To ensure you’re getting the maximal health benefits from your soy foods, I recommend consuming primarily whole soy foods like edamame (green soybeans), tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy nuts, and products made with soy milk or flour (like some soy cheeses and soy crisps). Processed soy ingredients (such as isolated soy protein) — found in bars, snack foods, and many other packaged foods — leave out many of whole soy’s nutritional components, including vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which means you may be missing out on some of soy’s advantages.
Because whole soy foods are great sources of lean protein, they can help you maintain a healthy weight and increase your lean muscle mass. Unlike most vegetarian proteins, soy is a complete protein, meaning it provides the right ratios of amino acids for optimal use by our bodies. And, since soy is plant-based, it’s naturally low in saturated fat and is cholesterol-free. Some research suggests that eating soy foods may help lower cholesterol levels, improve overall heart health, and help keep your blood sugars in check, which is especially beneficial for individuals with type 2 diabetes.
There is also some evidence that the plant estrogens found in soy foods (called isoflavones) may help increase bone density in women after menopause, which could help prevent osteoporosis. But the jury’s still out and more research is needed before a conclusion can be drawn.
Folate and vitamins B6 and B12 in soy foods may help reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseaseand slow age-related memory decline. These vitamins also nourish your scalp, hair follicles, and growing hair. Folate, in particular, contributes to the production of serotonin, so it may help ward off depression as well as improve your mood. Vitamin B6 also helps create dopamine, a mood neurotransmitter that may reduce PMS symptoms.