Part of my role as a Nutrition Coach is addressing misconceptions people have about food, and one of the most common misconceptions is that eating soy products causes breast cancer.
Many people believe that eating soy can raise a person’s risk of breast cancer, but, fortunately, that is not true. The myth was developed out of the fact that soy contains compounds called isoflavones, which act like estrogen in the body. Someone with too much estrogen in their body is at an increased risk of breast cancer. With this knowledge in mind, someone could easily jump to the conclusion that eating soy can lead to breast cancer.
That logic misses a key piece of the scientific puzzle: The isoflavones found in soy “can actually block the more potent natural estrogens in the blood,” according to the American Cancer Society. Studies show that eating a diet high in soy may even reduce your risk of breast cancer.
The rumored connection between soy and cancer took off when a study found that rats fed a high-soy diet developed cancer at a higher rate than those fed a normal diet. However, this is not a cause for concern. Rodents and humans process isoflavones very differently, so the outcome in rats is very different than the outcome would be in people.
Multiple studies conducted in Asian populations with higher soy intake have shown a significant decrease in the risk of breast cancer with increasing soy food intake. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition involving 73,000 Chinese women has revealed a correlation between soy intake and the reduced risk of breast cancer. The results showed that the women who reported consuming large amounts of soy consistently during adolescence and adulthood experienced substantially lower risks of breast cancer than those who had not. This suggests soy may be an important factor to consider when looking at strategies for reducing the incidence of breast cancer within a population.
Soy has many nutritional benefits, including lots of protein. In fact, soybeans and tofu are “complete proteins,” which means they contain all of the essential building blocks of protein, called amino acids, the human body needs. Soybeans and tofu are also rich in fiber, which both improves digestion and helps decrease the risk of colorectal cancer.
Edamame, soy milk, and tofu are all great ways to get more soy into your diet. In this video, I break down the science of soy and show you how I make easy tofu tacos. If you have never cooked with tofu before, this recipe is a great place to start.
Tofu is friendly to your budget as well as your health. A block of tofu is generally much less expensive than meat, so if you are looking to save money on your grocery bills, swapping meat for tofu in even one of two recipes each week can be a great place to start.
When tofu replaces processed meat in a recipe, you benefit twice. First, tofu is nutritious in its own right, and second, cutting down on processed meat can also reduce your risk of breast cancer. Processed meat is known to raise your risk for colorectal cancer. Any time you can replace processed meat with another ingredient, you are making a great choice!
If you like this recipe, check out the recipes for [ITEM, ITEM, and ITEM with links], which also use tofu as an easy and delicious substitute for meat. Whether dining at home or eating out, you can eat soy with the confidence that it is nourishing your body and protecting your long-term health.
Resources:
Lee SA, Shu XO, Li H, Yang G, Cai H, Wen W, Ji BT, Gao J, Gao YT, Zheng W. Adolescent and adult soy food intake and breast cancer risk: results from the Shanghai Women’s Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jun;89(6):1920-6. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.27361. Epub 2009 Apr 29. PMID: 19403632; PMCID: PMC2683002.
