Challenging the belief that ‘eating soy-based foods can increase the risk of breast cancer’ and 9 other nutrition myths
Challenging the belief that ‘eating soy-based foods can increase the risk of breast cancer’ and 9 other nutrition myths
Sophie Egan | New York Times | January 27, 2023
Some false ideas about nutrition seem to linger in American culture like a terrible song stuck in your head.
So to set the record straight, we asked 10 of the top nutrition experts in the United States a simple question: What is one nutrition myth you wish would go away — and why? Here’s what they said.
Myth No. 1: Fresh fruits and vegetables are always healthier than canned, frozen or dried varieties.
Despite the enduring belief that “fresh is best,” research has found that frozen, canned and dried fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts.
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Myth No. 9: Eating soy-based foods can increase the risk of breast cancer.
High doses of plant estrogens in soy called isoflavones have been found to stimulate breast tumor cell growth in animal studies. “However, this relationship has not been substantiated in human studies,” said Dr. Frank B. Hu, a professor and the chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. So far, the science does not indicate a link between soy intake and breast cancer risk in humans. Instead, consuming soy-based foods and drinks — like tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso and soy milk — may even have a protective effect toward breast cancer risk and survival.
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