The long list of reasons to include soy-based foods in your diet may be a bit shorter, suddenly. The American Heart Association reviewed a decade of studies on the benefits of eating soy, and their findings cast doubt [1] on the claim that soy can lower cholesterol. The AHA review also found no evidence that soy's isoflavones could ease the symptoms of menopause or prevent some forms of cancer.

The findings may force the FDA to reconsider whether to allow soy foods such as veggie burgers or soy sausages to claim“soy protein may help reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Before you banish those Tofu Pups [2] to the doghouse, though, I'd like to point out that there are still plenty of compelling reasons to keep eating soy foods. Any time you choose a soy-based alternative to red meat, say, or bacon, you're doing your heart a favor. It might not lower your cholesterol, but at least you won't be raising it. And the AHA's review did find that soy can raise our “good” cholesterol levels a bit, and may help prevent postmenopausal bone loss.

Skip the isoflavone supplements, which, according to the AHA, provide no discernable benefits. But don't cross tofu, miso, edamame, soybeans or soymilk off your shopping list. So soy doesn't lower cholesterol or cure cancer. Disappointing? Yes. But when you consider all the food products that actually raise your cholesterol and may contribute to various cancers, soy still looks awfully good by comparison.