Saturday, October 10, 2009

What's Up With Tofu/Soy?




With about 2-4% of the world being vegetarian or vegan and growing it's only a matter of time before we see a vegan zombie movie. I don't think it'll make for a good movie but hey Hollywood puts out some real crap (Transformers 2, and Pootie Tang being examples).

So tofu/soy are interesting things because of their relationship with estrogen. Tofu actually has components that act like estrogen and estrogen blocking hormones. There have been studies with both properties(separately) on both men and women and let me preface the studies by saying that there has not been anything conclusive yet. Here are what the studies are saying:

1) Excess tofu/soy consumption has been linked to breast cancer in women. Excess meaning tofu/soy with more than 1 of your meals a day.
2) Excess tofu/soy consumption causes men to have too much estrogen in their body. Excess meaning tofu/soy with more than 1 of your meals a day.
3) Tofu/soy has been connected to thyroid issues.

Again the studies are not conclusive but it is worth taking note if you are a vegan/vegetarian. The key here is change up your protein sources. Mix in eggs, lactose free whey, and some dairy as your protein sources. You'll help avoid the issues above and you won't get bored with your diet.

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