"Soy" is far to broad - Processed Soy Isolate is the issue. Soy beans, edamame, tofu, fermented soybeans (can't think of the name of it) are all fine - they are minimally processed. The soy protein isolate is the issue (found in soy protein powders/drinks, most soy milks, etc).

Personally I would also stay away from GMO soy, because it hasn't been around long enough to study the long term effects.

Anonymous wrote:I avoided soy my whole pregnancy. They say it acts like an estrogen.... I thought everyone knew this!!

Well, it's actually complex. Retrospective studies have shown that women who consumed soy products in childhood are less likely to get breast cancer, because soy's estrogen-like effects actually tend to block natural estrogen production slightly. However, soy seems to have a totally different effect in women who actually have breast cancer. More problematically, most animal and human studies on soy have not used the whole bean or whole soy products, but rather isolated protein, isoflavones, and such.

I consumed soy throughout my first pregnancy, and am continuing during this one. It is rare to find nutrition advice for vegetarians (from legitimate sources) that does not recommend tofu and other soy products as a good source of protein during pregnancy. The Mayo Clinic quote above seems an exception. I would think soy would have to be a very large part of your diet to be a concern. And it's also true that the majority of people consuming the highly refined (and GMO) soy proteins are not tofu-lovin' vegetarians, since these are additives in so many junk foods.

I avoided soy my whole pregnancy. They say it acts like an estrogen.... I thought everyone knew this!!

It has been about a year since I read this but I remember reading something about how GMO Soy may cause cord deformities. I do not know if there is any scientific data on this though.

I've been worried about the phytoestrogens in unfermented soy products for years. From what I've read, it's the non-traditional soy products, which are often made from more mature beans, that are more problematic. Soy milk also has a higher estrogen content, I think. I try to avoid soy as much as possible while pregnant (which is hard! it's in everything!), and really try to limit how much my daughter eats. I wouldn't be surprised if they find a link between the phytoestrogens and the early puberty epidemic.

A lot of soy is problematic, both pregnant and not, for boys and girls. But I mean, if you're eating canned food, you're already getting all kinds of estrogen-mimicking chemicals anyhow.

I think moderation is key. Eating soy every day or drinking soymilk every day is probably not a good idea. We get soy in so many foods as an additive that it's best to be careful about your intake. But don't freak out. You can very easily make yourself crazy with all the things you eat and encounter in the environment that could harm your baby. Most babies turn out fine even if the mother ate McDonald's every day of her pregnancy, and washed it down with an occasional beer.