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Science Perspectives Blog

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Science Perspectives Blog

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Epidemiologic studies highlight soy’s potential associations with prevention of cancer, CVD, and diabetes

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Epidemiologic studies are not designed to establish cause and effect relationships because it is not possible to control for all potentially confounding variables. Additionally, it is difficult to accurately assess dietary intake. Nevertheless, epidemiologic studies have played an important role in informing dietary guidelines. Although intervention studies carry the most weight within the scientific community, […]

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Do Isoflavones Exert Estrogen-Like Effects in Women?

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Soybean isoflavones are commonly classified as phytoestrogens.1,2 The estrogenic properties of isoflavones were first recognized nearly seven decades ago3 although the term “phytoestrogen” was not widely used in reference to isoflavones until the 1970s.4 In the early days of isoflavone research, determining estrogenic activity was based on reproductive effects in animals, and often specifically, uterotrophic […]

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New Research Published on Soy Infant Formula

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Sales and prescription data indicate that specialized infant formulas have become much more common in the United Kingdom, Norway, and Australia over the past two decades.1 In contrast, there has been a rather marked decline in the use of soy infant formula (SIF). If concerns about SIF’s impact on normal growth and development or adverse effects […]

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Can Childhood Soy Consumption Decrease Risk of Breast Cancer?

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In 1995, Lamartiniere et al.1,2 proposed that the isoflavone genistein when consumed early in life reduces risk of developing breast cancer later in life. Over the past nearly 30 years, both animal3 and epidemiologic evidence4-7 has accumulated in support of this proposal. Nevertheless, the hypothesis that consuming isoflavone-rich soy during childhood and/or adolescence reduces breast […]

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The Heart of the Matter: Focus on Dietary Patterns

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The results of several recently published studies paint a confusing picture of the relationship between specific dietary components or foods and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).  In the view of this author, this research highlights the importance of focusing on overall dietary pattern (rather than a certain food), especially those patterns in which soyfoods play […]

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Importance of Soy Protein for Older, Plant-based Consumers

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A new perspective by Domić et al.,1 published in Advances in Nutrition, proposes that a vegan diet increases the risk of an inadequate protein intake at an older age and that current strategies to improve the anabolic properties of plant-based foods are not feasible for many older adults. This perspective indirectly highlights the value soyfoods […]

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Examining the Oxalate Content of Soymilk

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Last year, a blog post on soymilk and kidney stones included a table on the oxalate content of plant milks. Soymilk was listed as containing 9.6mg per serving (cup). According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, foods containing >10mg oxalate/serving are classified as high-oxalate foods and should be limited in the diets of people […]

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New research suggests consuming soy reduces risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality

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Many Asian epidemiologic studies have examined the impact of soy intake on a variety of health outcomes. But surprisingly, until the results of the China Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort [4C] study were published, no study had examined the relationship between soy intake and total CVD events and all-cause mortality in a Chinese population.1 Furthermore, […]

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