I realize that this post may offend some people. Let me assure you that it is not my intent to do so. Many people today consume large amounts of soy in various forms, whether soy milk, soy butter, soy cheese, soy protein, etc....This has been touted as the next great health food discovery. Upon further reading, I have discovered some very serious health concerns related to consumption of soy.
I am just going to hit some of the highlights here. There is so much information available for further reading. If you want to investigate further check out Weston A Price. On that website there is a brochure available called "Soy Alert" that gives the myths and truths about soy. It gives a fantastic, easy to understand summary.For example, soy foods do not provide a complete protein.
There is a great concern about the safety of soy infant formulas. I have several close friends that have used soy formula for their babies, for various reasons, one of which is reflux. The Weston A. Price Foundations says in their article "Soy Alert," "Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day." Also, "Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental estrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE." Those statements alone are enough for me to seriously question the use of soy.
Sally Falon as put out a wonderful cookbook called Nourishing Traditions. The thing that I appreciate most about it is the way that she takes the time to thoroughly explain why certain foods are dangerous or unhealthy. She has quite a bit to say about soy. For example, she points out that protein powders made from soy are often labeled as a health food. Walk into any health food store and you will most certainly find protein powder. This type of protein is obtained by such a high temperature making the protein useless. It is also high in mineral-blocking phytates, thyroid depressing phytoestrogens, enzyme inhibitors, and it is known to depress growth, and cause cancer. I must admit that I did have to look up a few definitions to fully understand what that meant.
What are phytates? Phytates are substances that are found inside the husk of whole grains that binds certain minerals making them unavailable. Yes, all whole grains have them, but soy has quite a bit more than the others. Often soy-based foods contain MSG (see previous entry for MSG dangers). Soy milk has such a high phytate content that consumption of this product can lead to mineral deficiencies. One example is a depressed thyroid. If you have a thyroid problem, check your soy consumption.
Soy rations in animal feed affects their life span as well as quality of life. Often these animals suffer from liver problems, mastitis, and sterility.
What about soy sauce? Many people enjoy the occasional Asian cuisine. Look for "naturally brewed" soy sauce. It does not contain MSG. Soy foods block zinc unless they go through a long period of fermentation.
On page 502 of her book, Sally Falon states, "No other food has so many public relation firms and lobbyists working for it." Scary??
http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/avoid_soy.htm See this website for more information regarding the dangers of soy.
Should you give up soy? That's a personal decision. Many people think it's great because Asian peoples have used soy for thousands of years. However, if you research, you will discover that they use it more as a condiment than a main dish or staple. In my opinion, you should not use soy to replace something in your diet. I am not by any means a vegetarian. I believe God put meat on this earth for us to eat, responsibly. I do not believe it is the healthiest way to eat. Some may disagree, and that is perfectly fine. Our bodies need certain proteins and fats only found in meat. That I will cover another time. For now, I just wanted to give you something to think about, as well as other resources to peruse.
