A soybean - a rather simple legume originating from Eastern Asia thousands of years ago,
has, in one form or another, beaned its way into the pantries of almost every household.
Soybeans are nutritionally one of the best plant crops discovered, containing high amounts
of calcium, potassium, fiber, vitamin c, folic acid, and healthy polyunsaturated fats.
But these legumes are best known for its high protein content, where at 36 grams of protein
in a serving, beats out all other plants.
It's even been called a superfood, with links to reducing heart disease risk, prostate cancer,
osteoporosis, and even Alzheimer's.
Soy is now popular as an alternative for common food products such as burgers, pasta, and
milk.
But it wasn't always popular.
It made its US debut in the 1700s and was fed exclusively to animals.
Not until the 1920s did we started eating it ourselves.
Today, soy is the second most popular crop in the US, surpassing other big names such
as wheat, cotton, and rice.
It was all fine and dandy for this little super food up until new studies began making
some really serious claims.
Claims that made soy seem completely evil.
People got scared, pitchforks went up, and soy's popularity is in disarray.
But what exactly are the studies saying?
Should we really fear a little legume?
According to the studies, a reason to avoid soy is due to soy's high concentration of
isoflavones, which in high doses, can cause the development of cancerous cells.
Quite a serious problem if true, however, other studies showed that isoflavones had
no correlation to cancer cells at all, but in fact, it might prevent cancer cell development.
And women, it might even reduce menopausal symptoms as well.
But men, be careful since a study showed lower testosterone levels in mice after ingesting
20 milligrams per kilogram of these evil isoflavones!
Wait!
Not soy fast.
How much isoflavone is that exactly?
In human levels, that's equivalent to an unreal 57 cups of soymilk per day!
A more practical study found zero testosterone changes when subjects consumed the equivalent
of 3 cups of soymilk per day.
But there's more claims against soy.
In another case, claims were made that soy can interfere with thyroid function because
soy contains goitrogens, a substance that leeches iodine away from thyroid hormones.
Not good at all.
But again, studies show that even subjects with low iodine levels showed zero changes
in their thyroid from eating soy.
In fact, the American Thyroid Association reviewed 14 studies about this problem and
concluded that there is "little evidence" of soy negatively impacting thyroid function.
But perhaps the biggest soy controversy is genetic modification.
A staggering 93% of all soybeans in the US and 79% in the WORLD are genetically modified.
Although genetic modification, aka GMO, is a colossal topic that can't be covered in
this video alone, it can be said that, as far as research goes, there is no sign that
GMO soy will cause harmful effects to human health.
This stance, however, can change in the future if the research shows otherwise.
Of course, we also don't know how the substances, such as pesticides, used on GMO crops might
affect our health.
Now with all these studies analyzed, what's the verdict?
Should we still eat soy?
Indications are that moderate consumption should be okay.
There's no strong evidence showing that soy will cause cancer, lower testosterone, or
mess up your thyroid.
Also, if you cook or ferment the beans, a lot of these supposedly dangerous toxins are
actually eliminated in the process.
Oh, and for anti-GMO peeps, stick with the organic stuff.
Whether you're going to eat soy or not from now on, it won't change the fact that this
small bean is jam packed with nutrients.
The title of "super food" doesn't seem too far-fetched.
What are your thoughts on soy?
Curious about any other health and nutrition topics?
Feel free to share your thoughts on the comment section below!