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Soy may help with heart health, fewer menopause symptoms, and a lower risk of certain cancers. But soy may also have long-term influence on growth, digestion, sexual...
Higher soy intakes at baseline were associated with a 66% lower risk of deaths from any cause and a 64% lower risk of deaths from breast cancer. Higher soy intakes after diagnosis were associated with a 64% and 51% lower risk of deaths, from any cause and from breast cancer, respectively.
In fact, soy is the only plant-based protein that the Food and Drug Administration authorizes to bear the health claim that a diet low in saturated fat that includes soy protein may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Eating soy foods may also reduce your LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels.
Soy contains phytoestrogens, naturally occurring hormone-like compounds with weak estrogenic effects, which—in the lab—have shown to fuel many cancers. However, human studies haven't found diets high in soy increase breast cancer risk.
Because natural soy foods contain isoflavones, similar to estrogen, some people fear that soy may raise their risk for certain cancers. This is because estrogen is linked to hormonally-sensitive cancers like breast cancer.
Eating moderate amounts of soy foods has been linked to small protective health effects for cardiovascular health, breast cancer risk and recurrence, prostate cancer, hot flushes, and memory and cognitive function. The evidence does not point to any dangers from eating soy foods in people, and the health benefits outweigh any potential risks.
In research studies, soy protein supplements and soy extracts rich in isoflavones have been used safely on a short-term basis; the safety of long-term use is uncertain. The most common side effects of soy are digestive upsets, such as constipation and diarrhea.