Soy: Does it Lower Testosterone?
The question is not as clear-cut as it may seem
Soy. Seldom has there been so much controversy about a common food. So much debate. So much emotion.
Soy Has Even Become Politicized
That’s right. Especially in Ame…
Soy: Does it Lower Testosterone?
The question is not as clear-cut as it may seem
Soy. Seldom has there been so much controversy about a common food. So much debate. So much emotion.
Soy Has Even Become Politicized
That’s right. Especially in America. Traditional American men with political views slightly tilted rightward as a rule prefer a meat-based diet.
They often use a disparaging term to describe vegans: “Soy boys”, since they believe that eating a plant-based diet with soy as a primary protein source leads to weakness since they insist that soy lowers testosterone, the “manly hormone”, and results in a condition called “Low-T.”
Vegan men, on the other hand, feel that they have as much testosterone rocket fuel rushing through their veins as their meat-eating fellow men – and as a bonus, are healthier by every metric. They also often describe their political orientation as progressive.
Keep in mind that there are exceptions to these generalities. But they tend to occur too often to be more than a coincidence.
So Who is Right? Does Soy Really Lower Testosterone?
To discover the truth, let’s take an objective approach and look at the research. To begin, we need to define soy, and why it is such a common food that can show up as an added ingredient in a broad range of foods. Then we will take a look at both sides of the equation and present sufficient evidence to allow you to make up your mind concerning soy.
What is Soy?
Soy protein is one of the most profusely eaten foods across the globe. Soybeans are legumes that come from East Asia and are used worldwide in a broad range of products. Many products add soy as an ingredient- tofu, soy milk, soups, meat substitutes, soybean oil, soy lecithin, textured vegetable protein (TVP) and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) are all examples.
The result is that soy appears in many products such as Asian cuisine, vegetable gum, cereals, and cookies. Physical fitness fanatics may even discover it hiding in protein bars, canned tuna, and low-fat peanut butter.
