Soy: Good or Bad?

The soy bean is a legume related to the pea that has been used in Asia for over 5000 years. Soy is very high in protein and very low in carbohydrates when compared to other beans and these two factors make soy a very healthy option.

Soy itself is very versatile and thousands of food products contain soy oil, soy flour, soy protein etc. The most common foods that are made from soy are Tofu, vegetarian hamburgers and hotdogs and alternative dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, soy milk and infant formula.

Many experts in nutrition argue that eating soy products isn’t necessarily healthy, but there is no doubt that soy is the meat of the future as it is cheap to produce and not being an animal product, it does not require refrigeration, vaccines or butchers.

As far as the food industry is concerned, soy makes the cheapest and most versatile product they can possibly sell.

But is soy truly healthy for you?

The soy plant is very delicate due to its sensitivity to heat and pesticides, and mass cultivation of it poses a serious problem to farmers. The problem is that soy has the singular quality of absorbing anything around it, whether it’s minerals from the earth or toxic pesticides that can then harm consumers.

Because of this, many large soy companies are crossing soy with other legume species and have genetically modified it. This new type of soy is more resistant to heat and pesticides but is no longer a healthy option.

When it comes to buying soy products it is important to look for non GMO (Genetically Modified Organism). Soy is possibly the healthiest legume there is, but replacing too many foods in your diet with soy can create an imbalance that is unhealthy.