder
- 2/3 package of tofu
- 3x cups soy milk
- 1.5 cups edamame
This same amount of daily exposure to soy intake has been demonstrated lowers triglycerides by 7% and increases HDL by 3%.
Keep in mind that high triglycerides and low HDL are HUGE risk factors for fatty liver disease – a topic I discuss more fully in a recent post.
Why is soy so helpful for these concerns?
Scientists believe that soy protein and other soy ingredients positively affect fat metabolism at the genetic level reducing the production of proteins such as SREBP-1c and PPARY2 that are otherwise responsible for stimulating the synthesis of fatty acids that end up in the bloodstream and are ultimately stored inappropriately in the liver.
Not surprisingly, the observational evidence suggests this People who consume more soy tend to have a lower risk of fatty liver disease.
Sure people will falsely claim that soy lowers men’s testosterone levels, but the reality is that the NUMBER ONE risk factor for low testosterone in men is the presence of fatty liver.
Soy intake may play a small but essential role in reducing liver fat levels and thus, technically speaking, protecting your testosterone levels rather than harming them.
Final Thoughts
Not everyone loves soy based foods, and I’m totally fine with that.
It’s also true that the amount of soy needed to exert a substantial benefit on your health is enough that unless you really like soy foods, you probably won’t be consistently able to hit those amounts.
No worries!
For the rest of you who needed that nudge to pay a little more attention to soy as part of a varied omnivore diet, we hope today’s article helped.
Bonus message to my Vegans
I have worked with a significant number of vegans and vegetarians in my career.
It’s abundantly and perhaps alarmingly normal for me to even encounter people in this demographic who don’t fully appreciate the nutritional value of soy and its extremely high importance in meeting an important daily protein goal as well as an important parameter for satiety and optimal immunity + muscle health.
