Currently, we hear everything and anything about soy. So let's try to dispel these myths and find the scientifically validated truth.

Soy has been a known food for thousands of years.

That's right. Its first use seems to date back to about 1200 BC. Fermented foods such as tempeh, natto and tamari derived from it were later developed by the Chinese. [private_subscribers]

Asians eat a lot of soy.

In fact, the average soy consumption in Japan and China is estimated at 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day. Asians eat these soy-based foods as a condiment.

Modern soy foods have the same nutritional benefits as traditional fermented soy foods.

No, first of all most modern soy foods are not fermented and therefore the toxins in soy are not neutralized. In addition, these foods are often processed in a way that denatures the proteins and increases the carcinogenic risks.

Soy products provide complete plant-based protein.

Yes, like all legumes, soybeans contain sulfur-containing amino acids with the exception of methionine and cystine. In addition, industrial processing denatures lysine.

Soy-based fermented foods provide useful vitamin B12 for vegetarians.

This is not true, there is a compound in soy that resembles vitamin B12, but it is not bioavailable to the human body. In fact, soy only increases the body's need for vitamin B12.

Soy foods are good for infants.

No, because soy contains trypsin inhibitors that prevent protein digestion and slow down pancreatic function. In animal trials, researchers found that a high soy diet inhibits trypsin uptake, which stops growth and causes pancreatic disorders. It is also known that the blood of babies fed with soya milk contains a lot of estrogen. Scientific calculations show that infants fed exclusively on this type of food receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least 4 birth control pills per day.

It is known that male infants undergo a significant rise in testosterone from birth during the first months of life, and these testosterone levels can be as high as in adulthood.

Normally in the first months of life, the body of male babies is already genetically programmed to prepare the male characteristics that will have to develop after puberty, both from a physical and a cerebral point of view, because it is already at this age that certain characteristics of the brain and certain patterns of male behavior are established.

Soy is a powerful endocrine disruptor, and this blood flood of female hormones prevents this rise in testosterone. There is no doubt that this is a possible cause of disrupted patterns of functioning and development in boys, including academic difficulties and lack of concentration.

Currently about 15% of white girls and 50% of African American girls show signs of early puberty, such as breast and pubic hair development before age 8. In a few rare cases, sexual development has been observed at the age of 3 years. This premature development is undoubtedly linked to the use of soy-based foods and exposure to isoflavones with an "estrogen-like" effect. Thus, taking phytoestrogens, even in moderate doses, during pregnancy can have delayed effects on the future puberty of the unborn fetus.

Soy foods promote the conversion of vitamin D, a valuable vitamin that strengthens bones and stimulates growth. The phytic acid contained in soy reduces the assimilation and levels of iron and zinc, both of which are essential for general health, brain development and the nervous system.

Soy contains very little cholesterol, although this molecule is absolutely essential for the development of the brain and nervous system.

It appears that the massive doses of phytoestrogens provided by soy intake are involved in the current trend of increasingly early sexual development in girls and delayed sexual development in boys.

Soy prevents the risk of osteoporosis.

No, rather, soy foods would cause calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, both of which weaken bones.

Modern soy-based foods are said to protect against many types of cancer.

Yet a British government report concludes that there is little evidence that this type of soy food protects against breast cancer or any other form of cancer. It even seems to increase the risk. Isoflavones influence the endocrine system. They can even prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of certain hormone-related cancers, including estrogen-dependent cancers. It has been found that a daily consumption of 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy can lead to hypothyroidism with severe fatigue, constipation and weight gain. Could this thyroid dysfunction be directly related to menopause, or rather to the soy isoflavones that many menopausal women consume?

Soy foods protect against heart problems.

This is partly true since consumption of soy foods lowers cholesterol, but there is no evidence that this lowering of cholesterol lowers the risk of heart disease.

The phytoestrogens in soy increase mental and cognitive abilities.

False, a recent study found that women with elevated blood estrogen levels show a lowering of these brain functions. Among Japanese Americans, tofu consumption is associated with a higher proportion of Alzheimer's disease when they are older.

Soybeans provide sexual vigor.

This is not true! In fact, studies conducted on animals consuming soy prove a significant sterility rate. It also appears that soy consumption increases hair growth in men past the age of 50, indicating that testosterone levels are lower.

Soy is environmentally friendly and protects the environment.

This information is completely false since most soybeans grown in the US are genetically modified and require massive use of pesticides.

Soybeans are beneficial to the economies of developing countries.

Also false, in third world countries where soybean cultivation replaces traditional crops, the treatments of these crops are much more expensive, which benefits multinationals and agribusiness lobbies much more than the local populations.