大豆對人體好嗎?

What to know before eating forms of soy like tofu, tempeh, soy milk, and edamame.

在吃大豆製品，比如豆腐、天培、豆漿和毛豆之前，我們需要知道些什麼呢？

Soy has gotten a bad rap over the years, but it can be a smart addition to your diet if you eat it the right way. Soy provides a variety of nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids and fiber. Some forms of soy, like tofu and tempeh, are also healthy alternatives to animal proteins. (Animal sources of protein can have more heart-harming saturated fat than plant-based sources.) If eating more soy helps you displace some meat in your diet, great.

近年來，大豆臭名在外，但如果吃的正確，大豆還是明智的選擇。大豆提供多種營養物質，包括歐米茄3脂肪酸和纖維素。一些大豆製品，比如豆腐和天培也是代替動物蛋白的健康選擇。（動物蛋白質來源比植物蛋白質來源含有更多的有害心臟的飽和脂肪。）如果多吃大豆能減少你飲食中的肉類，那就太棒了。

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The debate over soy mainly has to do with phytoestrogens, which are plant-derived compounds (found in soybeans) that were believed to behave similarly to estrogen in the body. For years, there's been a concern that soy may promote the growth of hormone-sensitive breast cancers. Science has gone back and forth on whether phytoestrogens are beneficial or carry health risks. But the latest research suggests that soy phytoestrogens don't work exactly like estrogen.

有關大豆的爭論主要與植物雌激素有關，來源於植物的化合物（在大豆中發現）--植物雌激素被認爲與人體內的雌激素相似。多年來，人們一直擔心大豆可能會促進激素敏感性乳腺癌的滋生。科學反覆研究植物雌激素到底是有益人體健康還是攜帶了健康風險。但最近的研究表明大豆植物雌激素與雌激素的作用並非完全一樣。

In fact, recent large analyses have concluded that a diet high in soy does not increase the chances of developing breast cancer and may even reduce the risk, though more research is needed to support the latter finding. (It's also worth noting that there's little research on breast health and soy supplements, which are more concentrated and stripped of other nutrients, so they're not currently recommended.) Studies have also shown that a diet high in soy whole foods may help lower heart disease risk and reduce menopause-related hot flashes.

事實上，最近大量的分析得出了這樣的結論：大豆含量高的飲食並不會增加患乳腺癌的風險，而且甚至可能降低風險，但需要更多的研究證實後者。（值得一提的是，有關乳腺健康和大豆補充劑的研究十分少，這一補充劑的營養更集中，缺少其它營養物質，因此目前尚不推薦食用。）研究還表明：大豆全食含量高的飲食或能幫助降低心臟病風險、降低與更年期相關的潮熱。

My verdict: It's safe to eat one or two servings of soy a day, as long as it's from a natural source or minimally processed. Good options include three ounces of tofu, a half cup of edamame, a cup of soy milk, or one-third cup of soy nuts.

我的意見：每天吃一兩次大豆是完全沒有問題的，只要大豆製品的來源是天然的，或是最少加工處理的。好的選擇包括3盎司的豆腐，半杯毛豆，一杯豆漿或三分之一杯大豆仁。