Hi there everybody this is Monica Reinagle and you're listening to the

nutrition diva quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

Today's quick and dirty nutrition tip

is that there's more to the soy story than meets the eye.

Over the past few weeks, I've gotten a whole bunch of questions from

listeners about soy. Is soy milk better for you than

cow's milk? Can eating more soy help prevent osteoporosis, heart disease, or even

hot flashes or other health benefits of soy overhiked?

And a lot of you have also written to ask about negative things you've heard about soy.

Is too much soy bad for you?

Are certain soy foods better than others?

Should pregnant women or children avoid soy altogether?

There's a lot to talk about.

This week we'll take a closer look at the alleged health benefits of soy and see how the

evidence stacks up in favor of soy as a health food.

And next week I'll investigate the charges against soy and whether we have as much to fear

as some claim. Soy has always been popular with vegetarians because it's an inexpensive source of high-quality vegetarian protein.

Lately though it's become much more mainstream.

It's not just a substitute for animal products anymore, now it's being promoted as a way to make your diet healthier.

Once upon a time, for example, the only people who drank soy milk were vegetarians or those who were allergic to cow's milk.

Now, half the dairy case at the grocery store is occupied by soy milk,

which is being pitched as a sort of nutritional upgrade from regular milk.

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