Tofu gets a lot of bad press. According to its critics, it is bland in taste, bad for the environment and has potential health issues. Yet it is a staple for many vegans, not to mention millions of people in Asian countries who have been consuming it for thousands of years. In this blog I will discuss the pros and cons of tofu and clear up the misconceptions.

 

What is tofu?

Tofu is made from soy beans through a process of coagulation, a little bit similar to the process of making cheese. It is a completely natural product, you can even make it yourself at home should you wish. It has been consumed in Asian countries for centuries, and is thought to date back to the Chinese dynasty 2000 years ago.

 

Why do vegans eat tofu?

The main benefit to vegans and people eating a fully or partially plant based diet is its protein content. A 100g portion of tofu not only contains a respectable 13g of protein but it is also one of the few plant foods considered a “complete” protein. This means it contains adequate amounts of all the amino acids essential to humans. If you would like to know more about how much protein you need, check out this blog.

It’s also a useful source of minerals for vegans including iron and, as long as you go for calcium set tofu, calcium (check for calcium in the ingredients list).

 

Does eating tofu disrupt your hormones?

This is a common misunderstanding around tofu and other soy foods. Tofu is a source of isoflavones which act as phytoestrogens in the body. A phytoestrogen is a metabolite found in some plants which happen to have a similar molecular structure to oestrogen. What this means is that they can slot into oestrogen receptors in the body, mimicking the effects of oestrogen. This has caused concern for some people because they think this means eating tofu and other isoflavones will increase oestrogen levels in the body leading to hormonal issues, and even breast cancer. However the amazing thing about phytoestrogens is that, when they slot into those oestrogen receptors, they can mimic or regulate the effect of oestrogen depending on what the body needs. So they could help to reduce as well as increase your oestrogen levels.

 

Can eating tofu increase breast cancer risk?

Again some people are concerned that consuming phytoestrogens in the diet, from tofu and other soy foods, will increase oestrogen levels and this could increase risk of breast cancer. This is not true. As explained above, phytoestrogens regulate oestrogen in the body rather than increasing it, which in fact has a beneficial effect. In fact studies have shown that consumption of isoflavones from plants like soy beans may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Dairy on the other hand, which contains high levels of (actual) oestrogen, is much more likely to have a negative impact on hormones and has in fact been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.

 

Is eating tofu beneficial in menopause?

In the Western world, women suffer badly from menopausal symptoms. According to this study, up to 80% of postmenopausal women in Europe and America report hot flushes. Yet this is compared to only 14% in South East Asia. The difference is thought to come down to diet, since the Asian women were eating a diet rich in isoflavones from food like soy beans including tofu. Another Japanese study found similar results: the women who ate more soy like tofu had fewer hot flushes than those who didn’t.

 

Tofu and bone health

Tofu has been found to be beneficial for bone health thanks to its phytoestrogenic effect. Oestrogen is very important for bone health, as it plays a role in calcium absorption, which supports bone growth and density. A natural decline in oestrogen post-menopause is the reason why postmenopausal women are at increased risk of bone fracture and arthritic conditions. Yet once again, occurrence of this has been found to be reduced in Asian countries which again is thought to be linked to diet, and in particular consumption of phytoestrogens from plants. This is despite low levels of dairy being consumed in Asian countries- which we in the West were brought up to believe was necessary for strong bones due to its calcium content! As mentioned above, tofu can be a good source of calcium, as long as you get one that uses calcium in the setting process – the Cauldron brand available in most supermarkets is an example.

 

Tofu and heart health

Once again Asian populations do better in this area than those living in Western countries with lower rates of cardiovascular disease. Unlike most animal protein, tofu is very low in saturated fat which is one reason for this. But once again phytoestrogens are also thought to play a role as they have been found to be cardio protective, can lower blood pressure and may reduce LDL “bad” cholesterol.

 

Is tofu bad for men’s health?

Again there is a common misconception that soy is bad for men’s health which comes from the misunderstanding around phytoestrogens. Because phytoestrogens regulate oestrogen rather than increasing it, there is no reason why men shouldn’t eat tofu or other soy products. In fact, men can enjoy the same benefits to eating tofu as women, considering it is cardioprotective and good for bone health.

 

Can we digest tofu?

