VEGETARIANS can relax. A protein found in tofu and soy milk has won a clean bill of health from the US National Institutes of Health.
Genistein can mimic the effects of oestrogen in humans and is commonly used in supplements to relieve menopausal symptoms. Concerns were raised about its safety after rats and mice injected with genistein showed a number of reproductive abnormalities, including an increase in the number of stillbirths. Now, after examining results from a range of human and animal studies, a 14-strong NIH panel announced on 17 March that levels of genistein in soy foods are safe for adults.
Soy products have not yet been cleared for feeding to infants, however. 鈥淭here have been so few studies that we just can鈥檛 say either way whether soy infant formula is good or bad,鈥� says Mike Shelby of the US Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction, in North Carolina.
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