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Are you curious about the incredible health benefits of a plant-based or vegan diet? From lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer and type 2 diabetes, the advantages are plentiful (1). Some research shows that while vegans enjoy numerous health perks, they may face an increased risk of bone fractures due to lower body weight and bone density. This is why it’s vital to be proactive about your bone health—especially as osteoporosis, low bone density, affects one in three women and one in five men worldwide (2). Lets break this down a little more. A body mass index (BMI) of less than 20 kg/m2, is associated with greater bone loss and fracture risk (3). And vegans and plant based eaters tend to have a have a lower BMI, due to lower body weight and less rates of obesity. So maintaining a healthy BMI between 20 and 24.9 is a smart move. You see, breaking a bone may not seem that big a deal while you are young, but as you age, it can lead to loss of independence and increased mortality risk. But here’s the good news: You have the power to enhance your bone density and reduce your risk of osteoporosis through diet and lifestyle changes. And the earlier you start, the better! Here’s How You Can Boost Your Bone Health:
A whole foods plant-based diet can also reduce dietary acid load, promoting better bone density and overall health due to the abundance of alkalising plant foods. In contrast Western style diets rich in acidifying meat, eggs and cheese increase a diets acid load (4) This not only increase risk of osteoporosis, but also contributes to low grade inflammation and tissue damage. Ready to Take Control of Your Health? Whether you want to increase your intake of plants, or are eating a full plant based diet, I am here to help. Book your FREE 15 minute phone consultation today to see how I can support you References:
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Soy foods offer a convenient and versatile source of high quality protein. However much hesitation and confusion exists around soy foods despite all the research showing it is a healthy and beneficial addition to a balanced diet.
Research shows that soy is a nutrient-rich food, and can be particularly advantageous when used as a protein source to replace animal protein which can be high in saturated fat. So lets chat about all the benefits of including soy in your diet. What Is Soy? Soy is a versatile and nutrient dense legume. It’s health benefits are predominantly due to compounds called isoflavones, which are a type of phytoestrogen. These compounds induce numerous health benefits including cancer prevention, lowering cholesterol and even reducing menopausal symptoms (1). Benefits of Soy: Can soy protect against cancer and is soy safe to eat after breast cancer? A meta-analysis of 47 studies found that a higher soy intake is associated with a 10% reduced risk of overall cancer incidence. For every 25 grams of soy consumed daily, cancer risk decreased by 4%. The primary compounds responsible for this effect are soy isoflavones, rather than soy protein alone. Specifically, prostate and lung cancer risks were reduced by 6% and 10% respectively (2). Consuming soy during adolescence is also shown to reduce breast cancer risk in later life for women (3). Furthermore, soy foods are shown to be safe for women with breast cancer and may even reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence (4, 5, 6) Can soy improve menopause and perimenopause symptoms? The isoflavones in soybeans include genistein, daidzein, and glycitein. These are shown to reduce hot flushes in menopausal women. Specifically, 18.8mg of genistein showed substantial reduction of hot flushes in menopausal women. Thats around 40mg of total isoflavones from whole soybeans. (7) 3.5g of isoflavones are found in each gram of soy protein and traditional soy foods (8). A women’s risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes unfortuantely increases post menopause. Therefore replacing high saturated fat sources of protein with soy foods can reduce these risks. 25g of soy protein consumed daily can improve lipid levels to reduce a women’s health risks (9). Soy consumption is also shown to lower risk of both cardiovascular disease as well as type 2 diabetes (10). Is soy bad for your thyroid? Concerns about soy foods affecting thyroid function are unfounded. For those with hypothyroidism taking thyroxine, this medication should be taken away from soy and all foods for that matter for optimal absorption. Best best results, this medication should be taken 1 hour before breakfast. So long as you are consuming sufficient iodine in your diet, soy foods should not affect your thyroid function (11). Does soy protect against heart disease? Consuming 25 grams of soy protein daily is shown to lower low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in those with elevated LDL by up to 6%. In this study, soy was consumed as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet. While 50g of soy protein per day was compared with casein intake, the protein found in milk. Soy protein outperformed casein in lowering non HDL cholesterol (12) How much soy is safe to eat? Based on current research, consuming 25 grams of soy protein and 50 to 100 mg of isoflavones daily is considered appropriate. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration supports that including at least 25 grams of soy protein daily in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol can help reduce LDL cholesterol. For most people, consuming two to four servings of soy foods per day, such as 120 grams of tofu or 250 mL of soy milk, is beneficial. It's best to incorporate soy foods by replacing less healthy options in an overall balanced diet. Conclusion Incorporating soy foods into your diet can offer numerous health benefits, from reducing cancer risk to supporting cardiovascular health. Despite some misconceptions, soy is a nutritious and valuable part of a balanced diet. References 1 National Center For Complementary and Integrative Health https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/soy 2 Fan Y, Wang M, Li Z, Jiang H, Shi J, Shi X, Liu S, Zhao J, Kong L, Zhang W, Ma L. Intake of Soy, Soy Isoflavones and Soy Protein and Risk of Cancer Incidence and Mortality. Front Nutr. 2022 Mar 4;9:847421. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.847421. PMID: 35308286; PMCID: PMC8931954. 3 Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev (2001) 10 (5): 483–488. https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article/10/5/483/253410/Soyfood-Intake-during-Adolescence-and-Subsequent 4 MD Anderson Cancer centre. Is soy safe for patients with breast cancer?https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/is-soy-safe-for-patients-with-breast-cancer.h00-159538167.html 5 American Cancer Society. Soy and Cancer Risk: Our Expert’s Advice https://www.cancer.org/cancer/latest-news/soy-and-cancer-risk-our-experts-advice.html 6 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Oncology Nutrition. Soy and Breast Cancer. https://www.oncologynutrition.org/erfc/healthy-nutrition-now/foods/soy-and-breast-cancer 7 Messina M. Soy and Health Update: Evaluation of the Clinical and Epidemiologic Literature. Nutrients. 2016 Nov 24;8(12):754. doi: 10.3390/nu8120754. PMID: 27886135; PMCID: PMC5188409. 8 Messina M. Soy and Health Update: Evaluation of the Clinical and Epidemiologic Literature. Nutrients. 2016 Nov 24;8(12):754. doi: 10.3390/nu8120754. PMID: 27886135; PMCID: PMC5188409. 9 Raga M Bakhit, Barbara P Klein, Diane Essex-Sorlie, Joan O Ham, John W Erdman, Susan M Potter, Intake of 25 g of Soybean Protein with or without Soybean Fiber Alters Plasma Lipids in Men with Elevated Cholesterol Concentrations12, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 124, Issue 2,1994, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/124.2.213. 10 Raga M Bakhit, Barbara P Klein, Diane Essex-Sorlie, Joan O Ham, John W Erdman, Susan M Potter, Intake of 25 g of Soybean Protein with or without Soybean Fiber Alters Plasma Lipids in Men with Elevated Cholesterol Concentrations12, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 124, Issue 2,1994, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/124.2.213. |
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