Dangers of Soy

What Makes Soy

Such a Risky Food to Eat?

Here is a summary of soy’s most glaring problems.

91 percent of soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GM).

Soy contains natural toxins known as “anti-nutrients.”

Soy contains hemagglutinin.

Soy contains goitrogens.

Soy contains phytates.

Soy is loaded with the isoflavones genistein and daidбein.

Soy has toxic levels of aluminum and manganese

Soy infant formula puts your baby’s health at risk.

Nearly 20 percent of U.S. infants are now fed soy formula,

but the estrogens in soy can irreversibly harm

your baby’s sexual development and reproductive health.

Infants fed soy formula take in an estimated five birth control pills’

worth of estrogen every day.

Infants fed soy formula have

up to 20,000 times the amount of

estrogen in circulation as those fed other formulas!

The Dangers of Soybean

Studies indicate that soy causes increased requirements for vitamins E, K, D and B12.

Phytic Acid from SPI blocks the absorption of essential minerals
and creates deficiency symptoms
of calcium, magnesium, copper, molybdenum, iron,
manganese and especially zinc – in the intestinal tract.

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The Dangers of Soybean

Soy Related Effects:

Cancer and DNA Damage

Brain and Learning Disabilities

Thyroid Problems

Vitamins and Mineral Absorption Etc.

Blocks Vitamin & Mineral Absorption

Studies indicate that soy causes increased requirements for vitamins E, K, D and B12. Phytic Acid from SPI blocks the absorption of essential minerals and creates deficiency symptoms of calcium, magnesium, copper, molybdenum, iron, manganese and especially zinc – in the intestinal tract.

This may be contributing to early onset of osteoporosis in Japan, starting there as early as age 20 versus age 34 in the USA. Also, test animals fed SPI developed enlarged organs, particularly the thyroid gland and pancreas, and caused increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver.

Processing of Soy Adds More Toxins

Much soy is acid washed in aluminum tanks, leaching high levels of aluminum into the final product. Nitrites, potent carcinogens, are formed during spray-drying, and toxic lysinoalanine is formed during alkaline processing. Artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are added to SPI and textured vegetable protein (TVP) products to mask their strong “beany” taste and to impart the flavor of meat.

Cancer and DNA Damage

Thousands of women are now consuming soy in the belief that it protects them from cancer. Yet, in 1996, researchers found that women consuming soy protein isolate (SPI) had an increased incidence of epithelial hyperplasia, a condition that precedes malignancies. Additionally, genistein was found to

stimulate breast cells to enter the cell cancer cycle. Since 1993, Soy has beenknown to cause DNA damage, chromosome fragmentation and errors in chromosome orientation. Soy products may increase breast cancer in pregnant women.

Brain- Aging and Learning Disabilities

Japanese Americans living in Hawaii show a significant statistical relationship between two or more servings of tofu a week and accelerated brain aging (atrophy). Participants in another study who ate tofu in mid-life, had lower cognitive function in later life, experienced greater incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and looked older. There is strong evidence linking brain damage to infants using soy formulas.

Soy Infant Formulas

Daily exposure of infants to isoflavones in soy infant formula is 6 to 11 times higher on a body-weight basis than the dose that has negative hormonal side effects in adults consuming soy foods. Toxicologist, Dr. Mike Fitzpatrick, estimated that infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at least 5 birth control pills per day.

Early maturation in girls is frequently an indicator of problems with their reproductive system later in life, including failure to menstruate, infertility, breast cancer, and possibly uterine cancer. Problems in both sexes associated with soy-based infant formula later in life also include extreme emotional behavior, immune system problems, pituitary insufficiency, irritable bowl syndrome, asthma, thyroid disorders, including thyroid problems in babies, & infantile leukemia.

