The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that online rumors that eating soy products increases the risks of premature sexual development and breast cancer are incorrect, as phytoestrogens contained in soy products are very limited.
Soy is rich in nutrients and especially high in isoflavones, which belong to a class of plant-derived compounds that have estrogen-like structures, similar to mammalian estrogens, which are generally known as phytoestrogens, it said.
Some people fear that soy isoflavones, with estrogenic effects, could increase risks of sexual precocity and breast cancer.
Soy isoflavones only account for about 0.2 to 0.4 percent of soy beans’ weight and someone eating 1kg of soy beans would ingest a maximum of about 20 to 40 milligrams, the FDA said.
The absorption rate of soy isoflavones in the human intestinal tract is only about 20 percent, it said, adding that a person would need to consume a very large amount of soy products to absorb excessive soy isoflavones.
Intake of phytoestrogens does not directly increase mammalian estrogens in the human body, so there is no direct relation between soy product intake and sexual precocity or breast cancer, the FDA said, adding that some studies have even suggested that eating soy products could lower those risks.
More studies are needed to prove the relation between soy product intake and various diseases, and in the meantime people should maintain a healthy diet with balanced nutrients and exercise regularly, the FDA said.
People should acquire a correct understanding of dietary concepts instead of believing rumors and seek medical attention when they feel ill, the FDA said.
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