Soy: A wolf in sheeps clothing?

It's no secret that the health food industry is ga-ga for soy, after all, it's dirt cheap, it's low in fat, and it's a complete protein. The FDA has claimed for years that it can lower cholesterol, it's been touted as a remedy for menopausal symptoms due to the naturally occurring phytoestrogens, and has long been considered to help prevent cancer.

So what's the problem?  The problem is that the studies on soy are not matching up to the claims; in fact, they've been disproved one by one.  The fact of the matter is, soy beans and soy products that haven't been thoroughly fermented contain certain compounds called antinutrients. 

Two such antinutrients are haemagglutinin, which causes red blood cells to clump together, and trypsin inhibitors, which hamper the body's ability to break down protein.  Both haemagglutinin and trypsin inhibitors are also growth suppressants.  They inhibit the body's ability to grow, which is a terrifying thought considering how many soy based infant formulas sit on supermarket shelves these days.

Non fermented soy also contains goitrogens, which depress thyroid function and can cause thyroid goiters, and phytates, which inhibit your body's ability to absorb calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc.  While it's true that phytates exist in the hulls that surround many grains and legumes, soy has one of the highest concentrations of phytates among grains and legumes.  

The phytoestrogens which have been hailed as relief for menopausal symptoms also have some explaining to do.  The phytoestrogen which is best known is the isoflavone, which is the part of soy that actually is responsible for helping to reduce cholesterol.  Unfortunately there is one other phytoestrogen which the industry has not seen fit to tell us about.  It is called genistein.  Studies have consistently shown since 1996 that genistein can significantly increase the risk of breast cancer.

Why isn't the health food industry telling us all this?  Why are they letting us think we're doing something good for our bodies when it's carcinogenic, goitrogenic, and inhibits the absorbtion of vital nutrients?

I read about this when my trainer told me to stop drinking soymilk because it was making me "squishy" and cancer can live in it! I was amazed, leave it up to the damn media to feed garbage not only in our minds but bodies! I switched to almond breeze

To add to the debate, I have read statistics about the business of soy crops, and it is, apparently, one of the least "green" and environmentally friendly businesses, using more pesticides per acre than most other crops, and the agricultural workers who plant, tend and pick soy are among the most exploited.

I still eat my 100 calorie (19 gram) "snack pack" of South Beach dark chocolate covered soynuts, but that's all the soy I am eating!

(I wonder if I should even mention the really big bug we found in our tacos with soy crumbles--flavored to look and taste like ground beef. My kids vowed to never eat soy again, after that disaster!)

Carla

I'm not supposed to have soy because it aggravates the particular heart defect I have. I have genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  More specifically, Assymetric Septal Hypertrophy - big words, big problem.  No soy for me after reading this study.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerende r.fcgi?artid=1323270

I follow the NIH research because I was part of the study in the 1980s that identified the gene.

Wow!  I didn't know that soy could worsen HCM.  It really is just mind boggling to think about all the problems that soy causes, and how thoroughly these issues are ignored and even purposefully hidden from the public. 

Supposedly the FDA took plenty of time and did rigorous and in-depth studies of soy in order for it to be approved as a food.  Am I the only one who think they've screwed the pooch on this one (and about a dozen others that come to mind but belong in another topic)?

I am honeslty really upset that I was told that soy is so much better, I am upset that only recently I found this out. I have been drinking soymilk as a milk substitute for years! At least I am young and can undo the damaging affects early on.

You're not alone in being upset, lostalykat.  Silk and dozens of other companies spend millions of dollars a year to convince consumers that soy is health food.  What is truly sad is that so many people unwittingly swallow the lie, never even thinking that they should look up the facts for themselves.

I remember being shocked the first time someone told me that soy was bad.  I didn't believe them at first, but something they said stuck and pushed me to do some research for myself.  Needless to say I didn't like what I found.

If it's a matter of red meat or soy, I'll still take the soy in a heartbeat.  Are we just taking the health risks associated with animal fats for granted?  Don't forget, soy has made a huge dent in the beef/dairy industry.  I don't have to guess which industry (dairy or soy) has more money to spend.  I'd like to know who sponsored  the anti-soy studies.  Just some things to think about before you go back to eating beef/ drinking cow's milk.    I guess the only other solution is to give them all up! 

Well then, it's a good thing it's not a matter of red meat or soy. 

Let's not forget that there are many ways to get your protein without animal fats or even animal protein if you do your research, all while excluding soy.  And besides, it's only the non-fermented soy that is unhealthy for you. You could eat all the miso, natto, and tempeh you can get your hands on without suffering any ill effects.

And as for who sponsored the studies, it wasn't the beef and dairy industries.  They are independent researchers, doctors, and nutritionists.  The information is readily accessible; I'll message you a list of the studies, if you like.

Besides, who said you have to give it all up?  Hemp milk or almond milk or even rice milk will work just fine.  I won't argue that excessive consumption of certain animal fats, especially those which are not organic, can be harmful, but in moderation these foods can be beneficial to the body, especially for those with a sympathetic dominant metabolism.

(P.S.)  I have a parasympathetic dominant metabolism, so I don't eat red meat and milk has too much calicum in it for me.

