France has sounded the alarm: no more soy-based products in schools and hospitals, citing health risks linked to their isoflavone content. Today, the production of soy shapes global food security, trade relations and environmental impact.

Yet while these debates simmer, our cities overflow with ramen soups, veggie burgers, "chicken teriyaki" or soy lattes. And our feeds are filled with vibrant, exoticized dishes that sell not just food, but identity: colorful, clean, deeply shareable.

Soy has become the icon of soft power: ever-adaptable, faster, cooler. Once exotic, then healthy, it now stands as the cornerstone product of a desirable lifestyle.

But what if we’re simply overdosing on the illusion of wellbeing?