Thyroid Problems

Asians throughout the world have high rates of thyroid cancer. Japanese researchers reported in 1991 that consumption of as little as 30 grams or 2 tablespoons of soybeans per day for only one month resulted in a significant increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone. Diffuse goiter and hypothyroidism appeared in some of the subjects and many complained of fatigue, lethargy, and constipation, even though their intake of iodine was adequate.

Soy Protein in “Natural” Foods Bathed in Toxic Solvent Hexane

By Mike Adams www. NaturalNews.com

Virtually all “protein bars” on the market today are made with soy protein. Many infant formula products are also made with soy protein, and thousands of vegetarian products (veggie burgers, veggie cheese, “natural” food bars, etc.) are made with soy protein. That soy protein is almost always described as safe and “natural” by the companies using it. But there’s a dirty little secret the soy product industry doesn’t want you to know:

Much of the “natural” soy protein used in foods today is bathed in a toxic, explosive chemical solvent known as hexane.

Dangers of Soy

Written by Kristen. M

http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/

Are you convinced yet about the dangers of soy? Many aren’t. “Is soy bad for you? …Really?” I hear the question so often I want to scream. After decades of hearing marketing spin about how soy is a wonder food, a protein-rich legume able to rescue us from our dependence on meat, I suppose it’s understandable why so many people have yet to understand fully the dangers of soy.

Really, you’re not going to get the full story unless you research it on your own. And why would you, when soy is “universally” touted as a health food? Well, it isn’t.

Thankfully, more and more independent research has been done regarding the dangers of soy, and what it’s revealed should scare you.

Phytoestrogens

Soy is higher in phytoestrogens than just about any other food source. Phytoestrogens are plant-based estrogens that mimic estrogen in our bodies. In recent years, you may have read about studies which indicate phytoestrogens are good for you. But ask yourself, who funded those studies? The soy industry, that’s who. Independent research has clearly shown that consuming phytoestrogens is downright dangerous for the human body.

It’s only common sense. No one argues, for example, that a leading cause of breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, infertility, and low libido is unopposed estrogen, or estrogen dominance. Why, then, would anyone argue that we should consume more of a food high in estrogen? An infant taking the recommended amount of soy formula is consuming a hormone load equivalent of 4 birth control pills a day! Is it any wonder we’ve seen such a dramatic rise in precocious puberty with young girls starting their periods at 6 and 7?

Goitrogenic

Soy will destroy your thyroid. Many foods are goitrogenic (thyroid suppressing), but soy is king of them all. Goitrogens work by preventing your thyroid from getting the necessary amount of iodine. Friends, I believe this is what happened to Oprah’s thyroid. She pushed soy for years, featured it in everyone one of her “healthy” diets, and it destroyed her thyroid.

If your thyroid fails, what happens? You gain weight. You have a harder time regulating your moods. You get colder more easily. You’re more easily fatigued. You demonstrate an inability to concentrate and remember details. The list goes on. You simply don’t want to mess with your thyroid.

Phytates

Phytates are enzyme-inhibitors that block mineral absorption in human digestive tract. They are naturally present in all grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes (which is why everyone should read this primer on how to eat grains, if you eat them at all.) But soy is so high in phytates that it’s almost impossible to get rid of them. Simply soaking soy overnight in an acidic medium won’t do the trick. Soy must be fermented in order to be digestible to humans. That means that if you eat soy at all, you should stick to fermented soy products like miso, tempeh, natto, or a naturally fermented soy sauce (tamari).

Trypsin inhibitors

Finally soy is rich in trypsin inhibitors. Trypsin is a digestive enzyme we need to properly digest protein. Without enough trypsin, you’ll experience many digestive problems including stomach cramps, diarrhea, and bleeding. You’ll also be leaving yourself open to future problems with your pancreas.

Debunking The Asian Soy Myth

But, people say, what about Asians? They eat soy every day, and they’re so healthy! In this article by Nina Planck, she writes:

Soy farming started around 1100 BC in China, where it was used to build soil fertility and feed animals. Soy beans were not considered fit for humans until the Chinese learned to ferment them, which makes them digestible. Asian diets now include fermented soy beans in the form of natto, miso, tamari, and tempeh.

