Relation of Soy Consumption to Nutritional Knowledge.

Is it reasonable to believe that the consumption of medicinal and functional foods such as soy is driven by nutritional knowledge? A national survey of 770 U.S. consumers indicated that 39% of male and female subjects did not know of any health benefits associated with soy. Among those who know of soy's nutritional benefits, consumption occurred only among those who perceived these benefits as specifically relevant to themselves. People who had even a slight familiarity with functional foods were more likely to consume soy. Improving the taste properties of soy appeared to have a more dramatic potential impact on the consumption of those who were knowledgeable about functional and medicinal foods than on the general population.