Summary of Recent Soya Findings

1. Soya quality protein is of the highest calibre, you will obtain all of your essential amino acids when consuming the recommended levels of protein in the version of being soya protein

2. Americans eat too much meat protein, and protein in general, this adversely affects our cancer (excess protein is tumor-promoting) and heart disease rates (saturated fats and cholesterol in meats), and can contribute to other diseases, especially osteoporosis.

3. Other populations who consume less meat protein and include more soya protein are generally healthier in terms of certain lower disease rates and "diseases of affluence", i.e. cancer--breast and prostate especially, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and menopausal symptoms, to name a few. Soya's unique phytochemical, genistein, especially is important for both men and women. Based upon epidemiological data, men can look to lower risks for prostate cancer and younger women to lower risks for breast cancer and other estrogen-dependent cancers.

4. And the message to post-menopausal women who are considering hormone replacement therapy: Data pointing to the health risks of augmenting with conjugated estrogens and medroxy-progesterone, the expense of such, and the availability of soya products and scientific backing making consumption of soya an easy, potential alternative to alleviating symptoms pharmacologically-- a step which unlike and as opposed to taking estrogen and progesterone will decrease your incidence of cancer based upon the retrospective epidemiologic studies--ALL of this indicates that should you desire a healthful alternative to estrogen /progesterone therapy for postmenopausal symptoms (not replacement for oophorectomized women), consuming soya with 40-50 mg isoflavone content per day may obviate the need for exogenous hormone drug therapy.

5. Data appears to indicate tofu, soya flour, soya milk and isolated soya protein products as most efficacious in terms of disease prevention, even as only part of a non-vegetarian diet. Vary your plant protein sources, minimize your animal protein sources. Take a multivitamin with calcium if your diet warrants it. Low fat soya milk and tofu have fewer isoflavones. You need to get 40-50 g of soya protein a day for best cancer and cardiovascular prevention benefits, about 1 or 2 1/2 cup cooked servings. Tofu or soya milk has about 7 grams of protein per serving. Try to get 3-four ounce servings of tofu or 3 cups of soya milk; or whole soya WITH the fat is best.