Hello,
What is your opinion on the consumption of soy products (tofu, soy protein) in women before and during menopause in relation to the recently emphasized estrogen dominance? Thank you for your opinion.

This issue is not only complex but also ambiguous. Soy and its products have been demonized since the beginning of the millennium, primarily due to their phytoestrogen content and the potentially negative impact on health in terms of undesirable interference with hormonal regulation. This is a topic of debate because to fulfill this "threat," several conditions would need to be met:

1. Soy consumption would need to be regular and unusually high in volume (soy is a legume, so if we adhered to the general rules of rational eating, we would be talking about 2 or more servings daily).

2. It would need to involve unfermented products (fermentation reduces the proportion of certain antinutritional substances).

3. The individual's metabolic balance would need to be "disrupted" or burdened by other factors exacerbating the negative effect (not only) of phytoestrogens.

4. It would be necessary to target specific groups of the population (e.g., significantly at-risk groups = those prone to the effects of phytoestrogens are children).

In relation to menopause, selected soy products are actually recommended, especially in the Western part of civilization, which has a significantly below-average daily intake of phytoestrogens compared to the rest of the world. It is argued that this is the cause of a range of health imbalances, including those related to the course of menopause. Tofu is a quality food in this regard; it's important to work with edamame, the soybeans themselves, miso pastes, or tempeh. Extrudates (soy meat) are not particularly advantageous. Soy protein (isolate) is not a good source of phytoestrogens, but as a source of protein, it makes sense for the menopause period.

Themes:  Menopause