Heirloom soybean question... estrogens?

judsoncarroll4

Do all soybeans affect hormone balance? I'm not a big fan of soybeans, but if there is an heirloom variety that won't lower testosterone or raise estrogen, I'm sure I could enjoy them in ferments, maybe tofu and such... maybe.... I do like them dried and salted, like nuts.

JodieDownUnder

@judsoncarroll4 I was under the impression that soy got a bad wrap from the dairy industry because it was seen as a threat to profits. Just like what the govt and big pharma did to the hemp industry! GMO soy is obviously conflicted but if you eat organic soy in whatever form, (i like silken tofu) in a healthy balanced diet, then hormone levels shouldn't be affected. That's my take on it.

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/866458#Comment_866458

Hmm... I'm not sure. It is used in herbal estrogen formulas

Torey

I'm not educated enough about soy to weigh in on this one. However, there is a very good article on soy at Weston A. Price, called "The Ploy of Soy" that is worth reading. Gives a bit on the history of soybean cultivation, its chemistry and processing or fermentation of soy. Talks about how soy was marketed, claiming dairy products weren't healthy. So the dairy industry had to retaliate. Anyhow, here is the link.

https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/soy-alert/the-ploy-of-soy/

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/866473#Comment_866473

That is a very troubling article!

Linda Bittle

Can't answer the question, but will share a memory.

Dad raised soybeans when I was a kid. Mom divorced him and took us kids away when I was in 3rd grade, so this memory is prior to that. (I was born in January of 1959.)

Both my parents were big readers and dad took several farming magazines. I can recall his surprise when he read that soybeans were food sources in some parts of the world. I guess he only knew them as feed for livestock. He did some more reading, and convinced mom to try to cook some. Apparently his farm magazines did not include recipes. Mom did her best, but they were horrible.

Even the black and tan coonhounds wouldn't eat them!

And to this day, that's about how I feel about tofu.

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/866499#Comment_866499

I'm with you on tofu! As an ingredient that is just a small part of a dish, it can be good. But, for the most part I am not a fan.

Lisa K

I personally try to limit the amount of tofu and I prefer to eat Edamame (immature soybeans in the pod). In fact this year I am growing two kinds and had my first crop which I sauted with some potatoes.

Ferg

I've got a genetic mutation that precludes taking estrogen hormones. Yes, indeed, soybean does have estrogen hormones. It can be a lovely remedy for hot flashes etc in people without mutations. I limit my soy intake to the occasional sushi night or pot sticker night and maybe a few times a year I will have edamame. I love a good soy-seared tofu with ginger. In moderation (no, that's not the right word... in very limited quantities) I am ok with this stuff, but no soy milk on the daily or vegan recipes with soy-based protein. It is a real thing, but it shouldn't be enough for people without the inability to process certain chemicals/hormones.

Ferg

oh - just an add-on. There is nothing inherently wrong with eating foods that have phyto-estrogens, etc. They were put on this planet for a reason, and are pretty healthy and lovely for most people. I suspect people with my mutation would have died out had it not been for better medical care in the 60s and 80s in the United States.

Karin

Soy, whether organic, heirloom or whateveer, is oestrogenic. In fertility management where there is low oestrogen, affecting the woman's reproductive cycle, soy taken in the first part of the cycle, will remedy that. So it is pretty powerful. Personally, I would not eat soy in any form. You also must remember that soybeans are a legume, and as such, contain all those anti-nutrient compounds such as phytates, which inhibit the uptake of nutrients in whatever food you are eating the soy with.

Ferg

@judsoncarroll4 So, about tofu (-:

There are about as many variations of tofu as there are kimchi. Or wurst in Germany. There are nutty delicious ones that are great as a main portion of an entree; there are lovely silken firm ones that soak up the flavors in a hot-and-sour-soup without breaking down; there are crumbly ones for things like (gak) lasagna. The stuff in American Groceries tend to be sortof 'meh', but then most non-Asian-descended Americans have no idea what to do with the stuff.

Karin

https://www.kevinstock.io/health/health-dangers-of-eating-soy/

judsoncarroll4

https://community.thegrownetwork.com/discussion/comment/866630#Comment_866630

On the bright side, I get to experiment with all sorts of alternative beans!