Soy as a vegan alternative to animal protein – yes, or no?

There is still a trend for vegan sources of proteins. In doing so, soy is one of the first vegan sources of proteins that prevailed on the European market. By now, other sources of proteins are used, too, because soy is quite a controversial topic. What’s the reason for that und which alternatives you have, we will show in our newest blog post:

Arguments for soy:

Advantages in health: soy contains many important nutrients and can be a valuable source of proteins. There are some studies showing a prevention of heart diseases and even at special forms of cancer it can help.

Sustainability: compared to animal proteins soy is less environmentally unfriendly and resource intensive. Growing soy can contribute to a better soil health as well as the regeneration of soil. You may ask here: How is it possible that soy can be sustainable as a source of protein, when there is a mass of information to the clearing of the rainforest? But these areas are legumes used primarily for animal feed production.

Versatility: soy can be prepared in a number of ways, and it is an important ingredient in many vegetarian and vegan foodstuffs. It can also be used as substitute for animal products like milk and meat.

Hormones: soy contains compounds similar to estrogen (isoflavones) that can cause hormonal changes. The consumption of soy can be beneficial in improving symptoms of menopause – typical complaints like hot flushes can be soothed.

Arguments against soy:

Allergies: some people have allergies to soy, which can cause health problems.

Genetic engineering: most of the worldwide grown soybeans are genetically modified raising concern because of safety and environmental impacts.

Hormones: because of the almost explained isoflavones there are in turn also some concerns that soy can, in large quantities, lead to a lower testosterone level among men.

Besides soy proteins there are a lot of plant-based alternatives like rice, pea or lentil protein. For example, they can be used both for protein bars and for protein shakes. We can provide assistance to the right choice of raw materials, just let us know.