While animal proteins increase levels of the cancer-promoting growth hormone IGF-1, and most plant proteins bring levels down, "high quality" plant proteins such as soy may not significantly affect..
The arginine content of nuts may explain their metabolism boosting effects, though in a list of the top food sources of arginine, nuts don't even make the top ten.
All three human studies on soy and breast cancer survival suggest that soy in sufficient amounts may improve survival in women diagnosed with breast cancer.