Soy: Healthy Or Harmful?

Change My Mind: Is Soy Healthy Or Harmful?
green soy bean on white...
green soy bean on white...

It's one of our biggest national crops. Vegetarians abide by its alternative protein source. And it is central to much of Japanese food -- considered one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.

But while some laud the soy bean as a cheap, low-fat, cholesterol-free source of high quality protein, detractors point to some evidence that foods made from soy could cause harm. What kind of harm? Research in mice shows that a compound in soy can mimic the hormone estrogen and scientists extrapolate that this compound could be disrupting childhood development, rising the risk of cancer and contributing to infertility.

Is that enough to go on? We invited two leading experts to weigh in.

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