Ask Goodbaker:
Vegan Baking Questions and Answers

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Q: I've been a vegetarian since I was a small child. People have always questioned whether I get enough protein. I have never been worried about it. I do eat soy but I keep hearing such controversy over not eating too much soy.

A: As we understand it, tempeh and miso are better than tofu, because they are fermented, so they are easier to assimilate. This is because fermented soy does not contain the enzyme inhibitors that are naturally present in raw soybeans -- enzyme inhibitors are present to prevent the bean from sprouting prematurely. Enzyme inhibitors that remain in soy products prevent you from deriving the full nutritional benefit from your food. All the positive studies we read about Japanese women, soy, and health found that the women ate their soy mostly in the form of fermented tempeh and miso, not unfermented tofu. Also, in Asian countries, they eat far less soy than you’d imagine from reading Western marketing hype.
We westerners always use too much of a good thing. ...

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Please note that we are not medical professionals, and our advice is not intended to treat any disease or to substitute for the knowledge and advice of a medical professional. We're just trying to help by passing on what we've learned from others.