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Genelia Deshmukh, who has been keeping herself busy with a lot of things — films, her vegan meat brand, and of course, her popular Instagram reels with husband Riteish Deshmukh — recently opened up about her diet, vegan lifestyle, and why eating soya is healthy for the body. Speaking exclusively with indianexpress.com, the Vikrant Rona actor said, “We’re so influenced by the West. Soya is a pulse, like rajma. Unfortunately, there is also genetically modified soya, but in India, soya is not genetically modified. That’s why Indians can export their soy because it’s not genetically modified. So this is a misconception,” she said adding that she comes from Latur, which is “the number one producer of soy”.
“We think soy is bad. But then, rajma will also be harmful if you eat it all the time. In fact, anything when consumed in excess can have a harmful effect. But, I can say one thing about soya — that is it not genetically modified at all,” Genelia told this outlet during a meet-and-greet with the press at the newly-opened Bloom Café in Bandra, Mumbai.
Talking about her vegan meat brand ‘Imagine Meats’, she shared that for “vegan keema”, she needed fat, for which she used coconut extract. “As part of the research, I studied crops that could be used for plant-based flavourings. India is a gold mine [of food],” she said, adding that she learned about the many aspects of food production very late in life: “I used to be so confused… So, I went and did a course at Cornell to understand nutrition and that’s how I figured my life.”
But is soya actually healthy? “Soy is, arguably, one of the most controversial topics in the nutrition world. But soy foods are gradually gaining popularity with people focusing more on plant-based vegan diets. Soy products are protein-packed as they contain all the nine essential amino acids which our bodies can’t synthesise themselves,” said Garima Goyal, a certified dietician and nutritionist.
She added that soy products contain polyphenols such as isoflavones (plant estrogens), which some claim are phytoestrogens because of their ability to attach to estrogen receptors in the body. “However, research suggests that they are indeed very different from estrogens and have unique effects on the body. Some research shows that isoflavone consumption causes a reduction in the levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and an improvement in bone health,” she said.
But the expert was quick to add that other studies have also suggested isoflavones may be responsible for promoting the growth of cancer cells, impairingr female fertility and thyroid function, along with being the source of disruption in the endocrine system that causes hormonal overload in the body.
So, what is the right approach to soya? “Always try to consume soy in an unprocessed and raw form,” she suggested, sharing that some minimally processed soy foods include soybeans, tofu, edamame, and tempeh. “Moderate consumption of minimally processed soy foods can be good for you and can have various benefits,” Goyal said.
Adding, Karishma Shah, Integrative Nutritionist and Health Coach said: “Soy does create a lot of hormonal disturbances in people who already have hormonal imbalance. If you have PCOS or endometriosis or thyroid, soya can cause a reaction. Having mock meat, which is made of soy, once in a while is absolutely ok, but I personally would not recommend anybody to have soya everyday. With vegans, there’s always so much confusion about how much protein to eat, but it is also advisable to reach out to experts who can help you understand what works for you and what doesn’t. You need to understand how much soy works for you and your body.”
Genelia noted, “Moderation is the key whenever planning your diet.”
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