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Review
. 2022 Aug 11:9:970364.
doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.970364. eCollection 2022.

The health effects of soy: A reference guide for health professionals

Mark Messina  1 , Alison Duncan  2 , Virginia Messina  3 , Heidi Lynch  4 , Jessica Kiel  5 , John W Erdman Jr  6
Affiliations
Review

The health effects of soy: A reference guide for health professionals

Mark Messina et al. Front Nutr. .

Abstract

Soy is a hotly debated and widely discussed topic in the field of nutrition. However, health practitioners may be ill-equipped to counsel clients and patients about the use of soyfoods because of the enormous, and often contradictory, amount of research that has been published over the past 30 years. As interest in plant-based diets increases, there will be increased pressure for practitioners to gain a working knowledge of this area. The purpose of this review is to provide concise literature summaries (400-500 words) along with a short perspective on the current state of knowledge of a wide range of topics related to soy, from the cholesterol-lowering effects of soy protein to the impact of isoflavones on breast cancer risk. In addition to the literature summaries, general background information on soyfoods, soy protein, and isoflavones is provided. This analysis can serve as a tool for health professionals to be used when discussing soyfoods with their clients and patients.

Keywords: clients; counseling; isoflavones; patients; protein; recommendations; review; soyfoods.

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Conflict of interest statement

MM was employed by the Soy Nutrition Institute Global, an organization that receives funding from the United Soybean Board (USB) and from industry members who are involved in the manufacture and/or sale of soyfoods and/or soybean components. JK was employed by Medifast Inc., a nutrition and weight-management company based in Baltimore, Maryland, that uses soy protein in many of its products. JE and AD are scientific advisors to the Soy Nutrition Institute Global. VM is married to MM, and employed by Nutrition Matters, which receives no funding from the soy industry. The remaining author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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