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2000 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
Soy and Your Health

Printer Friendly Version (PDF)

Target Audience • Objectives • Major Teaching Points • Handouts • Preparation • Suggestions for Teaching the Lesson • Introduction • Summary • Recipes

Target Audience

• EHC Members

Objectives

• Participants will understand the association between soyfoods and certain health conditions.
   

• Participants will learn ways to incorporate soyfoods into their diets.

Major Teaching Points

• Soy is a nutritious food: its protein contains all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts; its oil does not promote atherosclerosis; it is cholesterol-free; it is a good source of several vitamins, minerals and fiber; and it contains natural substances called phytochemicals which may help protect against chronic disease.
   

• Populations who eat a lot of soyfoods experience a lower incidence of certain health problems such as heart disease, certain types of cancer, osteoporosis and unpleasant symptoms of menopause.
   

• Scientists are conducting research to see if there is a connection between soy consumption and a lower risk for certain diseases.
   

• There is strong evidence that substituting soy protein for at least part of the animal protein in the diet reduces blood cholesterol and the risk for heart disease.
   

• People at risk for estrogen-sensitive cancer should talk to their doctors before adding soyfoods to their diets.
   

• More research is needed before broad recommendations about soyfoods can be made.
   

• There are many ways to put more soyfoods in the diet.

Handouts

• Soy and Health (FSHED106)

• Soy and Heart Disease (FSHED103)

• Soy and Cancer (FSHED104)

• Soy and Bone Health (FSHED107)

• Soy and Menopause (FSHED105)

Preparation

• Obtain enough copies of the handouts for each participant.
   

• Obtain a copy of the video Soy and Your Health.
   

• Review the material on the handouts and video.
   

• Select and prepare one or more soyfood recipe(s) for tasting.

Suggestions for Teaching the Lesson

• Show the 60-second video clips one at a time. After each video clip, lead a discussion on the nutritional value of soy and what we know about the association between soyfood consumption and heart disease, cancer, bone health and menopause. Prepare one or more of the soyfood recipes for participants to taste.

Introduction

Will soyfoods prevent heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and hot flashes? We don’t know for sure. But research is focusing on these very issues, and early results are promising.

Show first video clip – Soy and Health

Points for discussion:

• Soybeans and soyfood products are healthy additions to the American diet. Soy protein contains all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Soy oil does not promote atherosclerosis and it is cholesterol-free. Soy is a good source of several vitamins, minerals and fiber. It also contains natural substances called phytochemicals which may be responsible for many of the health benefits. (PhytoNmeans plant, so phytochemicals are simply natural chemicals made by plants).
   

• The interest in soy’s role in health comes from observing cultures where soy is the main source of protein. People in Asian countries have lower rates of heart disease, some kinds of cancer and osteoporosis. Asian women report fewer menopause symptoms. Recent studies suggest that soy may be responsible for some of these positive impacts.

Show second video clip – Soy and Heart Disease

Points for discussion:

• The strongest evidence for soy protecting against disease is for soy and heart disease. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in Arkansas. While there are many risks for heart disease, high LDL-cholesterol is a major factor. Decreasing dietary fat and saturated fat are usually the first steps to lowering cholesterol levels. New research is showing that eating more soy protein and less animal protein can help lower high cholesterol.
   

• More than 40 studies have shown that replacing all or part of the animal protein in the diet with soy protein significantly lowers LDL-cholesterol (the "bad" kind). The effects are greatest in people with moderate to severe high cholesterol and when ýoy protein is part of a diet that is low in fat and saturated fat. The evidence is so strong that the FDA allows health claims about soy protein reducing the risk for coronary heart disease on low-fat soyfoods containing at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving.
   

• As little as 25 grams of soy protein a day may be enough to lower cholesterol levels. Greater amounts – up to 50 grams a day – are likely to lower cholesterol even more. You can get 25 grams of soy protein a day by eating two to three servings of soyfoods. Refer participants to the fact sheet Soy and Heart Disease for a list of soyfoods and their protein content.

Show third video clip – Soy and Cancer

Points for discussion:

• Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Arkansans. While many factors contribute to a person’s risk of getting cancer, diet is thought to be linked to as much as one-third of all cancer deaths in the United States.
   

• Recently, scientists have been looking at the role soyfoods may play in the development of certain types of cancer, especially breast cancer. Research has shown that chemicals in soybeans, called isoflavones, slow the growth of human breast cancer cells in test tubes and breast cancer development in animals.
   

• Genistein, a major isoflavone in soy, acts like a weak estrogen. Genistein can bind to estrogen receptors on breast cells. When genistein binds, it blocks the receptor and prevents human estrogen from exerting its growth effect on breast tissue. This may be how soy protects in women before menopause. After menopause, women do not produce much of their own estrogen. In postmenopausal women, genistein could actually act like estrogen and stimulate tissue growth. This could increase breast cancer risk in some women.
   