I'm glad you posted that last post.  I think it's important to address the issue of soy vs. animal protein and which is more/ less detrimental to our health.  The problem is that many people just read whatever they believe (that's obviously NOT you ) and will see "soy is bad" and go back to eating meat and drinking cow's milk.

I've been a vegetarian for 20 years, and miso, natto,  tempeh, almond milk or rice milk are not a part of my diet.   I'm sure  recent converts to vegetarianism (and thankfully there are LOTS)  are less familiar with them than I am.  The relatively new soy products ( Believe me, 20 years ago, there were no Morningstar Farms or Boca Burgers!)  have made it so easy to become a vegetarian.    So my fear is that for a lot of people, it IS a matter of animal protein or soy.  

Posting the original information that you did is good, but better is to take it a step further and educate people on what they should eat instead.  Remind people of the bad things about animal proteins and cow's milk. I think they are worse that soy.  Is it okay to eat SOME non-fermented soy?  Don't report it as an outrage, but as a way to inform and educate people.  That would be doing a genuine responsible service.

The  thing that worries me about these kinds of reports is that they remind me of some of the hoax emails that go on for years.  People raise a red flag and express outrage, where it sometimes is unwarranted, and it's irresponsible to not follow through.  Hey, even reputable news outlets do it!   It's what makes news!  You should also know that when something is touted as an "independent study" it means that the particular industries did not conduct the study, not necessarily that the industries didn't sponsor or in some way fund the studies.  I'm not saying that is necessarily the case here, just that it could be and  it's something to be aware of in general.

So, yes, thanks for enlightening , but please, please next time follow through and give us the whole story.

PS FYI I'm not a vegan and my reason for being a vegetarian is for the animal's sake, not my own.

Believe me, I hate those inflammatory hoax emails, and I know that the data in studies can easily be twisted and obscured.  Take for example a study from a few years ago that used unbalanced control groups and synthetic supplements.  The study concluded that vitamin E supplementation was not to be recommended and caused numerous health problems; it whipped people into a frenzy.  I was managing a vitamin retail store at the time and there were several people who came in who literally thought that vitamin E supplementation was deadly, never mind that there were more than 80 clinical trials that said just the opposite.  I'm sorry if my wording of the first post led you to believe I'm one of those gullible types, but I can assure you, I started taking a closer look at soy years ago, when I noticed that my thyroid had become enlarged.

I also understand that industries have been known to covertly fund research that supports their products or denounces a rival, but the studies that have been done on soy have been done, not just by independent groups, but by the FDA itself as well as universities across the US, and other reputable organizations worldwide.  There is even research dating back to 1917 where researchers noted that they needed to heat-treat the soybeans they were feeding to rats if they wanted the rats to grow.  But, I digress.  My point is that I believe there have been enough studies done by reputable researchers which produced consistent results to give me serious doubts about unfermented soy being fit for human consumption. 

Furthermore, I must admit that, not being a vegetarian, I did not write the first post with vegetarians in mind.  That is why there are no alternatives listed.  If a vegetarian had asked something like, "well then, what am I supposed to eat?!" I would have made recommendations about making a complete protein with grains and legumes and nuts.  There are certainly options for avoiding both soy and animal proteins if one is interested in learning about them.  Personally, and according to my research, I think a vegetarian who consumes soy as a major source of protein is putting his/her health at risk.  Mineral deficiencies can be very harmful, especially when you're talking about the big ones like zinc and iron, so I believe this topic is very important for the vegetarians, especially the "new" ones who are more dependent on the soy-based food products, to hear.

I am the type of person who believes that all things should be in moderation, so in response to whether someone could eat non-fermented soy, I would say yes, in moderation.  The only people I would recommend against consuming any soy are the people with thyroid disease and people who have breast cancer, or have a family history or breast cancer, or people who have other conditions or allergies that would prohibit the use of soy.  I would also recommend eating something afterward or along with it that is high in protein as well as essential minerals, which is what the Japanese do.

(P.S.) Good for you for sticking to your morals!  I just hope you understand that I'm not trying to discourage people from being vegetarian, I'm trying to encourage and educate them so that they can make healthier, better informed food choices.

About 6 years ago, I started on Nutri-System shortly after the birth of my daughter.  After about 3 months and a 20 lb. weight loss, I developed Gall Stones (extremely painful).  I had my Gall Bladder removed, but the thing that surprised me was the doc said it could have something to do with the weight loss & the high soy content in NS food!  I have gone back and tried NS again and developed more stones (even without a Gall Bladder) that had to be removed!  Not sure if it was the soy or what?!

I've been reading the book "In Defense of Food" By Michael Pollan.  He also wrote "The Omnivore's Dilemma." 

He states ...."that Americans now eat more soy than the Japanese or the Chinese do."   How?  Because soy has found its way into thousands of processed foods.  It's almost impossible to get away from it in the "Western" diet.  And most of this soy is not fermented.

bandit494: The health of the gall bladder is linked to the health of the thyroid, thus it is possible that a high soy diet could cause gall stones.  It might be a good idea to make an appointment with an endocrinologist and make sure your thyroid is still in good shape.

dcarrot: So Americans now eat more soy than the countries who originally cultivated it. Wow!  Just, wow!