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Opinions on soy?
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I love soymilk, I've been drinking it for years and eating it w cereal and in my coffee etc. I eat Tofu every week, I only buy organic soy though.1
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Like anything else, moderation is key. If soymilk will be one of your only servings of soy I don't think there's anything to worry about. If you eat tofu, vegetarian "meats" or protein shakes/bars with soy protein I'd be more cautious about adding another source of soy.1
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I have been drinking soy milk for decades because I don't like cow's milk and when I gave it up soy was the only thing available where I live. I also eat tofu semi-regularly.
Millions, if not billions, of humans regularly consume soy with no health problems. That's not to say that you won't have problems. On an individual basis anything can cause problems.4 -
I try to avoid soy because I am hypothroid and my endocrinologist recommend that I stay away from it.3
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I'm Japanese American. Asians eat a lot of soy--considerably more than Americans. Japan has the highest life expectancy of all major countries: Japanese women 87 years compared to American women 81 years; Japanese men 80 years compared to American men 76 years. Moreover, Japanese have a better quality of life, living an average of 75 years of their lives disability free. The notion that soy is detrimental to overall health is unfounded.
The culprit in the American diet isn't soy--it's all that high fat, high sugar, processed food.
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I have personally usually avoided soy because I have a strong family history of breast cancer and that's what we were advised. Last year I was motivated to lose some weight fast and got into a medical weight loss program that offers meal replacements. I didn't realize at the time that all the protein was from hydrolyzed soy (whatever that is) and to be honest I probably wouldn't have cared because the program worked so well to get the lbs off. After 4 months on the diet I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily it was detected very early and I'm ok a year later. I will always wonder if I caused the cancer because of that diet.
Another soy related thing that I saw on here: my daughter was very allergic to cow's milk as an infant and toddler and we substituted with soy. She started showing signs of puberty at 4 years old. I had no idea that there was a link between soy and early puberty.
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socalrunner59 wrote: »I'm Japanese American. Asians eat a lot of soy--considerably more than Americans. Japan has the highest life expectancy of all major countries: Japanese women 87 years compared to American women 81 years; Japanese men 80 years compared to American men 76 years. Moreover, Japanese have a better quality of life, living an average of 75 years of their lives disability free. The notion that soy is detrimental to overall health is unfounded.
The culprit in the American diet isn't soy--it's all that high fat, high sugar, processed food.
Correlation does not prove cause.5 -
I have personally usually avoided soy because I have a strong family history of breast cancer and that's what we were advised. Last year I was motivated to lose some weight fast and got into a medical weight loss program that offers meal replacements. I didn't realize at the time that all the protein was from hydrolyzed soy (whatever that is) and to be honest I probably wouldn't have cared because the program worked so well to get the lbs off. After 4 months on the diet I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily it was detected very early and I'm ok a year later. I will always wonder if I caused the cancer because of that diet.
Another soy related thing that I saw on here: my daughter was very allergic to cow's milk as an infant and toddler and we substituted with soy. She started showing signs of puberty at 4 years old. I had no idea that there was a link between soy and early puberty.
I think your family history of breast cancer was probably a bigger factor in the development of your cancer than consuming soy products for four months. I'm not aware of any study that even suggests that consuming soy can cause one to develop cancer in a few months.
The link between soy and breast cancer is by no means established. The link between a strong family history of breast cancer and breast cancer is well-established and strong.10 -
Supposedly fermented soy like miso, tempeh, tamari, or natto don't cause the same problems as regular soy.
I don't know why, I haven't researched it yet.0 -
My husband doesn't eat dairy. Almond milk is his go to for cereal, but he still uses soy in coffee and tea. He uses hummus as a substitute for cheese in many situations (like on a sandwich), tofu in others. He uses whipped coconut or cashew butter instead of whipping cream. In other words, just mix it up rather than relying on soy products alone.2
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StealthHealth wrote: »socalrunner59 wrote: »I'm Japanese American. Asians eat a lot of soy--considerably more than Americans. Japan has the highest life expectancy of all major countries: Japanese women 87 years compared to American women 81 years; Japanese men 80 years compared to American men 76 years. Moreover, Japanese have a better quality of life, living an average of 75 years of their lives disability free. The notion that soy is detrimental to overall health is unfounded.
The culprit in the American diet isn't soy--it's all that high fat, high sugar, processed food.
Correlation does not prove cause.
The claim isn't that soy causes long life, it's that soy isn't all that scary if a large population of people have been eating large quantities of it for a very long time and seem to be doing just fine as far as general health is concerned.1 -
My thoughts are that other than soy sauce, it's gross.3
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@FeedMeFish do some research. Soy seems to be a no no for some of us who have spent a life time eating SAD.1
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It's fine. Eat the soy.2
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extra_medium wrote: »StealthHealth wrote: »socalrunner59 wrote: »I'm Japanese American. Asians eat a lot of soy--considerably more than Americans. Japan has the highest life expectancy of all major countries: Japanese women 87 years compared to American women 81 years; Japanese men 80 years compared to American men 76 years. Moreover, Japanese have a better quality of life, living an average of 75 years of their lives disability free. The notion that soy is detrimental to overall health is unfounded.
The culprit in the American diet isn't soy--it's all that high fat, high sugar, processed food.
Correlation does not prove cause.
The claim isn't that soy causes long life, it's that soy isn't all that scary if a large population of people have been eating large quantities of it for a very long time and seem to be doing just fine as far as general health is concerned.
@socalrunner59 's claim seemed (to me) to be:- Because a population eats a lot of soy and enjoys longevity then the soy must be the thing that makes the difference - "Asians eat a lot of soy--considerably more than Americans. Japan has the highest life expectancy of all major countries"
- Because a population eats a lot of high fat, high sugar, processed food and has a lesser longevity that soy consumption is irrelevant - "The culprit in the American diet isn't soy--it's all that high fat, high sugar, processed food"
Putting aside the argument that it's difficult to argue that point 1 and point 2 are both correct. My comment was that neither Japan's longevity or the US higher mortality rate could be, on the basis of her comment, attributed to soy. Not that soy was good/bad/well tolerated (which seems to be your point).
I guess that all this is irrelevant to the OP who asked to an opinion on soy as a replacement to dairy so to answer that. My opinion is:- Soy in moderation seems harmless so if it's palatable to you, go for it.
- Similar to @cwolfman13 the only soy product I enjoy is soy sauce, so I don't eat it.
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I am a sample size of one, but soy has caused me no issues, and is the most widely available form of lactose free dairy-type-foodstuff where I live. Almond milk is good in porridge, cashew milk is good in smoothies.
You can probably find contradictory claims about any item imaginable if you look for it.1 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »@FeedMeFish do some research. Soy seems to be a no no for some of us who have spent a life time eating SAD.
How does one research the claim that soy "seems" to be a "no no" for "some" people? It's such a vague statement I don't even know how one would go about determining if it is true or not.3 -
Make your own nut milks with a blender! Personally, I love soy milk and tofu and all things soy, but I have it organic when possible after I read that soy seeds (beans) are modified to be 'round up ready', meaning they are not harmed by chemical weed killer and so it is sprayed on the whole field and some gets into the beans.1
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cwolfman13 wrote: »My thoughts are that other than soy sauce, it's gross.
And edamame. Pictsweet pepper seasoned ones my favorite snack!1 -
China consumes a lot of soybeans and clearly they are becoming extinct as a race.7
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