Does Soy Deserve Its Bad Reputation? Health Experts Want To Clear The Air.

This ingredient has been rumored to cause cancer and even grow “man boobs.”

You are what you eat, they say. But what happens when what you eat contains … hormones? The narrative around soy has created a dilemma for consumers, sparking a debate about whether we should eat foods like miso, edamame and tempeh.

In 2008, researchers chronicled the unusual case of a man who developed breasts and other side effects after drinking three quarts of soy milk per day — and from there, a myth was born. But experts are tired of the myths around what they call a highly beneficial food, which contains plant hormones that act similarly to estradiol, known more commonly as estrogen in humans.

“Soy foods represent one of the healthiest and easiest ways to consume more plant protein,” said Dr. Mark Messina, director of nutrition science and research at Soy Nutrition Institute Global, and has been conducting research on soy since 1989.

Here’s what scientists want you to know about integrating soy into your diet.

What is soy?