Green Child Magazine Back-to-School 2012 | Page 53

cal farmers market or participating in a community supported agriculture (CSA) program where prices may be lower due to less cost to transport the food. Do soy foods contain hormones that cause cancer? If so, what are good alternatives for vegetarians? Soybeans contain phytoestrogen, a plant hormone, however there is no direct link between consumption of soy foods and increased cancer risk. Organic soybeans and soy products contain a wealth of nutrients, including Omega -3 fatty acids and protein, and can be incorporated safely into your family’s diet. It has been shown that fermented soy products, such as tempeh, miso and natto, have the highest health benefits because they contain less phytic acid (which inhibits the absorption of nutrients) than their unfermented counterparts like soy milk, tofu and edamame. 53