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tion of cruciferous vegetables. The supplement fat is yet another example of how he’s either not
industry, however, is doing its best to “improve” done his homework or is pandering to politically
on real life consumption patterns by formulating correct ideas of nutrition. At least he’s got it right
broccoli pills that will concentrate the compounds about the dangers of trans fats. They are definitely
found naturally in the real vegetables. I predict that linked to breast cancer and should be assiduously
such supplements will lead sooner or later to seri- avoided.
ous health problems. In the meantime, some real
life people eat soy for breakfast, lunch, dinner and SOY AND THE THYROID
snacks. One weight lifter and fitness buff I know What about the risks of soy to the thyroid?
took in a gallon of soy milk everyday for a year or Are the anti-soy critics making a “mountain out
so. He is now coping with neurological problems, of molehill” as he claims? Are the effects “not
stuttering and other speech defects. significant or relevant unless you are deficient in
iodine (which you can easily get from eating fish,
SOY AND BREAST CANCER seaweed or sea vegetables, or iodized salt)”? Hy-
“Don’t worry about soy’s effect on breast can- man reaches that conclusion from just one study, a
cer,” advises Hyman, implying there is consensus study that does not actually exonerate soy. In fact,
in the scientific community. No such consensus more than seventy years of studies—including a
exists. Indeed numerous studies link soy to breast human study from the respected Ishizuki Clinic
cell proliferation, a well-known marker of breast in Japan—link modest to moderate soy consump-
cancer risk. Accordingly, the Israeli Health Min- tion with thyroid disorders. Iodine deficiency is
istry, French Food Agency and German Institute certainly part of the problem, but iodine repletion
as well as Cornell University’s Center for Breast neither consistently nor reliably solves the problem.
Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors have all As for Hyman’s idea that iodine deficiency is not a
warned women who’ve been diagnosed with—or problem, the National Center for Health Statistics
have a family history of breast cancer—to exercise reports epidemic iodine deficiency in the U.S.,
caution when it comes to soy. with intakes plummeting by more than 50 percent
If it were true that “real life” people rarely eat between surveys taken between 1970-1974 and
too much soy, we could probably relax. But “mod- 1988-1994, and continuing to decrease in the years
eration” means different things to different people, since.
and Hyman recommends both good soy foods like
miso and tempeh that are rarely over-consumed and SOY INFANT FORMULA
bad ones like soy milk that are very easy to over- As for babies, Hyman jumps on the “breast is
indulge. Furthermore, Hyman’s assurances that best” bandwagon. He would prefer “no one feeds
soy isoflavones have beneficial hormonal effects, dairy or soy formula to their babies, but if you have
rarely contribute to endocrine disruption, do not to, try not to worry about it” and “don’t beat your-
endanger the thyroid and will reduce breast cancer self up about it.” To reassure readers, Hyman cites
risk will lead some women to purposely increase a study published in the Journal of the American More than
their consumption of any and all soy products. Medical Association (JAMA) in August 2001. Let’s seventy years
Will all those women be at risk? Probably not. take a good look at that study.
A few studies do suggest soy isoflavones could ben- A team of researchers led by Brian L. Strom, of studies—
efit women by reducing their breast cancer risk. But MD, studied the use of soy formula and its long- including a
not all women and not at all stages in the life cycle. term impact on reproductive heath. They an-
Accordingly we need reliable lab tests that will nounced only one adverse finding: longer, more human study
show which women might benefit from soy isofla- painful menstrual periods among the women from the
vones, and which would be harmed. Those women who’d been fed soy formula in infancy. The male
who could possibly benefit from soy isoflavones researchers dismissed this effect—one that has respected
could then take them like pharmaceutical drugs been painful and debilitating for many women—as Ishizuki Clinic
with appropriate dosing, monitoring and follow up. unimportant and concluded that the overall results
In other words, we need to treat soy isoflavones like were “reassuring.” in Japan—link
a drug and not allow it to be sold over the counter. In fact, the data in the body of the report was modest to
The soy industry’s marketing of soy—of any type far from reassuring. Mary G. Enig, PhD, President
eaten in virtually any quantity—as the ticket to of the Maryland Nutritionists Association; Naomi moderate soy
an easy menopause and breast cancer prevention Baumslag, MD, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics consumption
is irresponsible. at Georgetown University and President of the
Hyman’s recommendation that women who Women’s International Public Health Network; with thyroid
want to avoid breast cancer should avoid saturated Lynn R. Goldman, MD, MPH, Environmental disorders.

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