Soy producers want you to eat more soy — more than the Asians eat, and more than is good for you. The Japanese and Chinese eat 10 grams of soy per day — about two teaspoons. Yet a soy manufacturer recommends Americans eat ten times what the Japanese eat — 100 grams of soy protein per day. In The Soy Zone, Barry Sears recommends a daily diet of a minimum of 50 grams of soy, and up to 75 grams for women and 100 grams for men.

It’s like red wine: a glass or two a day may be good for you; a bottle or two every day rots your liver.

Did you catch that? Asians only eat 2 teaspoons of soy a day, usually as a condiment, and it’s highly fermented! Fermentation takes care of many of the dangers of soy. Plus, the typical Asian will also consume soy with mineral-rich and nutrient-dense foods such as fish broth (naturally high in iodine & other minerals which support the thyroid).

So, Is Soy Bad For You?

The short answer? YES!

Let’s be clear on the recent history of soy. The soybean was a modest and unpopular crop until food manufacturers intent on creating cheap vegetable oils convinced the U.S. government to start subsidizing it. The soy was turned into oil, and the industry was left with an industrial waste product. Then somebody had a brilliant idea:

Let’s take this industrial waste product full of toxins and carcinogens — isolated soy protein — and turn it into food that people will eat!

Soy foods were born. From Nina Planck’s article:

The FDA refused to approve isolated soy protein as a safe food additive with the designation “Generally Recognized as Safe.”Agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland withdrew its application for the coveted GRAS status for soy protein, after an outcry from scientists about the toxins and carcinogens that come with it. They can still put soy protein in your food, but they have to get pre-market approval for every product.

Isolated soy protein is no health food. But we don’t eat soy protein with a spoon. How do we eat it? It is the main ingredient in soy burgers, ice cream, milk shakes, and fake cheese. These soy protein products are phony foods — but they must look like the real foods they imitate. So the soy industry transforms a small yellow soy bean into something resembling a hamburger. They make soy “milk” and “ice cream” white and creamy.

The other ingredients in these foods are no better for you than the soy protein that goes into them. Soy milk, for example, is simply a cocktail of soy protein, sugar, and vegetable oil. The “natural” MSG formed in soy processing is already bad for you, but even more MSG, and more flavorings, are added. Imitation foods need a lot of help to be tasty. Many savory soy foods are loaded with additives to give them the flavor of the real foods they mimic. Most imitation meat, for example, contains man-made MSG, which causes migraines and is associated with brain cancer.

Soy foods aren’t real food. They aren’t traditional. They aren’t old. They’re industrial waste products dressed up in pretty clothes and marketed to an ignorant public.

What Do I Recommend As Alternatives To Soy Milk?

If you can’t do dairy and are looking for healthier alternatives than soy milk, please see Healthy Milk Substitutes With Recipes for a couple of excellent alternatives you can make at home.

One alternative I particularly enjoy is coconut milk. It’s full of the best kinds of saturated fat — medium chain triglycerides — which help speed your metabolism. It’s also exquisitely flavorful and perfect stirred into curries, soups, and sauces. Sadly, almost all coconut milk available at your grocery store comes in BPA-lined cans. To my knowledge, only Native Forest brand is BPA-free, and not all stores carry it.

ETA: Reader comments below prompted me to include a couple of additions to this post. The questions: What about tofu or homemade soy milk? Their consumption is quite widespread in Asian cultures, and they’re non-fermented soy foods. Are they okay? The answers: Tofu originated around the 2nd century BC in China, and it was made from fermented bean curd. That is how it was traditionally made before the days of refrigeration.

