Do Soy Beans Cause Cancer?
Soy beans have demonstrated health effects including reducing the slowing the size of prostate cancer tumors and helping patients deal with breast cancer as stated by various scientists. Since it has isoflavones that are similar to estrogen, soybeans are able to prevent cancer cells, like those in breast cancer, from growing. An increase in certain types of cancers have been reported, however, due to soy use.
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Trouble With Soy
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According to nutritionist Kaayla T. Daniel, that there are some health effects but also negative effects of eating soy. A 1984 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that the hormone-like chemicals in soy when taken at elevated doses prohibited tumor growth. At physiological doses, however, which are the levels found in foods, cell growth is stimulated. Studies published in 1997 and 2001 in Nutritional Cancer and the Journal of Nutrition, came to similar conclusions.
Why Soy Acts the Way It Does
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Soy contains chemicals called isoflavones that act like hormones. It is known by scientists that hormones tend to have a dual effect on cells, increasing or decreasing growth, depending on how much is present in the body.
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Types of Cancers Soy May Cause
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Although it has been stated that the amount of certain types of cancer like breast and prostate cancers are relatively low in Asian countries where the level of food, according to Daniel, there are other types of cancer that occur at a relatively high rate in these nations like stomach, thyroid and esophageal cancer. The recent increase in pancreatic cancer may be attributed to an overexposure to soy in modern American diets, additionally.
Alternatives to Soybeans
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Simply eating lean meats, soy-free hormone replacement therapy and reducing whatever controllable risk factors---like lifestyle---you may have for breast and prostate cancer may be good alternatives to soy consumption. Checking with your doctor or a nutritionist may help in finding alternatives to soy.
Benefits
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Although there is some evidence that there are negative effects of soy consumption, there are also recognized benefits to eating soy. Among other things, it has been considered a healthy substitute for red meat, which can be high in fats and cholesterol. The problem with soy may simply be in how much is taken and whether you have an allergy to it. Again talking to a doctor or a nutritionist may be the best way to see if products made from soybeans would be a good addition to your diet.
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