I had a friend who told me that I was being too tough on soy and that it was fine for some people to consume. Since her opinion is one I respect, I went back to the books to check out more research on soy. I looked at the conclusions of over 200 studies on soy and soy isoflavones from 1953 to the present.What I learned showed me that soy was even scarier than I had believed. (And I am not even going to talk about the fact that most soy (90%) is grown GMO or genetically modified. GMO is an article all by itself, but a lot of research shows that GMO foods are potentially very dangerous for our bodies, and at best genetically modified soy highly increases the number of people who have allergic reactions to soy.)
Here are some of the conclusions of the studies I looked at, and reasons why I believe that everyone should avoid modern soy and unfermented soy products.
Research shows strong evidence that soy and/or soy isoflavones can cause:
1. Cancer (especially breast cancer).
2. Goiters (which are very common with vegetarians who consume a lot of soy).
3. Liver disfunction
4. Reproductive disfunction (in both women and men).
5. Kidney stones
6. Gastrointestinal disturbances and intestinal damage.
7. Thyroid problems (such as malaise, constipation, sleepiness, & insomnia).
8. Neurobehavioral problems such as anxiety and stress.
9. Learning and memory problems.
10. Heart arrhythmias and contribute to heart disease.
11. Disruptions in the endocrine system.
In addition:
12. Soy’s effects are especially bad for children and babies. Soy formula also sometimes causes asthma and life threatening peanut allergies later in life.
13. Soy suppresses the immune system.
14. Soy acts like anti-estrogen drugs in the body, and has not been shown to relieve hot flashes, bone loss or improve menopausal complaints.
15. Some people are are highly sensitive to soy, while others are able to tolerate the toxin longer.
Some menopausal women are helped by small amounts of traditionally fermented soy, but not by unfermented (typical American) soy or soy isoflavones.
Some interesting facts:
Sheehan DM and Doerge DR wrote "Letter to Dockets Management Branch" (HFA-305) on February 18, 1999. This was a strong letter of protest from two government researchers at the National Center for Toxicological Research urging that soy protein carry a warning label rather than a health claim.
1999
Food Labeling: Health Claims: Soy Protein and Coronary Heart Disease, Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 101 (Docket No. 98P-0683). This US government document allows a health claim for foods containing 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving. The original petition, submitted by Protein Technologies International (a division of Dupont), requested a health claim for isoflavones, the estrogen-like compounds found plentifully in soybeans, based on assertions that "only soy protein that has been processed in a manner in which isoflavones are retained will result in cholesterol-lowering." In 1998, the FDA made the unprecedented move of rewriting PTI's petition, removing any reference to the phytoestrogens and substituting a claim for soy protein, a move that was in direct contradiction to the agency's regulations. The FDA is authorized to make rulings only on substances presented by petition. The abrupt change in direction was no doubt due to the fact that a number of researchers, including scientists employed by the US government, submitted documents indicating that isoflavones are toxic. The regulations stipulate that 25 grams of soy protein per day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Twenty-five grams soy protein can contain from 24-125 mg isoflavones, depending on processing methods. Many letters were written in protest, expressing concerns about mineral blocking effects, enzyme inhibitors, goitrogenicity, endocrine disruption, reproductive problems and increased allergic reactions from consumption of soy products. The FDA ignored them.
Despite the FDA’s approval of soy, most research shows that soy is very bad for us. If you are having health problems and you are consuming soy, try cutting out the soy, and see if your health begins to improve. Be patient, I’ve heard that it takes at least a month of being soy free before some people notice a change. And, unfortunately, some physical problems caused by long term usage of soy may be very hard to reverse, so the sooner you stop using it, the better.
I do believe that the body was meant to heal itself of most problems, given the right nutritional building blocks, so if you are trying to heal from physical damages caused by soy, or some other problem, be sure to give your body the high quality, nutrient rich superfoods it needs to repair damage.
My favorite superfood is a high powered nutrient rich beverage packed with marine phytoplankton, called Masaji from Be Young. For more information on this, check out my blog at http://superphyto.com now.
To see the research and learn about more of the dangers of soy, please go to the Weston A. Price Foundation’s website at http://www.westonaprice.org/Soy-Alert/index.php
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