Potential Benefits of Soy for Skin, Hair, and Nails

The effects of soy on diet and health have been topics of intense research for the last 20 years or more. Much of this research has suggested that soy consumption can have beneficial effects on several aspects of human health. Regular inclusion of soy and/or soy isoflavones in the diet has been reported to modestly improve plasma lipid profiles, improve bone health, reduce menopausal symptoms, enhance cognitive function, and potentially reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancers. The health benefits of dietary soy have been attributed to its isoflavones as well as to the biological actions of its constituent proteins. These potential health benefits of soy consumption have been extensively reviewed elsewhere [9, 30] and will not be discussed in this chapter.