Interesting. Soy makes up about 12% of the diet of the elders on Okinawa. That's a lot of soy. These same people live longer than anyone else on the planet and have some of the lowest rates of cancer and Alzheimer's in the world. There have been several studies conducted on Okinawans and it's been shown that Okinawans are at extremely low risk for hormone–dependent cancers, including cancers of the breast, prostate, ovaries, and colon. Compared to North Americans, they have a 80 percent less breast cancer and prostate cancer, and less than half the ovarian cancer and colon cancer.
Is soy the reason for this? I don't know but don't you find it interesting that the lowest cancer rates in the industrialized world are found in an area that also has the highest per-capita consumption of soy?
Two comments: First, it is my understanding that there is little red meat, if any, in their diet and second, I think there is ample research showing that different racial groups react differently to many different types of food. For instance, something near 90 percent of asians are lactose intolerant. The soy phytoestrogen research was done in this country, where a majority of the people are caucasian. Perhaps the Okinawans, ethnic asians, have evolved to develop a greater ability to consume soy than caucasians have. I really don't know, but I do know a little bit about the research done in this country where, thank heavens, we are free do eat what we want and research it for ourselves.
I consume a lot of soy, some every day.
Being completely lactose intolerant it's not completely by choice but I can tell you for this man, there is no sILLy effects.
and I have noted the statistical health benefits of soy