Is Soy Good For Your Diet? Yes…Sort Of…Well We’re Just Not Sure

An evidence review, conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), found surprising results in their study on the daily consumption of soy. Although they found that soy contributed to a small reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and tryglyceride levels, they couldn’t find evidence of any other benefits.

The study found that much of the research conducted on the benefits of soy consumption were limited in number, of poor quality, or their duration was too short to lead to definite conclusions. This means that even though many nutritionist and scientist believe that soy is good for you, they still can’t prove it.

The purpose of releasing the report was to encourage researchers who are studying soy to better address the complex relationship between health and food components, including how variations in the diets, lifestyles, and health of participants might affect the results. Such studies should also be of better quality, include larger numbers of participants, and be of longer duration, the researchers said. In particular, studies that substitute practical amounts of soy products into people’s diets would better address the question of whether people should make the effort to include more soy in their diet.