Soy what? The soy story.

I have yet to come across a food more controversial than soy.
As a vegan, or not as a vegan, if you live in the United States, there's a good chance you consume a good amount of soy, and may not even realize it. It's in everything from ice cream, to hotdogs, to crackers.
You've also probably heard two extremely different opinions on it as well.

Bean Loving Baby

For as long as Grace could chew, she's been eating every kind of bean (and legume). Black, kidney, cannellini, navy, butter, pinto, lima, you name it. Because of its high protein, iron, fiber and even calcium contents it's been a part of her meals every day as a meat replacement. The list of reasons why I chose to go with plant protein over animal protein is endless.

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   Only thing that I had to keep on top of wasn't her protein, iron or even B12, those levels have been consistently perfect, along with everything else. The only thing was her fat intake. Beans have practically no fat which is perfect for adults struggling with weight loss, but not for a growing child. Children need high amounts of fat during such a rapid growth period. Her fat-needs were easily met by a side of avocado, almond yogurt, coconut yogurt, nuts, etc. 

Soybean's Impressive Nutrition Facts

For some reason, I hadn't realized how much fat soybeans naturally contained for so long. I was always going right past the cans of the soybeans. To my surprise, not only do soybeans have healthy fat, they have double the protein and iron. This realization made it so much easier for Grace to get in all of her vital nutrients, including fat!

13 grams of protein, 30% of your daily value of iron plus 7 grams of fat in only 1/2 cup is amazing!

 Why all the controversy?

It seems nowadays that just about every processed food item has soy listed in the ingredients. Food manufacturers put soy in more than 60 percent of processed foods, it is the second largest crop in cash sales and the No. 1 value crop export in the United States. It has to be one of the toughest ingredients to avoid, if you have an allergy to it.

Soy opponents are saying that soy is contributing to a long list of health issues. From thyroid issues, to an early onset of puberty in girls, stimulating certain types of breast cancer cells, etc. It's a very similar list of issues as with the high consumption levels of animal products.
I found this information extremely confusing because of all the evidence in many areas of Asia that have such significantly low rates of breast cancer with high-soy diets. One source says soy causes breast cancer, another source saying it prevents breast cancer?

Processed food is processed food

"Processed foods, because of their low nutrient levels, high amount of salt, acrylamides and other toxic additives should not be considered healthy. Vegetarians and vegans who eat tofu-turkey, soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy hot dogs, soy cheese and other soy-derived processed foods on a regular basis are certainly not eating a healthy diet. Isolated soy protein is a heavily processed food with a low nutrient-per-calorie ratio. The key to good health is to eat unprocessed foods because their nutrient per calorie density is high. " -Dr. Fuhrman, M.D. 

Any food that is processed heavily, with added sodium and chemicals is not going to be good for you. Which is why there is such a substantial difference between soy's effect on people in rural areas of Asia verses America. The areas of Asia that have such low amounts of cancer are using pure, unprocessed forms of soybeans.

Benefits of unprocessed, pure soy

In a group of 5,042 women previously diagnosed with breast cancer who were participating in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study over a four-year period, those who regularly consumed soy products, such as soymilk, tofu, or edamame, had a 32 percent lower risk of recurrence and a 29 percent decreased risk of death, compared with women who consumed little or no soy.

Using previously collected information on the U.S. population and average U.S. dietary intake, these researchers determined that replacement of meat and dairy with soy would result in significantly improved intake of folate and vitamin K, larger amounts of calcium, magnesium and iron, and 4 additional grams of fiber per day. Not to mention, it would significantly lower the cholesterol levels in the U.S.

Pure forms of soy contain an antioxidant called isoflavone, is very high in tryptophan, iron, protein, manganese, vitamin K, and some omega-3 fats.

Soybeans do not contain estrogen, and do not feminize men

They contain phytochemicals that fall under the "phytoestrogen", or plant estrogen group. They do not "feminize"men or lower their testosterone levels. They do not cause men to grow female parts, because they do not contain any hormones that would cause tissue growth.  In fact, they could help benefit men because they help to prevent prostate cancer. 

The optimal forms of unprocessed soy

Again, the most natural form of any food is ALWAYS best. With that said, soybeans in their most natural form would be the first, most optimal form of soy.

Tofu, of course is another pure, unprocessed form.

Tempeh, which is fermented soybeans and nothing else. Makes for a perfect meat substitute as well.

   I hope I helped to solve a little bit of the soy story with some solid recourses. 

   

   The more natural, pure and unprocessed something is, the better. The simpler you get, the healthier you get. As simple as that.

Also, another great piece of advice on nutrition I've heard is "If it has a commercial, don't eat it."

References:

• Joel Fuhrman, M.D. 
• Neal Barnard, M.D.
• WebMD
• Huffington Post