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I don't know how many of you have read Michael Pollan's excellent book The Omnivore's Dilemma (Penguin Press, 2006), but he makes some insightful points about America's "national eating disorder." He observes that Americans tend to choose their daily bread according to the latest nutritional research or fad rather than a deep-rooted culinary tradition. A prime example of this is the soy craze. I teach classes on food and nutrition for parents, and in almost every class, one or two people raise their hands to proudly tell me they give their children soy milk, not cow's milk. My concern is not so much about what they are choosing but whether they have sound reasons for making the choice. So their faces fall as I remain nonplussed and ask, "Why?"

There's been a lot of discussion recently in the nutrition media about the pros and cons of eating soy products. Some of it has been fueled by a recently released book called The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food by Kaayla T. Daniel, Ph.D., C.C.N. I've browsed through the book and also spent some time researching both pro and con articles on soy so I could bring a balanced picture to my classes.

One problem is that many Americans think that if the media says something is good for them to eat, they should not just eat it, but eat a lot of it every day. So when the media began reporting scientific research showing health benefits from eating soy products, Americans hopped on the soy wagon. Hence, not only did we begin gulping soy lattes, munching soy-based candy bars (referred to as "energy bars") and slicing Tofurkey at Thanksgiving, but we also accepted that anything with soy anything in it is good for us.

Our soy consumption has also been accelerated by an excess supply fueled by soybean crop subsidies, which totaled $1.6 billion last year alone. Farmers of subsidized crops can only make ends meet if they produce more. The huge amount of product needs to be marketed using funded research and clever ads, so Americans then eat up the excess in the name of "health food."

Soybeans have some things to brag about. They contain potentially healthful compounds called phytoestrogens. They are a good non-cholesterol protein source, as well as a natural source of lecithin, and have high concentrations of essential fatty acids, including omega-3. Yet, soybeans also are a difficult food for humans to digest. They contain more phytic acid (which can affect mineral absoption) than most grains or beans. Some feel their natural enzyme inhibitors can block protein absorption.

Ms. Daniel takes many more punches at the poor bean, citing allergies, sexual dysfunction, adverse affects on hormone development during puberty, thyroid deficiencies and retarded growth in children as symptoms of eating too much soy — just to name a few. I agree with her that there is a big downside to feeding infants processed soy formula, which isn't comparable nutritionally to live mother's milk. Some of her other claims seem to contain some truth but are presented with a sense of alarm that may not be warranted.

Soybean derivatives such as soy flour, textured soy protein, partially hydrogenated soybean oil and soy protein isolate certainly raise some concerns. These highly processed soy products — a result of multi-stage chemical processes — have become major ingredients in many pre-packaged or fast foods. I teach that if the food is not something you could make in your kitchen, be cautious about eating it. Trust me: Soy protein isolate is not something you can whip up with a stove and a blender. Products such as cheese, margarine, burgers, hot dogs and bacon made from soy derivatives are a staple in most vegetarian and vegan diets. To me, these products do not seem any livelier or more healthful than their animal-based counterparts — less so in most cases.

It is good to remember that soy milk straight from the soybean tastes very different from what people currently buy in aseptic packages. It has a strong beany taste and a bitter aftertaste. Soy milk producers have to do a lot of doctoring to make a swift-selling, crowd-pleasing beverage. To give the soy milk the "mouth feel" of dairy milk, many commercial brands add things to improve the flavor and texture. Also, many soy milks are supplemented with mass-produced calcium and Vitamin D2 — but are these supplements in the right balance with other nutrients so they're absorbable? I'm not sure. I know that these nutrients do not naturally occur in the soybean.

Through centuries of trial and error, peoples of various cultures found ways to use soybeans in a healthful manner. They did not invent or eat soy protein isolate. They mainly ate carefully crafted fermented soy products in small amounts. The fermentation process deactivates the phytic acid and renders the bean much more digestible. Tamari, shoyu, miso and tempeh add flavor and digestibility to meals when served in small amounts. Tofu is made from coagulated and pressed soy milk. Though not fermented, tofu also doesn't affect mineral absorption because most of the phytic acid is in the fiber of the bean, which is discarded when the tofu is produced.

Traditional tamari and shoyu are soy sauces derived from a long aging process. Some mass-market brands are not fermented and use hydrolyzed vegetable protein, corn syrup, caramel color and MSG to mimic the color and flavor of natural fermentation. Cultures that traditionally used soy products in their diets also included sea vegetables. If there's any worry about mineral absorption or thyroid deficiencies from eating soy, the plethora of minerals, including iodine, in sea vegetables counters it.

Is it a good bean or is it a bad bean? Where do soybeans fit into a well-balanced diet? Enjoying small amounts of fermented soy products and fresh tofu in a diet that includes sea vegetables is perfectly wonderful. Purchase organic soy foods, since an estimated 85 percent of the non-organic U.S. soy crop is genetically engineered. High-protein vegetarian products like tempeh and tofu can be a welcome break from meat or poultry for most. So, don't revere soy or shun it. Eating well is not so much about restrictions or special diets as about understanding where food comes from and how it is made and then deciding about its place in your diet.

Cynthia Lair is an adjunct faculty member of Bastyr University and the University of Washington School of Nursing. Cynthia is the author of Feeding the Whole Family and Feeding the Young Athlete. See also www.feedingfamily.com.

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