Contents:
- Medical Video: Is Soy Bad For Men? Discover the Answer From The Latest Research
- Myth 1: Soybeans can interfere with fertility
- Myth 2: Soybeans are not a good source of protein
- Myth 3: Soybeans can cause breast cancer
- Myth 4: Breast cancer patients should not eat soybeans
- Myth 5: Men may not eat soybeans
Medical Video: Is Soy Bad For Men? Discover the Answer From The Latest Research
Are you a lover of tofu, tempeh or soy sauce? If yes, maybe you are already familiar with the basic ingredients of making these three foods, namely soybeans. Yes, soybeans are one type of beans that are good for health. However, there are still many soybean myths that are dubious in society. Anything, huh?
Myth 1: Soybeans can interfere with fertility
Can eating large amounts of soybeans affect women's fertility? Many believe that soybeans contain phytoestrogens, which are natural chemical compounds that might interfere with the endocrine system and cause fertility problems.
In fact, various other studies actually state that eating soy can naturally help women who are preparing for pregnancy. This statement is reinforced by a study conducted in the long term, which suggests that women who consume large amounts of animal protein sources (meat, dairy products, or eggs) are more at risk of experiencing fertility problems compared to eating vegetable protein sources.
In fact, the researchers concluded that adding one serving of nuts, including soybeans, peas, and processed soybeans regularly in the daily diet is good for women's reproductive health. So, this one soybean myth is not proven true.
Myth 2: Soybeans are not a good source of protein
In fact, soybeans are able to supply large amounts of protein with much lower calories than animal protein sources. Not only that, soybeans also contain all kinds of essential amino acids that the body needs, are rich in fiber, antioxidants, cholesterol free, and do not have the saturated fat content that is usually found in animal products.
That is why, soybeans are predicted as one food source that is rich in a variety of important nutrients. Even if you cook a cup of soybeans, it will contribute 22 grams of protein to the body, which is almost the same as eating one serving of meat steak.
Myth 3: Soybeans can cause breast cancer
Not a few people who doubt the benefits of soybeans because of the content of phytoestrogens in it. The reason, phytoestrogens that have a structure similar to estrogen, is known to trigger the growth of cancer cells in the body. Of course this is a false soybean myth.
Various studies conducted showed many results that eating large amounts of soybeans will not increase the growth of breast cancer in women. On the contrary, soybeans are believed to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Reporting from the WebMD page, a study conducted on 73,000 Chinese women found that women who consumed at least 13 grams of soybeans a day (about one to two servings of soybeans) had a 11 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who ate soybeans less than 5 grams per day.
According to Dr. Marleen Mayers, head of the Langone Medical Center cancer program in the US, some people who eat large amounts of soybeans from a young age, are more protected from the risk of breast cancer later in life.
This statement was also reinforced by an analysis of 8 studies that showed that women who consumed large amounts of soybeans were 29 percent less likely to develop the disease than women who ate only smaller amounts of soybeans.
Myth 4: Breast cancer patients should not eat soybeans
Have you ever heard of this one soybean myth? Yes, some people recommend avoiding soybeans during breast cancer treatment. But again, this should not be taken for granted.
Because, a study conducted on 9,500 women in the United States and China proved that women who routinely eat soybeans decreased the risk of cancer appearing again by up to 25 percent compared to women who only ate small amounts of soybeans.
In addition to fresh soybeans, some processed foods from soybeans were included in the study, namely tofu and soy milk.
Myth 5: Men may not eat soybeans
It turns out that the myth of soybeans is not only lurking among women. The content of phytoestrogens in soybeans is also associated with a decrease in testosterone levels in men. Men who eat large amounts of soybean tend to have lower sperm concentrations (but still within normal limits) than men who don't eat soybeans.
Even so, research that proves this is still very limited and only a few in number. In fact, the researchers noted that there were other factors such as obesity and overweight that most men had with relatively fewer sperm counts.
This statement was supported by nutritionist Nancy Chapman, RD, MPH, who stated that there was no relationship between eating soybeans with sperm quality and male fertility. What's more, a study conducted by Chavarro and his colleagues showed that not soybeans resulted in a decrease in sperm count in men, but excessive weight and an overall unhealthy lifestyle.
That is why, there is no strong evidence to say that soybeans can reduce male fertility. So, for men who like to eat fresh soybeans and various other soybeans, you don't need to worry anymore.
Quoted from the Huffington Post, men can actually get many good benefits from eating soybeans, one of which can reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
