Soy Named One of “Foods That Fight Cancer”

Despite a long debate over whether soy is safe for the human consumption, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has named soy a food that fights cancer.

Early studies linked soy to increased growth of breast cancer cells in rodents, according to the AICR, but those negative studies are contrasted by more recent cellular and animal studies showing that soy compounds genistein and daidzein may slow cancer cell growth and prevent tumor formation. A wealth of human population studies has also linked soy to lower breast cancer rates in Asia, where soy consumption is high.

The AICR also assumes its position on soy based on the fact that diets high in selenium “probably lower risk” of prostate cancer and diets high in foods containing dietary fiber “convincingly lower risk” of colorectal cancer.

“The AICR statement, combined with the position of the American Cancer Society which was issued earlier this year, provides considerable reassurance that soyfoods are safe, and possibly even beneficial, for women with a history of breast cancer,” says Mark Messina, PhD, executive director of the Soy Nutrition Institute.