Daily Monitor Monday January 18 2021 Please help me understand why I have been advised to avoid taking soy or soy products. Linda Soy is a legume that has high estrogenic activity in the body. Because many health problems such as fibroids, breast cancer and other reproductive issues are linked to too much estrogen, many people have shunned soy or been told to avoid it because it is high in phytoestrogens. However, the estrogen effect of soy is not like the estrogen effect of other estrogens from animals or artificial xenoestrogens found in many chemicals. In fact, it has an opposite effect of reducing and not increasing the risk for cancer and hormonal issues. This is because the impact of estrogen depends on whether the estrogen stimulates a beta or alpha receptor. Soy stimulates beta receptors that induce a protective effect while other estrogens stimulate alpha receptors that produce a pro cancerous effect.