Follow me on Blogarama Soy Will Give Me Boobs Skip to main content

Soy Will Give Me Boobs

Do Soybeans have a feminist agenda?

 The title of this post is inspired by my brother-in-law, but the spirit behind the message is something that I have heard time and time again: Soy has estrogen and that makes it bad for you.

This myth stops NOW.

In reading an article from the Boston Globe about Impossible and Beyond Burgers, I found the sentence that perfectly sums up everything that we hear about soy: “Soy contains estrogen-like compounds called isoflavones that some findings say can promote the growth of some cancer cells, impair female fertility and mess with men’s hormones.” That this article snuck this in without any backup shows their bias, and I hate to show mine, but this is nonsense. So, let's break this down and look at the fun part, science! 
Yum! A bowl full of genistein and daidzein!
Estrogen-like Compounds
Soy contains phytoestrogens, genistein and daidzein, which act like estrogen, but very weak versions. What is interesting is that these phytoestrogens have both an estrogenic and anti-estrogenic affect on the body. Phytoestrogens can actually block estrogen from reaching breast cancer cells, creating a protective barrier and keeping the cancer from growing. Phytoestrogens also bind to the recently discovered beta estrogen receptor. Cool, huh? Like how the word "literally" can also be defined by it's opposite meaning (I literally get murderous when people say "literally" when they mean "figuratively").  

 Promote the Growth of Some Cancer Cells
Higher levels of estrogen have been linked to breast cancer. Soy has phytoestrogens, so eating a lot of it causes cancer. We just disproved this in the previous paragraph. But, studies on rodents exposed to high levels of isoflavones (phytoestrogens), have seen increased rates of breast cancer. The levels fed to the rats were higher than most people would reasonably consume. Similar studies conducted on humans found that the isoflavones actually reduced the risk of breast cancer due to the anti-estrogenic properties. Should someone eat 30 cups of soy in a day continuously, he or she may run into some challenges. But, as we found in the post about spinach, no one should eat that much of any one thing. 

 Impair Female Fertility
There was an interesting study done with women who were undergoing infertility treatments and the effect of BPA (bisphenol A, a chemical found in a many plastic items). BPA also has an estrogenic effect on the body and has been linked to reproductive issues. The study found that women who regularly consume soy weren't affected by the BPA and were more likely to conceive. Women who did not consume soy had lower chances of conception and live births, due to high levels of BPA. In this case, soy actually improves fertility.  
Male Scientist checks his masculinity,
it's very fragile.
Mess with Men's Hormones
It makes me laugh when I hear people say stuff like this (and why I chose the name for the post). It's easy enough to use logic to debunk this one. Soy is widely consumed in Asian countries. Asian countries are highly populated. If soy caused men's estrogen levels to increase and testosterone levels to decrease to the point where it made men infertile, wouldn't Asian countries be less populated? But, rest assured, there have been multiple studies that have found that consuming normal amounts of soy (i.e, less than 30 cups) will not affect men's testosterone levels.   

 TL:DR
Soy doesn't make men grow boobs. The phytoestrogens are too weak to have that kind of impact. Soy is generally good for you if you don't eat 30 cups daily. 
And there was much rejoicing.

 Check My Sources!*:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/food-dining/2019/10/23/here-what-really-impossible-burger/diO3mowweQyK1fHkdvj9eM/story.html
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/soy/
https://nutritionfacts.org/2019/11/21/how-phytoestrogens-can-have-anti-estrogenic-effects/
https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/soy-and-cancer-risk-our-experts-advice.html
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/soy-rich-diet-may-offset-bpas-effects-on-fertility/
https://www.drfuhrman.com/elearning/eat-to-live-blog/137/dont-fall-for-the-myths-about-soy
*These articles are newer with the most up to date science. There were some older articles that I found that I chose not to use as the science is no longer valid. 

 Photo Credits:
https://www.pexels.com/@pixabay
https://www.pexels.com/@buenosia-carol-116286
https://www.pexels.com/@dana-tentis-118658
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Spinach and Muscle Growth

Yum, spinach! It’s one of my favorites and a staple in my house. I like to use it as a base for smoothies, salads, and wraps. Occasionally, I do cook it, but only enough so that is turns an even brighter shade of green. My kitten is a fan too, insisting that I give her a leaf whenever I open the bag. Spinach is thought to have originated in Persia and is in the same family as both beets and quinoa (which make for a fantastic veggie bowl, but that's a post for a different day). From Persia, the vegetable traveled to India and then to China, where it was known simply as “Persian Vegetable.” Spinach moved westward, gaining popularity in Europe as it was a vegetable that grew quickly in the early spring.  This Provided a welcome break in the monotony of winter stores.  Most people associate spinach with Popeye. That famous Sailor Man inhaled his canned leafy greens making his muscles explode as he saved Olive Oyl time and time again. As a result, spinach sales during WWII i
4 comments
Read more

Eat Away Depression

I watched a pharmaceutical commercial for a new anti-depressant that you take when your existing anti-depressant isn't working. This new pill is a supplement to the existing one, so two anti-depressants. As someone who has been on medication to regulate my brain, this doesn't jive with me. We know that food can be used to cure a lot of our physical ailments, such as a bowl of soup when we have a cold. But, there is emerging science about using food to help us with our  mental health .  Magnesium mmmm...Chocolate... Magnesium does a LOT. This mineral is responsible for ensuring that your heart beats normally, helps keep your immune system strong, and creates energy and protein. Over 100 years ago, it was discovered that it can also help with depression. Eat almonds, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate and kale for an extra punch of magnesium in your diet.  Vitamin D 🎶You are my sunshine, my only sunshine! You make me happy when skies are gray!🎶  emojis IRL This
1 comment
Read more

Failure and the Half Marathon Obstacle Race

I failed at my goal yesterday.  I give it as much as I could, but couldn’t reach the finish line. It was raining and cold. I had been walking in mud for the last 11 miles straight. My shoes were just mud puddles strapped to my feet weighing down my legs, my clothes were sopped and mud-caked. I made many of the obstacles I didn’t think I would. I had to burpee out at some of the ones I thought I would fly through. But I was on the verge of bonking without food and ill prepared for the cold. I think I could have gone a little further, but my teammate was completely bonked, could hardly stand, and was on the verge of hypothermia. I could have gone on a little further, and maybe could have made the finish line with that coveted medal. But, without my team mate, it would have cost my soul. Overall, I do feel a little pride for everything I did. It was hard, harder than I thought. I may be sad today and time may blur how bad the conditions were, how uncomfortable, tired, and hungry I was.
1 comment
Read more