With soy products, balance counts

The effect of plant hormones from soybeans on the human organism is under discussion. Soybean as beneficial to health, but too large quantities could Diseases favor.

There is currently intense discussion about substances that enter our bodies through food and affect the hormonal system. This also includes soy products, because soy contains isoflavones (phytoestrogens), plant hormones, especially genistein and daidstein. Whether in tofu sausage, as a soy drink or in vegetarian cuisine: we are consuming them more and more often, as soy is on the rise as a substitute for meat and milk.

Basically, soy products are considered to be beneficial to health: to reduce Cholesterinspiegels, antioxidant against certain types of cancer and as protection against heart and circulatory diseases. Dietary supplements containing phytoestrogens from soy are also very popular in the treatment of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, and to protect against osteoporosis.

This is due to the ability of phytoestrogens to bind to estrogen receptors and thereby trigger similar effects to the body's own estrogens. However, some types of breast cancer are hormone-dependent and their growth can therefore also be stimulated by estrogens. The effect of phytoestrogens as hormone replacement therapy in large quantities in women during and after menopause is therefore controversial.

Effect of soy on menopause controversial

“To protect against hormone-dependent cancer and thyroid disease you should be careful when taking particularly large amounts of soy. This also applies to taking isoflavone supplements over a longer period of time,” says Dr. Reinhold Lunow. The internist and medical director of the Practice Clinic for Diagnostics and Preventive Medicine in Bornheim and Swisttal near Cologne and Bonn also knows: “However, moderate consumption of soya does not pose any risk.”

A protective effect against breast cancer only appears to be present if the isoflavones are consumed during puberty. However, caution should be exercised when giving children and adolescents increased amounts of phytoestrogens. Soya-based milk is unsuitable for healthy infants and can lead to developmental disorders due to nutrient deficiencies such as energy and protein deficiency. There is also evidence that these children may suffer more frequently from allergies and menstrual disorders later in life as adolescents and adults.

Soy can aggravate allergies

In people with a predisposition, soya can trigger a food allergy with severe allergic reactions. People who are allergic to birch pollen are particularly at risk. Typical symptoms are itching and swelling of the mucous membranes in the mouth and throat immediately after consuming soya products. Skin reactions such as hives, hives, neurodermatitis or eczema are just as possible as gastrointestinal complaints, and in the worst case even anaphylactic shock.

trigger The allergic reaction is caused by the soy protein itself in the case of a primary allergy, and by a cross-allergy a similar protein as in the case of birch pollen.Allergy“Allergy sufferers should seek medical attention before consuming soy to avoid dangerous allergic symptoms,” says Dr. Lunow.

If you want to benefit from the health-protecting effects of soy, you should ensure a balanced Nutrition "The isoflavones contained in soy, like many secondary plant substances, are apparently most effective when taken in a complex rather than in isolation as a dietary supplement," says Dr. Lunow. "The concentration of isoflavones ingested through food is so low that a hormonal effect in the human body cannot be detected. If you have any questions, please use the Nutritional consultation is practice clinic Bornheim."(Image: Igor Dutina/fotolia.de)