Soya is packed with protein and an excellent source of polyunsaturated fats
Ah, soya. Where would we be without you? Just the very thought of a tofu-less dinner plate, a soya-less sauce and a soy-free creamy latte is enough to leave many vegans at a culinary loss. But when headlines regarding the potential carcinogenic, hormone-disrupting health implications of soya reared their heads a few years ago, many of us were left confused over whether we should be eating things like tofu at all.
The disparaging aftershocks of proclaiming ‘X causes Y’ in a national newspaper have never before been so strongly felt than when it comes to soya, with negative opinions influencing concerned consumers who ditched this protein-rich legume out of fear. Soya was rumoured to contribute towards the development of breast and ovarian cancer in women. In men, soya was deemed to have emasculating eff ects, counteracting testosterone levels and leading to breast development and poor muscle tone. Now we’ve well and truly visited the rumour mill, let’s continue by examining the scientific nature of soya.