Vitasoy Launches Breast Health Education Initiative

Vitasoy is one of the pioneers in the soy milk industry. I wrote about them extensively in my book, Milk Is Not for Every Body.

Worries about what they call the "misperception that soy may be too risky for people with breast cancer" have led them to encourage women to educate themselves more about breast health and soy.

They're doing so, according to their press release, with Pinkies, named for the pink ribbon symbol of the breast health movement. (If you look carefully, you'll see that "lactose free" is emblazoned around the cap.)

Vitasoy's specially-designed pink 8-ounce chocolate organic soymilks, dubbed "Pinkies" by the Vitasoy innovations team, feature the breast health movement's pink ribbon symbol and an invitation to sign up for a free subscription to the Vitasoy breast health e-newsletter at http://www.vitasoy-usa.com/breasthealth.

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According to Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RD, an internationally recognized expert in cancer nutrition and epidemiology, it's time to set the record straight about the soy-cancer link.

"Soymilk is safe for people with a history of cancer when it is taken as part of a healthy diet. It also supports overall health because it is cholesterol-free, high in protein, and a good source of calcium and other vitamins and minerals. Soymilk has many cancer fighting properties. So do other soy foods, including tofu, tempeh and edamame..."

Dixon believes soy supplements may be at the heart of the misperceptions about the soy-breast health link. "Studies show that soy supplements, since they don't use the whole soy bean, may not be safe for individuals with hormone-sensitive cancer, but there is no definitive research yet," said Dixon. "There is plenty of research that soymilk and some other soy foods can be a part of a healthy diet, however. Just don't rely on soy foods alone to improve the diet. You need to focus on total diet improvement for the best cancer prevention benefit."

In true press release fashion, the marketing gurus haven't coordinated with the web site masters, and so the breasthealth link given in the press release doesn't yet work. It'll probably be fixed after the weekend. (I work every day at this blog, but I've stopped expecting that anybody else does.) Try go to the main Vitasoy page for info. Click on "In the News" if you don't see the Pinkie bottle on that page.