My wife and I are in the middle of our detox diet and when we go into the maintenance mode we are considering looking into how much of a role should soy play, since we'll be eliminating other forms of protein. There is debate about the health benefits of soy and what forms of soy are healthiest. I've decided to do some research and share the results.

First, it's important to realize that soy in its purest bean forms is a great form of low-fat protein, especially for people seeking to cut down on the saturated fat from meat or dairy products. However, when soy is processed into one of hundreds of forms it takes on a different chemical composition and the health benefits are not so clear. Not unlike corn, soy can become something completely different with questionable health attributes when processed.

Soy when consumed in concentrated and processed forms contributes to hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, and infertility just to name a few additional disorders. Phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines are all highly present in soy products. Soy is also thought to be linked to increased estrogen in males and increased breast cancer in women. The estrogenic effects are sometimes said to merely be the presence of the phytoestrogens and estrogen mimicking compounds found in soy.

I think the take-away is that soy is healthy, just make sure you don't eat it too often and that you eat it in its whole form whenever possible. Edemame is a delicious accompaniment to most meals or as a snack.