Soy - Super Bean or Super Threat I

The health benefits and possible risks of consuming too much soy food

Soy - it truly seems to be a wonder food. Soy is an excellent source of dietary fiber and protein. It is rich in vitamin B6- important in building amino acids and in the formation of neurotransmitters. Furthermore, soy is often recommended as an alternative for meat in low-fat diets.

But soy's greatest advantage may lie in it being a rich source of isoflavones - plant hormones that have been linked to several health benefits.

For example, researchers believe a soy-based diet could account for Asia's low rate of heart disease. The leading cause of death in the United States, one of the risk factors for coronary heart disease is high levels of LDL or "bad" cholesterol. In recent clinical trials, men and women with high LDL levels were able to reduce them by consuming soy over an extended period. In October, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) announced that certain foods containing soy will be able to claim that they may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. (To qualify, the food must contain at least 6.25 grams of soy per serving, one-quarter of the daily recommended serving of 25 grams).

And that's not all. It is possible that isoflavones may help prevent bone loss, therefore lowering the risk of osteoporosis. A soy diet may also play a role in the reduced incidence of menopausal symptoms among Asian women - in fact, it is thought that plant hormones will eventually take the place of conventional estrogen-replacement therapy. Finally, isoflavones have been credited with reducing the rates of certain types of cancer. For example, there is some evidence that eating soy may reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. And isoflavones were the primary ingredients in a "smart bomb" - a drug that University of Minnesota scientists believe holds the potential to cure childhood leukemia. Finally, a study by the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii indicates that consumption of soy products may help reduce the risk of uterine cancer.