• We still do not have good data on the long-term effects that isoflavones, also called phyto-estrogens, may have on normal human breast tissue. ieople at risk for estrogen-sensitive cancer should talk to their doctor before adding soy to their diets. Refer participants to the fact sheet Soy and Cancer for a list of soyfoods and their isoflavone content.

Show fourth video clip – Soy and Bone Health

Points for discussion:

• Bones are made up of healthy, living cells which continually break down and reform new bone tissue. If breakdown is greater than formation, bone tissue is lost and bones become thin and brittle leading to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a major cause of disability in older people, especially women. The greatest loss in bone density is during the years around menopause when estrogen levels drop significantly.
   

• Doctors often prescribe estrogen to help prevent bone loss and other complications of menopause. Recently, scientists have been looking at soy as a means of protecting bones. Soybeans contain high-quality protein and calcium which are necessary to build strong bones. They also contain isoflavones – estrogen-like substances that may help guard against bone loss.
   

• Americans eat a lot of protein. The more protein we eat, the more calcium we lose from our bodies. Soy protein causes less urinary calcium loss than animal protein. Soy also contains calcium in a form our bodies can easily absorb. But, the isoflavones may be the real key to soy’s protective action. Isoflavones have been shown to increase bone density in estrogen-deficient rats. Human studies have also shown favorable effects of soy on bone density in postmenopausal women. In one study, positive effects were shown with 90 milligrams of isoflavones daily.
   

• While the results are exciting, more research is needed to provide a better understanding of the effects of soy on bone health. In the meantime, eating a balanced diet with plenty of calcium-rich foods, including soyfoods, can help keep you and your1bones healthy. Refer participants to fact sheet Soy and Bone Health for a list of soyfoods and their calcium and isoflavone contents.

Show fifth video clip – Soy and Menopause

Points for discussion:

• During menopause there is a decrease in the amount of estrogen a woman’s body produces. This often leads to a variety of problems, including hot flashes and night sweats. The severity of these symptoms varies in different parts of the world. For example, Asian women are one-third less likely than women in the United States to report problems with menopause. To some extent, this may be a cultural difference in the willingness to discuss such problems. But, there also appear to be modest differences in the rate and intensity of the symptoms.
   

• As a rule, populations reporting less severe menopause symptoms eat more soy. Researchers are looking into whether isoflavones, natural substances found in soybeans, decrease common problems associated with menopause. It is thought that the weak estrogen-like activity of these soy isoflavones may help reduce the symptoms.
   

• Several studies have looked at the effects of soy intake on menopausal symptoms. The findings are mixed. One study found that 60 grams of soy protein daily for three months reduced the number of hot flashes by 45 percent. Another study found that soy consumption reduced the severity of hot flashes by about 20 percent. Still, other studies have found that soy intake had no effect on the frequency or severity of hot flashes. At this point, we need more research to gain a better understanding of the effects of soy on menopausal symptoms. In the meantime, soyfoods can be a nutritious addition to a healthy diet. Refer participants to the fact sheet Soy and Menopause for a list of soyfoods and their protein and isoflavone contents.

Summary

We don’t know exactly how soy may protect against heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis or lessen the symptoms of menopause. Soy can be a healthy addition to a balanced diet. Soyfoods contain high-quality protein, are low in saturated fat and are cholesterol-free. Soy is a good source of vitamins and minerals. Soyfoods also contain isoflavones, natural plant substances that may be responsible for the protective effects. While much of the research has focused on specific substances, the effect of all the nutrients and phytochemicals working together is likely to be greater than that of any individual chemical by itself. Therefore, eating whole soyfoods rather than taking supplements will provide the benefits of all the healthful components. Until we know more, it is always good to include a variety of foods in your diet. Soyfoods can add variety to a balanced diet. Add soyfoods gradually to your diet. Adding soyfoods all at once may cause some gastrointestinal distress.

Here are some ideas for putting more soy into your diet:

• Use whole soybeans like other beans and peas in your favorite recipes.

• Try tofu in dressings, dips, desserts, stir-frys and salads.

• Substitute soy milk for cow’s milk in soups, sauces, puddings and beverages.

• Replace one-fourth of a recipe’s total flour with soy flour.

• Choose soy-based vegetable burgers, soy sausage, hot dogs, breakfast strips and pepperoni some of the time.

Recipes

The following recipes are from the recommended fact sheets. For more healthy recipes using soy, go to the Indiana Soybean Board's Soyfoods Cookbook website.

Soyfoods are available at most grocery and specialty food stores. In addition to the health benefits they provide, soyfoods can add variety and texture to meals. Incorporating soy into your diet is easy. Start by trying soy versions of traditional recipes like these using SOY PRODUCTS.