Is it safe to eat soy foods if I have diabetes?

It is absolutely safe to eat soy foods if you have diabetes. Soy foods can be used in the diet as a protein and carbohydrate source. Soy is a heart healthy food which is an additional benefit for people with diabetes since there risk for heart disease is 2-4 times more someone without diabetes. In fact, there is a study that found when soy foods replaced high saturated fat foods like red meat, cholesterol and inflammation were decreased and insulin sensitivity was increased. Check the nutrition facts label of the various soy foods so you know how to fit it into your meal plan. Some soy foods will contain more carbohydrate than others, but all of these foods can fit into a healthy diabetes meal plan.

Soy contains isoflavones, which are natural compounds with very weak estrogenic activity -- that is, they mimic the effect of the female hormone estrogen. This has made scientists wonder if soy could promote tumor growth, because some cancerous tumors are known to grow in the presence of estrogen.

The conclusion that experts have come to, however, is that natural, food sources of soy are absolutely safe. And soy is a healthy, nutrient-filled source of protein that's low-carb, too.