For people with a plant based diet or anyone looking for a relatively inexpensive protein source, soy is an attractive option.  However, is soy dangerous?  There is a commonly held belief that consuming too much soy can actually affect hormone levels and have adverse side-effects especially for men.

To answer the question is soy dangerous for men, here’s an article by Brian Rigby of Climbing Nutrition in which he walks us through how our bodies deal with soy and examines the scientific studies about soy affecting hormone levels.

Soy doesn’t affect sex hormone levels, and no one should worry about getting their protein from soy. It’s a common concern thanks to the way we’ve labeled soy isoflavones as “phytoestrogens”, but the truth is that these so-called “phytoestrogens” are not estrogens, they just happen to bind to a small number of the same receptors as estrogen. As such—and considering their transient nature—it would be hard for them to alter anyone’s long-term hormonal profile. This is exactly what the science demonstrates as well.

Does Soy Affect Hormone Levels:

This question is ultimately at the center of whether or not soy is dangerous for men.  However, as Rigby states above, the answer is unequivocally no.  While isoflavones may resemble estrogens, they are not actually estrogens and are quickly processed and exit our bodies.  As a result, they simply cannot have a long term effect on hormone levels and are safe for both men and women to eat even in large quantities.

However, Rigby is also careful to note that while soy is definitely a safe source of protein, it should only be a part of a well balanced and varied diet.  This is especially important for people with a restricted diet of any kind (i.e. vegan/vegetarian).  The main reason for this is that a diverse diet ensures you are consuming a wide variety of nutrients and will not become deficient in any area.

Click through below to read more about why soy is safe for us to eat.  As always, Rigby’s article is very in depth and he provides plenty of scientific evidence to back up his claims.  While you are on the Climbing Nutrition site, be sure to check out some of his other articles for more information about how you can tweak your diet to help your climbing performance.

Full Article: Is Soy Dangerous for Men?

(photo courtesy of climbingnutrition.com)

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