Consumption

This member of the legume family is all the rage in our supermarkets. Appealing to vegetarians, lactose-intolerant people, athletes on special diets and many others, soya unfolds its assets to better boast its powers on health...

From lowering cholesterol levels and reducing menopausal symptoms to preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer, soy's benefits seem to abound. The question is: is soy really a plant miracle, a super food for the body? In a nutshell.

The 'soy' trend originated in Asia, and has spread throughout the world with the growth of vegetarianism. The purported health benefits of this plant have rapidly inundated body-conscious minds and lovers of lower-fat, higher-protein and less expensive food substitutes.

“Between 1990 and 2019, global soybean production rose from 108 to over 340 million tonnes, according to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations),” reports the Belgian magazine Vif l'express. And this is hardly surprising. Over time, more and more farmers have become aware of the low cost of soy-based feed for their animals, intensive livestock farming has exploded, and alternative diets have made their mark all over the world.

The problem raised by journalist Julie Lotz stems from the lack of information provided to consumers about the product they are buying. Contrary to popular belief, eating soya is not just a choice. The labels affixed to common supermarket foods (doughnuts, meatballs, jarred sausages, chicken nuggets, etc.) usually indicate the concentration of soy present in the preparation, but the buyer rarely analyzes the composition. As a result, they are unaware that they are ingesting one or more doses of soy every day. Consumption is unconscious and, above all, there's no information on the risks involved.

Soy contains phytoestrogens, “molecules - also known as isoflavones - that are so similar to female hormones that they are able to mimic their mechanism of action. Endocrine disruptors, in other words”, continues Le Vif. It was by taking part in a small experiment inspired by French researcher Catherine Bennetau-Pelissero that Julie Lotz decided to set down on paper, in her book 'Planète Soja', the dangers induced by over-consumption of this “wonderful” plant.

After downing a liter of soya milk in one go (or almost), the journalist and researcher saw her period arrive 4 days ahead of schedule. Julie Lotz attributes this premature arrival to the ingestion of a large quantity of milk. This would have triggered a surge in estrogen, similar to what happens in a woman's body a few days before the onset of menstruation. To make the experiment more applicable and realistic, she compares a liter of soya milk to the addition of “a steak, a dessert and a glass of juice”, all made from the plant in question. The isoflavone content is identical in both cases. This more plausible combination could be just about anyone's evening meal. Soya, far from being an innocent food, requires a prescription drug because of the estrogens it contains, and should therefore be considered an “alicament”. Its use must follow precise recommendations, issued by a professional, and an appropriate dosage.

“The maximum daily proportions recommended by Afssa (Agence française de sécurité des aliments): 80mg of isoflavones per day for a man weighing 80 kilos, 60 mg for a woman weighing 60 kilos,” continues Le Vif. As mentioned above, the concern lies in the lack of clear communication on labels, which are not subject to any particular attention, since no-one can suspect that a certain amount of soya is present in everyday products such as minced meat or apple cake. What's more, the industrial production method, which involves grinding the beans at high temperatures, “even increases the phyto-oestrogen content”. Many other scientific studies warn of the risks of over-consumption of soy. In high doses, this plant could impair sperm production, leading to infertility in both men and women. Isoflavones are said to have a negative impact on the thyroid. Anyone suffering from hypothyroidism is therefore strongly advised not to consume them. As for the Fondation contre le cancer, it advises against soy consumption in the form of food supplements during pregnancy and breast-feeding, as well as for all women suffering from hormone-dependent cancers of the breast, uterus or ovaries.

In view of all these issues and the conclusions reached by a large number of scientists on the subject, soy represents a danger for those who consume too much of it, unfortunately without always being aware of it. A change must therefore be made in terms of packaging and prevention, if we are to avoid seeing this beneficial plant turn into our worst enemy.

(MH with AsD - Source: Le Vif/L'Express - Illustration: Unsplash)