Is It True That Soybeans Can Cause Cancer?

There has been fervent debate in the medical world today about whether soybeans cause cancer. This is after the early proclamations of soybeans helping in preventing cancer. The answer to this lies in the type of soybean product we are talking about. It has been scientifically found that food products made from fermented soybean contain isoflavone aglycones. These are anticarcinogenic elements, and hence the belief that soybeans help prevent cancer. The key here is 'fermented soybean products', which means that non fermented soybean products lack this anticarcinogenic sting, and could therefore very well cause cancer.

However, now there are more voices being raised about soybeans causing cancer. Two scientists in the US have voiced their concerns about soybeans causing breast cancer in women, and cited the same isoflavones as being the reason. They have stated that there are 28 studies talking about the adverse effects of soybeans. They claim that soybeans contain specific chemicals that can cause or at least raise the chances of women contracting breast cancer related to oestrogen levels in the body. Apparently, the isoflavones have an adverse effect on the thyroid gland and also on tissues sensitive to the hormone oestrogen. The debate is still on, because soybeans have been known to cause illnesses and health problems in animals (this has been validated by research), but scientists claim that the same effects cannot be seen on human beings.

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