Dr Mark Messina is the President of Nutrition Matters Inc, an adjunct associate professor at Loma Linda University and the Executive Director of the Soy Nutrition Institute. Mark is a former programme director with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States, and while at the NCI he initiated a multi-million dollar research programme on the anticancer effects of soy.

Mark has spent the last 30 years researching the health effects of soy foods and is recognised internationally as a soy expert! Here he helps us sort fact from fiction by taking us on a deep dive into the science behind the safety, potential benefits and commonly touted concerns and misconceptions regarding soy food and human health.

In this episode we discuss:
• Mark’s background and how he came to specialise in soy nutrition research
• The history behind the soy food controversy
• Whether soy isoflavones are endocrine disruptors
• Soy foods and women’s health; breast cancer, menopause, puberty, osteoporosis
• Soy foods and men’s health; isoflavones, testosterone levels, muscle protein synthesis
• Soy and fertility
• Heart health and soy intake
• Whether the fat content of soy is a concern
• Soy intake and thyroid function
• Absorption of nutrients from soy foods

To learn more about the health effects of soy, visit The Soyfoods Council and Soy Connection websites.

In addition, here are some of the studies mentioned in this episode:
• No Difference Between the Effects of Supplementing With Soy Protein Versus Animal Protein on Gains in Muscle Mass and Strength in Response to Resistance Exercise
• Neither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormones: An expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies
• Soybean oil lowers circulating cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease risk, and has no effect on markers of inflammation and oxidation
• Neither soyfoods nor isoflavones warrant classification as endocrine disruptors: a technical review of the observational and clinical data

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