Most modern tofu isn’t fermented anymore. You can still buy varieties of fermented tofu (aka “Stinky Tofu” or “Pickled Tofu”) in some Asian markets, though. Also, according to the most comprehensive online account of soymilk’s history, its use was rare before the 20th century and widespread usage was highly unlikely. In other words, it’s not a traditional food.

Nor is non-fermented tofu. They’re the Asian equivalents of margarine, hot bath canning, “vegetable oil,” or soda pop — something relatively new on the food scene which became very widespread with the industrialization of the food supply. And like these industrialized food products, they are bad for your health.

http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/
Soy Formula Linked to Seizures in Children
Soy Infant Formula: A Formula for Disaster
Life-threatening Retaliation in Soy Prison Lawsuit

288 references to the toxicity of soy in the FDA’s poisonous plants database
77 studies showing the adverse reactions to dietary soy
174 studies showing the adverse reactions to isoflavones (phytoestrogens)

References

http:///www.mercola.com/article/soy/avoidsoy.htm http://wwww.westonaprice.org/soy/tragedy.html
http://www.eurekalert.org
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com
www.cornucopia.org
http://campaignfortruth.com/Eclub/220903/soy.htm
www.Westonaprice.org
www.mercola.com/article/soy/avoid_soy.htm>
www.westonaprice.org/soy/tragedy.html
www.gerson.org/
www. mercola.com
www.iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/meadows/delaney.htm
www.abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000609_soyfdaletter_feature.html
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-11
www.cancerres.aacrjournals.org?cgi/content/abstract/61/11/4325
doctorwithin.com/articles/magic_bean.html
www.rogerkyoung.com/soybean.html.
Further details available from Health Action Network Society. www.hans.org

The Dark Side of Soy

Dr. Mercola

The vast majority of soy at your local market is not a health food. The exception is fermented soy, which I’ll explain more about later and even worse GMO soy that is contaminated with large pesticide residues as the reason it is GMO is so they can spray the potent toxic herbicide Roundup on them to improve crop production by killing the weeds.

Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of whole non-GMO soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities—protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.

Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story, points out thousands of studies linking soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease.
Here is just a sampling of the health effects that have been linked to soy consumption:

Soy proponents will argue that soy-based foods (they lump the fermented ones with the unfermented) will protect you from everything from colon, prostate and breast cancer to strokes, osteoporosis, and asthma.

But said enthusiasts never mention the studies that illuminate soy’s downside and all of the dangers posed to your health, which are based on sound research.

Another unfortunate fact is that 80 percent of the world’s soy is used in farm animal feed, which is why soy production is contributing to deforestation. Some soy propagandists have suggested that the solution to this is for all of us to become vegetarians—a reckless recommendation rooted in total ignorance about nutrition—whereas a far better solution is a major overhaul in how farm animals are fed and raised.

What Makes Soy Such a Risky Food to Eat?

Here is a summary of soy’s most glaring problems.

