The Truth about Soy

I am lactose-intolerant and enjoy soy milk, but I have read that it increases your estrogen hormone levels and this can be bad for you. I take a supplement for calcium and I don't want to take any chemically enhanced products, such as Lactaid. I have tried rice milk and some of the nut milks, but I just don't like anything as well as soy milk. Is soy milk really that bad for me to drink? What about my children?

Soy contains natural plant estrogens — that is correct. However, it is not bad for you to drink soy milk, since you would need to drink a lot of it before you took in a concerning amount of estrogen. Plant estrogens are much weaker than human estrogens as far as their effects in the body. In fact, many of the studies of menopausal women who try to boost the amount of soy in their diets to relievemenopausal symptoms cannot show that this dietary therapy has any effect whatsoever. If you (or your children) are just drinking normal amounts of milk (several cups daily), then you really do not need to worry.

Soy is not the only food that contains plant estrogens — lentils, chickpeas, various grains, flaxseeds, and other fruits and vegetables do, too. These foods are part of a healthy diet. Finally, you can be reassured by the fact that in parts of the world where soy makes up a major part of the diet, such as Asian countries, there are no higher rates of breast cancer. I hope that puts your mind at ease.