Evidence concerning the relationship between soyfoods and weight loss was reviewed. Detailed searches of PubMed and Web of Science were performed to identify and evaluate evidence for or against four propositions related to soyfoods and weight loss (Data from in vitro, animal, epidemiologic, and clinical studies were evaluated and summarized). (1) Certain soyfoods will improve weight and/or fat...

In the United States as well as many other countries, intake recommendations exist for a variety of food groups, such as fruits and vegetables, dairy products and whole grains. No such recommendation exists for soyfoods. The Chinese government recommends consuming at least 50 g of soyfoods daily as one step toward meeting nutrient needs [1]. However, this recommendation does not consider the po...

Soyfoods have been a part of Asian diets for centuries. Today, there is a growing interest in these foods among westerners because of their proposed health benefits and also because their versatility makes them valuable for replacing meat and dairy foods in the diet. Nevertheless, the role of soyfoods in a healthy diet has become somewhat of a confusing issue in recent years because of concerns...

Soyfoods have long been a part of traditional Asian diets; they provide plentiful amounts of high-quality protein and have a favourable fatty acid profile. In addition, provocative research suggests soyfoods offer health benefits independent of the nutrients they provide. However, there is a widely-held belief among Asian health professionals and the public that soyfoods increase risk of gout a...

Much of the research involving soyfoods published over the past 20 years, especially the clinical research (human intervention studies), has focused on the health of postmenopausal women. This focus is understandable because soyfoods are uniquely rich sources of isoflavones. Soybean isoflavones are commonly referred to as phytoestrogens (plant estrogens). Clinical research indicates that isofla...

Soyfoods have long been prized among vegetarians for both their high protein content and versatility. Soybeans differ markedly in macronutrient content from other legumes, being much higher in fat and protein, and lower in carbohydrate. In recent years however, soyfoods and specific soybean constituents, especially isoflavones, have been the subject of an impressive amount of research. Nearly 2...

It has been suggested that consumption of soyfoods may be associated with a reduction in risk of various cancers, including nonhormonally dependent cancers. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the relationship between fermented and nonfermented soyfoods and risk of stomach cancer. We searched the reference lists of English language publications of diet and stomach cancer studies th...

Foods made from soybeans have been consumed for centuries in many Asian countries being prized, in particular, for their versatility. In Western countries soyfoods began to emerge in the 1970s as favorites of vegetarians and health-conscious individuals. These groups were attracted to the high protein content of the soybean. Soyfoods also provide healthful fat as they are one of the few sources...

Much of the research on the health effects of soyfoods has focused on postmenopausal women. In large part, this is because, among commonly consumed foods, the soybean is a uniquely rich source of isoflavones, a group of naturally-occurring plant chemicals that are classified as phytoestrogens, although they differ at both the molecular and clinical level from the hormone estrogen. Nevertheless,...

Soyfoods have long been recognized for their high-protein and low-saturated fat content, but over the past 20 y an impressive amount of soy-related research has evaluated the role of these foods in reducing chronic disease risk. Much of this research has been undertaken because the soybean is essentially a unique dietary source of isoflavones, a group of chemicals classified as phytoestrogens. ...