The effects of phytoestrogens contained in soy are sometimes likened to those of conventional estrogens. But if semantically the words are very similar, their compositions and their functioning are radically different. First of all, you should know that if soy does indeed contain phytoestrogens, these are present everywhere in the plant kingdom, whether in foods such as tea, coffee, fruits, cereals, etc. Soy isn’t the richest plant in phytoestrogens. Flax contains more, as do peas. From a chemical point of view, phytoestrogens and estrogens are radically different. Our estrogens are molecules extremely close to cholesterol. They are fat-soluble fatty compounds. “Phytoestrogens” are flavonoids (isoflavones), polyphenols which are made from an amino acid, therefore a component of proteins which are as such soluble in water. From a biological point of view, isoflavones have an estrogenic activity 1000 times weaker than estrogens! Of all the studies carried out on this subject, none show a negative effect of soy consumption on the sexual development of the child, the age of puberty or hormonal diseases. On the contrary, the European Health Safety Authority (EFSA) published in October 2015 a report confirming the safety of taking isoflavones. It is even worth noting that soy isoflavones are antioxidants, and as such they help to protect the body’s cells against the appearance of cancerous cells.