In addition to being an excellent plant-based source of protein, soy also contains phytoestrogens called isoflavones, which could offer certain medicinal benefits. Soybeans and soy products such as tofu, soya, miso and tempeh are all widely consumed foods throughout the world. Soy isoflavones are also available through extract supplements. Before you begin using soy isoflavones for medicinal purposes, consult your doctor about the proper dosage and possible dangers.
Identification
Soybeans contain large amounts of protein, along with other vitamins and minerals, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Soy also has high concentrations of isoflavones like genistein, glycitein and daidzein. Carbohydrates, glycosides and phospholipids such as lecithin, linolenic acid, oleic acid and phosphatidylcholine are also found in soy. In addition to soy, isoflavones are also found in certain other plants such as red clover, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Function
Soy is one of the richest plant sources of protein and is the only plant source that provides a complete protein, meaning that it contains nearly all the essential amino acids, according to the University of Michigan Health System. When you eat soy with rice, you get a complete protein that's comparable to animal-derived proteins but without the fat and cholesterol of meats. Soy isoflavones attach to estrogen receptors in your body's cells, producing similar but weaker effects as the hormone estrogen, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Most of soy's potential medicinal benefits are related to its content of isoflavones and the phytoestrogens' effects in the body.
Benefits
Soy as a food and soy isoflavones as extract supplements can provide many possible health benefits. Mainly, soy isoflavones are used to help in treating high cholesterol and menopausal symptoms, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Soy could also potentially help in controlling blood sugar levels, promoting weight loss, reducing the effects of aging on your skin, enhancing mental function and preventing certain types of cancer. Soy may help in treating cyclic mastalgia, infertility in women, premenstrual syndrome and osteoporosis as well. Soy is sometimes also recommended for treating hypertension and vaginitis, says the University of Michigan Health System. Soy could possibly help in treating or reducing the risks for cardiovascular disease as well, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. No widely accepted, conclusive medical research supports the use of soy foods or soy isoflavone supplements for any of these purposes, however.
Warning
Because soybeans and soy products are widely consumed, they generally pose little danger other than possible allergic reactions in people who are hypersensitive to soy. Consuming excessive amounts of soy or taking concentrated soy supplements could cause some health concerns for certain people, mainly due to their levels of estrogenic isoflavones, warns the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Soy isoflavones could stimulate the growth of estrogen-sensitive types of breast cancers and potentially increase a woman's risk for uterine cancer. Also, the isoflavones in soy could block the effects of tamoxifen, a medication used to treat estrogen-dependent breast cancer, says the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Other concerns relating to soy and isoflavones relate to effects on thyroid function and absorption of thyroid medications, as well as impaired mineral absorption due to soy's content of phytic acid.
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