3. The most significant risk of eating soybeans while pregnant is that they may affect your baby’s brain development.
This is because soybeans have phytoestrogens (plant estrogens), which can interfere with the production of hormones in the body. In addition, soybeans contain goitrogens (compounds that block thyroid function), leading to hypothyroidism in babies. Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone.
4. Reproductive issues
The fetus developing inside you gets sensitive to estrogen in certain phases of pregnancy.
Research studies conducted on animals have shown risks associated with exposure to estrogenic substances from isoflavones and phytoestrogens in soy.
Exposure to phytoestrogen in pregnancy results in long term complications in reproduction. The research findings were published in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine in the January 2004 issue.