…But First

If you don't know exactly what soya is, here's a low down. Soya bean is actually a legume like your dals (lentils), beans and peas.

It contains nutrients and minerals that are great for health. And the best thing about soya is that its protein levels are really high and carbohydrate levels are really low.

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So if you are worried about not getting enough protein because you are vegetarian, or if you are allergic to lactose in milk, then soya could be the answer to your prayers.

According to Dr. Anjali Mukerjee, Health Total, medical researches have shown strong connection between consumption of soy foods and prevention of heart diseases by lowering blood cholesterol levels, osteoporosis, cancer, kidney diseases and relief of menopausal symptoms.

What Is Good, What Is Bad?

Dr. Mukerjee says, "Yes, soy is definitely good for your health. It is however, important to note that soybean, apart from very good nutrition, contain certain anti-nutritional properties. These need to be inactivated to safe level prior to food use. You should therefore use processed soybean for food use."

Also, Dr. Mukerjee says that people who suffer from Irritable bowel syndrome or are allergic to soybean should avoid taking soy products.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), much of the research to date has examined dietary soya in the form of whole foods such as tofu, soya milk, or as soya protein added to foods. Some chemicals present in commercial soya these days have a drug-like effect in your body. This effect may be increased if you are postmenopausal.

In fact, high consumptions of soya might even increase the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer.

Mumbai-based Nutritionist Naini Setalvad says, "Excess soya is very bad. This is simply because soya contains too much protein. That is why it is okay to eat soya in the fermented form i.e. as tofu or soya sauce."

According to Naini, nowadays, due to the popularity of soya and so much of health awareness, soya is being grown commercially. This just means that there are a whole lot of chemicals that are being added to soya, which is taking away its entire nutrient content, thus soya is no longer organic anymore.

"In fact," she continues, "Even though soya was considered non-allergenic, now it is one of the top 10 allergic products in the world."

According to Naini, we must understand that soya is not ideal for the Indian diet. She says, "In India, we have a huge range of pulses and legumes that are ideal for the Indian palate. We really don't need to incorporate other ideas thinking they will be suitable for us."