91 percent of soy grown in the US is genetically modified (GM). The genetic modification is done to impart resistance to the toxic herbicide Roundup. While this is meant to increase farming efficiency and provide you with less expensive soy, the downside is that your soy is loaded with this toxic pesticide. The plants also contain genes from bacteria that produce a protein that has never been part of the human food supply. GM soy has been linked to an increase in allergies. Disturbingly, the only published human feeding study on GM foods ever conducted verified that the gene inserted into GM soy transfers into the DNA of our gut bacteria and continues to function. This means that years after you stop eating GM soy, you may still have a potentially allergenic protein continuously being produced in your intestines.
Even more frightening is the potential for GM soy to cause infertility in future generations, which has been evidenced by recent Russian research.
Soy contains natural toxins known as “anti-nutrients.”Soy foods contain anti-nutritional factors such as saponins, soyatoxin, phytates, protease inhibitors, oxalates, goitrogens and estrogens. Some of these factors interfere with the enzymes you need to digest protein. While a small amount of anti-nutrients would not likely cause a problem, the amount of soy that many Americans are now eating is extremely high.
Soy contains hemagglutinin.Hemagglutinin is a clot-promoting substance that causes your red blood cells to clump together. These clumped cells are unable to properly absorb and distribute oxygen to your tissues.
Soy contains goitrogensGoitrogens are substances that block the synthesis of thyroid hormones and interfere with iodine metabolism, thereby interfering with your thyroid function.
Soy contains phytates. Phytates (phytic acid) bind to metal ions, preventing the absorption of certain minerals, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc -- all of which are co-factors for optimal biochemistry in your body. This is particularly problematic for vegetarians, because eating meat reduces the mineral-blocking effects of these phytates (so it is helpful—if you do eat soy—to also eat meat).
Soy is loaded with the isoflavones genistein and daidzeinIsoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, which is a plant compound resembling human estrogen. These compounds mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen, and have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues. Soy phytoestrogens are known to disrupt endocrine function, may cause infertility, and may promote breast cancer in women.
Drinking even two glasses of soymilk daily for one month provides enough of these compounds to alter your menstrual cycle. Although the FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, no warnings exist on soy.
Soy has toxic levels of aluminum and manganeseSoybeans are processed (by acid washing) in aluminum tanks, which can leach high levels of aluminum into the final soy product. Soy formula has up to 80 times higher manganese than is found in human breast milk.
Soy infant formula puts your baby’s health at risk.Nearly 20 percent of U.S. infants are now fed soy formula, but the estrogens in soy can irreversibly harm your baby’s sexual development and reproductive health. Infants fed soy formula take in an estimated five birth control pills’ worth of estrogen every day.
Infants fed soy formula have up to 20,000 times the amount of estrogen in circulation as those fed other formulas!

There is also the issue of pesticides and genetic modification.

Soy foods are both heavily sprayed with pesticides and genetically modified (GMO). More than 80 percent of the soy grown in the United States is GM). And more than 90 percent of American soy crops are GMO.

Since the introduction of GMO foods in 1996, we’ve had an upsurge in low birth weight babies, infertility, and other problems in the U.S. population, and animal studies thus far have shown devastating effects from consumi....

You may want to steer clear of soy products for no other reason than a commitment to avoiding GMO foods... unless you wish to be a lab animal for this massive uncontrolled experiment by the biotech industry.

What Soy Products are Good For You?

I want to be clear that I am not opposed to all soy. Soy can be incredibly healthful, but ONLY if it is organic and properly fermented.

After a long fermentation process, the phytate and “anti-nutrient” levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system.

You may have heard that Japanese people live longer and have lower rates of cancer than Americans because they eat so much soy—but it’s primarily fermented soy that they consume, and it’s always been that way.

Fermented soy products are the only ones I recommend consuming.

BUT MUST BE ORGANIC.

These are the primary fermented soy products you’ll find:

Tempeh a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.
Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).
Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor.
Soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes; be wary because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process.

Please note that tofu is NOT on this list. Tofu is not fermented, so is not among the soy foods I recommend.

Vitamin K2:

One of the Major Benefits of Fermented Soy

One of the main benefits of fermented soy, especially natto, is that it is the best food source of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is essential to preventing osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and diseases of the brain such as dementia, and protecting you from various cancers including prostate, lung, liver cancer and leukemia.

Vitamin K acts synergistically with vitamin D to keep you healthy.

Vitamin K is sometimes referred to as the “forgotten vitamin” because its benefits are often overlooked. It was named after the word “Koagulation,” to reflect its essential role in blood clotting. In fact, the enzyme nattokinase—derived from natto—is safer and more powerful than aspirin in dissolving blood clots, and has been used safely for more than 20 years.

If you enjoy natto or some of the other fermented soy foods, you can get several milligrams of vitamin K2 from them each day (this level far exceeds the amount of vitamin K2 found even in dark green vegetables).

