Cancer Protective Diet

Using Soy Proteins: Delicious Uses for Tofu and Tempeh

Soy proteins have long had a bad rap in the breast cancer world. Early animal studies in rats seemed to show that they could aggravate the most common breast cancer, hormone receptor positive breast cancer. This finding caused widespread panic, and for a long time, doctors advised women with breast cancer to stop eating all soy products.  But rats aren’t humans, and large studies of women in the... US and China have since shown this not to be true for humans.  In fact the studies show the effect of soy proteins on breast cancer to be neutral, and even protective of breast cancer if eaten from an early age. It has to be said that in talking about soy proteins, we mean soy products like tofu, tempeh, miso and soy milks eaten in reasonable quantities of up to 3 x 1 cup servings a day, and not soy supplements, which should still be avoided. This is good news for those of us who want to follow a plant based diet. Fear drove an excellent vegetable protein off the market for far too long. Here are some great ideas using tofu and tempeh to welcome it back into your kitchen. You’ll find both savory and sweet delights. Please note that tempeh is a fermented soy product and as a living organism should be treated in the same way as meat, which means using separate cutting boards and cooking it before eating, which we will show you how to do here. Enjoy!