Another criticism of tofu and soy generally is that it may be difficult to digest. This is likely to be more true amongst people who are not used to eating it, because our gut bacteria alters depending on the foods we eat. In fact, being able to get the benefits from consuming isoflavones in the diet has been found to vary from person to person and it is thought this is down to gut bacteria: people living in Asian countries have been found to be more likely to have the enzyme in the gut that helps metabolise the isoflavones. (as discussed in this study). The same is likely to be true of Westerners who are accustomed to eating a lot of tofu like most of the vegan population.

Some people find that soy disagrees with their digestion, leading to symptoms like bloating and indigestion. Quality of soy products varies a lot and this can impact this. Personally I digest tofu and good quality soy well but cheap soy milk and yoghurt will upset my gut. If you find tofu doesn’t agree with you, you might want to try tempeh instead, which is fermented. This means it contains probiotics which can aid its digestion.

If you are new to eating plant foods or trying to increase these in your diet, take it slowly to allow your gut time to get used to new foods.

 

What about soy allergies?

Of course, some people have an allergy to soy which is another matter and can be life-threatening. These people need to avoid all soy products, although this doesn’t mean soy is unhealthy for the rest of us!

If you have an allergy to soy, you can still have a diet rich in phytoestrogens through other sources including green leafy vegetables, other legumes and flax seeds. Broccoli sprouts are a great source and can be added to salads or sprinkled over hot foods. Some people also take isoflavones like red clover as herbal supplements; you might come across these in menopause support blends.

If you are a vegan or predominantly plant based with a soy allergy, you can still meet your protein and amino acid requirements by eating a range of plant foods including other legumes.

If in doubt you can get support through a nutrition professional like myself.

 

Can I eat soy sausages and burgers instead of tofu?

It should be noted that soy products vary enormously in quality, and in their ability to be digested in the gut. Soy products like veggie sausages and burgers are typically made from poor quality soy and only contain trace amounts of isoflavones, so you will not get the same benefits from eating these. Furthermore, they are usually ultra processed, and high in additives and salt, so I don’t recommend including these as a regular part of your diet (even though I enjoy them myself as an occasional treat!)

 

Is eating tofu bad for the environment?

This is a criticism I hear a lot. Much of the soy that is produced globally comes from Brazil, where tragically huge amounts of the Amazon rainforest have been lost to make way for its production. So that means we shouldn’t eat tofu then, right? What we need to keep in mind is the bigger picture. According to the Ethical Consumer, only 20% of soy is used for human food, and the majority of this (13% of the total amount) is used to produce soy oil for ultra processed foods (non-vegan as well as vegan). Less than 3% of soy globally produced is used in making tofu. The overwhelming majority of soy – a whopping 76% – is used in animal feeds, to produce meat and dairy. Therefore if you are concerned about soy’s impact on rainforest destruction, you would be better to avoid meat and dairy than to avoid tofu. Considering the fact that a Western vegan diet is responsible for half the greenhouse gas emissions than an omnivorous diet, then it really makes no sense to criticize vegans for their tofu consumption from this stand point.

If you want to eat tofu but are concerned about deforestation, you can opt for a brand that uses sustainable soy beans. I really like Clearspot tofu. This small Yorkshire company only uses organic soy beans sourced from Canada and Italy which doesn’t contribute to deforestation. The Cauldron brand I mentioned above also uses organic and sustainable soy beans, according to their website.

 

Does tofu taste nice?

Now we are on to arguably the most important thing of all – how does it taste! Tofu has a bad reputation for being bland and flavourless. But actually tofu takes on the flavours of what you cook it with. So if you have tried it and didn’t like it, it might be the chef that was at fault rather than the tofu!

Of course tofu is most commonly used in Asian cooking, in curries and stir fries. But it is incredibly versatile. Personally I always have some in the fridge and use it every week, in a variety of different dishes. Here are just a few examples of other ways you could use it:

 

  • Simply fry it up with leftover rice and veggies for a quick lunch: check out this post
  • Scrambled tofu: a vegan classic alternative to scrambled egg (Google will come up with plenty of recipes!)
  • Miso soup: with tofu vegetables and rice or buckwheat noodles, it is incredibly healthy and hearty enough for a main meal. Get the recipe here.
  • In a vegan quiche, check out this post.
  • Blended to make a a creamy pasta sauce
  • In desserts

Try Googling “tofu recipes” and get creative!