Unfortunately, the health benefits of many of the fermented soy foods fall by the wayside because many Americans do not enjoy their flavor.

If you don’t want to consume natto to get your vitamin K2, the next best thing would be to get use supplemental Vitamin K2 (MK-7). Remember, vitamin K must be taken with a source of fat in order to be absorbed.

I suggest adults consume about 150 mcg of vitamin K2 daily.

Tips for Avoiding Unwanted Soy Foods

For a simple rule of thumb, just remember that unless soy is fermented (tempeh, miso, natto, or traditionally made soy sauce), you’re better off avoiding it.
Soy foods to avoid include:

Tofu

TVP (texturized vegetable protein) or soy protein isolate, which contains a large amount of msg, which you should definitely not consume

Soybean oil
Soymilk
Soy cheese, soy ice cream, soy yogurt
Soy “meat” (meatless products made of TVP)
Soy protein
Edamame
Soy infant formula

The best way to eliminate non-fermented soy from your diet is to avoid all processed foods and instead purchase whole foods that you prepare yourself.

If you do buy packaged foods, you can check the label to see if it contains soy. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, which took effect in January 2006, requires that food manufacturers list soy on the label, because it’s one of the top eight food allergens.

So, even if soy is hidden in colors, flavors, or spice blends added to foods, it must be clearly stated on the label.

One other common source of soy is lecithin which is used as a emulsifier in many foods and supplements. Most lecithin in the US is derived from soy but there are some newer products that extract it from organic sunflower. We switched over to the organic sunflower lecithin a few years ago in all of our products.

If you wish to know more about soy, I have provided a list of links below to the many articles I’ve posted over the years on this subject. Remember, the only way to avoid falling victim to shrewd marketing and misinformation is to become knowledgeable about what the research actually says, and this is often different from what is commonly passed around as “fact.”

Soy is NOT a Health Food

The Danger of Soy for Infants, Children and Pregnant Women

How Soy Infant Formulas Can Devastate Your Child’s Health

Government and Agribusiness Shenanigans

Soy and Your Reproductive System

Soy and Your Thyroid

Soy and Your Brain

Soy and Your Kidneys

Soy Can Lead to Kidney Stones

Soy and Cancer Risk

Soy and Allergies

Other Soy Issues

References

http:///www.mercola.com/article/soy/avoidsoy.htm http://wwww.westonaprice.org/soy/tragedy.html
http://www.eurekalert.org
http://www.thedoctorwithin.com
www.cornucopia.org
http://campaignfortruth.com/Eclub/220903/soy.htm
www.Westonaprice.org
www.mercola.com/article/soy/avoid_soy.htm>
www.westonaprice.org/soy/tragedy.html
www.gerson.org/
www. mercola.com

www.iisd1.iisd.ca/pcdf/meadows/delaney.htm

USA Scientists Protest Soy Approval, FDA Lay Out Concerns. Researchers, Daniel Doerge PhD and Daniel Sheehan PhD are two of the USA's Food and Drug Administration 's experts on soy who signed a Feb 18 1999 letter of protest documenting 26 referenced studies that show a link between eating soy and serious health problems.

www.abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000609_soyfdaletter_feature.html

Estrogen found in soy stimulates human breast-cancer cells in mice .

Three studies from the University of Illinois, Nov 1, 2001, www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2001-11 uoia-efi110101.php

Abstract EurekAlert Medical Archives.

Basing infant formula on soy?

American Association for Cancer Research, article "Uterine Adenocarcinoma in Mice Treated Neonatally with Genistein" June 1, 2001.

www.cancerres.aacrjournals.org?cgi/content/abstract/61/11/4325 Abstract, Cancer Research, 61:4325-4328.

The Doctor Within, The Magic Bean? Soy-Taintly Not!

www.the doctorwithin.com/articles/magic_bean.html Soybean-Bad

www.rogerkyoung.com/soybean.html.

Further details available from Health Action Network Society. www.hans.org