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Expert Q&A
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| By Melanie Wilson Vegetarian Cooking and Lifestyle Expert | ||
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I've heard that soy foods are dangerous, especially for boys. Then I hear soy is good for us. What should I believe?
Who could blame you for being confused with all the conflicting information out there about soy? Concerns about phytoestrogens causing birth defects and disrupting normal thyroid function are serious claims and not to be taken lightly. The evidence, however, shows that including soy products as part of a widely varied diet is safe and beneficial. "The results of the most recent research suggest that it is all right to include soy as a part of a healthy diet, and that, in fact, there are some health advantages to using some soy products," says Reed Mangels, nutrition advisor for the Vegetarian Resource Group and author of the United States Department of Agriculture Nutri-Topics bibliography on vegetarianism. "A reasonable amount of soy for most people seems to be about two to three servings of soy daily."
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