Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Let’s Talk About Soy
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s clear up a common question: Is soy safe to eat if you are concerned about breast cancer?
What is the concern about soy?
Soy foods contain natural compounds called isoflavones. These are a type of phytoestrogen, which means they are plant-based compounds that have a structure similar to the hormone estrogen.
Because some breast cancers are affected by estrogen, there has been concern that eating soy could affect the growth of these cancers.
So, is soy safe?
For most people, yes.
Research in people has not shown that eating soy increases the risk of breast cancer or causes breast cancer to come back. In fact, some research suggests that eating moderate amounts of soy may be linked to a lower risk of breast cancer coming back and better health outcomes.
More research is still needed, but current evidence does not show a reason to avoid soy because of breast cancer concerns.
How much soy can I eat?
For most people, 1–2 servings of soy foods each day can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Some examples of a serving include:
½ cup edamame
¼ cup soy nuts
½ cup or 3 ounces of tofu
½ cup or 3 ounces of tempeh
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
When possible, choose whole or minimally processed soy foods.
What about soy supplements?
Soy foods and soy supplements are not the same thing.
Soy or isoflavone supplements can contain much higher amounts of isoflavones than you would get from eating soy foods. There also isn't enough research to recommend these supplements for preventing breast cancer or preventing it from coming back.
The bottom line
If you enjoy soy, there is no need to avoid it because of concerns about breast cancer.
Moderate amounts of whole soy foods can be part of a healthy, balanced diet.
As always, if you have questions about your diet during or after cancer treatment, talk with your High Country Community Health provider or one of our registered dietitians who can help you choose what is right for you.
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