Soy / Tofu

(Christian Ross) #1

What are everybody’s thoughts on soy? I mostly avoid industrial oil like soy, canola, but occasionally eat fried tofu and shirataki. Anybody have opinions on the benefits or problems with soy or soy products?

(Kelly LeBlanc) #2

If you enjoy it, and you are happy with your results while enjoying it, then it works for you. At least for now. Things change.

(Arlene) #3

There is much information regarding the safety of soy. I enjoy shirataki noodles from time to time, and I don’t worry about the small amounts I eat, however soy is reported to burden our bodies with more estrogen, as does much of the plastic in our lives everywhere. Most houses are even plumed with plastic pipes these days, so even our water supply sits in plastic all the time. I think these things are worth looking into and discovering for yourself, as much as that is possible. Good luck with your research.

(Larry Lustig) #4

Personally, I don’t much care. Soy beans themselves have too much carbohydrate for ketogenicaly eating but tofu is very low carb (about 1.5%). I’ve looked at some of the sites that talk about phytoestrogens and find them unconvincing – some claim the problem is they act like estrogen while others claim they block estrogen. Those sites that link to medical studies often misstate the linked study or draw unwarranted conclusions.

I place a little more faith in the Omega 3/6 issue but does not constitute a major part of my diet. Since starting keto a lot of joint pain has gone away so I feel I’m less inflamed than before, anyway.

(Genevieve Biggs) #5

I personally can’t digest soy. Every soy product gives me inflammation. Even if you do not have a personal intolerance, there are many reasons not to eat soy. For example, although praised as a source of protein, soy contains protease inhibitors which bind to protein and keep your body from breaking down and using it, and so only about 10% of protein in soy is actually accessible. So it’s not a source of protein in that case, but really only carbs. And as a fibrous, starchy food, it can damage the intestinal lining, etc. It’s really not an ideal food, and if you can tolerate it, I would limit it to times that are non-negotiable, like eating out or with family. IMHO

#6

For me, tofu is the yoga of food…boring, really boring.

Health wise? I dunno. I see conflicting information, and it drives me crazy. I’ve been to China for work many times, and have eaten a huge variety of tofus. It’s very popular there. In fact, I’ve had meals with the locals there where there was no rice on the table, but there was always tofu…always. So, this is why it makes it hard for me to believe the info on the interwebz.

But, I’m in no hurry of buying it. Not my choice of good eating anyway.

(Cheryl Meyers) #7

Living here in Tokyo, I have a hard time avoiding soy and tofu :slight_smile: – but no worries, I like tofu in all its many forms. We stir-fry it, usually. I also eat natto every few weeks. Everyone in Japan eats tofu and soy by the bucketload, it is everywhere. I have a hard time believing that an entire country suffers from all the bad things they tell us about soy. Perhaps the Japanese have evolved? They do claim to have longer intestines than Caucasians: http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/18385/do-asian-esp-japanese-people-have-longer-intestines-than-people-of-european-d

#8

I do not believe miracle noodles (shirataki noodles) have soy as they are made from a yam paste: http://www.hungry-girl.com/newsletters/raw/1297-artichoke-shocker-plus-soy-free-shirataki-noodles

(Jacquie) #9

There’s both. I steer clear of soy/tofu myself. :slight_smile:
https://www.house-foods.com/tofu_shirataki_usa/

(Jane Reed) #10

Yes, shirataki are made with either tofu or konjac. The latter also contains, at least my brand does, potato starch and tapioca starch. Total carbs per serving are fairly low and net carbs are very low.

The tofu kind don’t contain those starches but do contain other ingredients I don’t care for, i.e. chemical names I can’t pronounce.

The noodles make for variety in my meals but I don’t eat them often. Here, they cost $1.79 - $1.99 for a package containing 8 ounces net weight.

(Larry Lustig) #11

I believe shirotake noodles are always made from konjac, but some versions include some tofu presumably to provide a more noodle-like texture. Konjac is actually a yam / sweet potato and I’ve certainly seem some brands that list the primary ingredient as yam or sweet potato starch.

(Guardian of the bacon) #12

Didn’t somebody, somewhere proclaim Soy to be not Keto…it must be so!

(Meeping up the Science!) #13

Soy in the amounts traditionally eaten is minimal. I think if you don’t have an endocrine or autoimmunity issue it’s not a problem. I limit it for those reasons, however others may be able to tolerate it just fine without cause for alarm.

I do think fermented soy products are healthier than unfermented. Natto, for instance, has wonderful probiotic benefits.

Keto is about limiting carbs, not necessarily food types. If you can fit soy, carrot, potato, corn, etc, in your 20g day/less go for it. It’s about staying in ketosis, not type of food selection.