Soy Alert

I faced the facts about soy when I learned that my 3 week old baby was intolerant to milk and soy protein. Trying to eliminate soy from my diet while nursing was a arduous task. Dairy is fairly easy to pick out, but soy seems to be the hidden ingredient in almost everything. I had to read all those words at the end of a list of ingredients that I skim through because I can't pronounce them. Often, they are soy products. 

Recently more and more article have been written about the dangers of soy. Studies are starting to show that soy is not the healthy food it was once believed to be. It is possible that most Americans are unknowingly consuming more soy than they are even aware. Soy is an excellent source of protein, fiber, and B vitamins. Women in their late forties have often been encouraged to consume more soy products or take soy supplements to help reduce the symptoms of menopause. Infant formulas have been based on soy and some are completely made out of soy in order to accommodate the babies with milk allergies and digestive problems. People struggling with lactose intolerance have switched to using soy milk as a dairy alternative. Athletes have drunk soy based protein powders and energy bars for years. Vegetarians have heavily relied on soy as a meat alternative. Orientals use soy sauce and tofu as a regular part of their diet. So what is the big deal? It is obviously edible and nutritious.

What most people don't realize is that soy is used in the United States in most commercially prepared products. Soy has become overused and too much of a good thing has become a bad thing. Soy flour or soy protein is used in most commercially made breads, crackers, and cereals. Parts of soy can be found in canned goods, candy, and frozen foods. Soy is found in deli meats, cake mixes, and margarine. Soy is used in the making of food coloring used in cola and Pepsi products. Most man-made or man-processed foods contain soy. By far, we Americans consume more soy in a day than the Chinese do in a week. We have over-consumed soy.

So, what is so bad about soy?

1. Intolerance and Allergies: As we have seen an increase in lactose intolerance, soy intolerance is becoming just as common. According to research soy is in the top eight foods that cause allergies in adults and top five for children. It give rashes, gas, breathing problems, and intestinal problems. A lot of bowel trouble could be eliminated with the elimination of soy.


2. Alzheimer: The term Alzheimer sends a chill down my back. To most Americans, Alzheimer disease is more dreaded than cancer. There have been multiple studies showing in increased loss of brain function to people who consume large amounts of soy. Men are particularly affected by soy created Alzheimer disease. Soy contained an enzyme that prevents zinc from being absorbed into the body. Zinc is vital in brain function-men especially need more zinc than women. http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art14830.asp


3. Hormone Imbalance: There is are plant chemicals in soy that copy the human hormones we know as estrogen and progesterone. These compound can actually alter a woman's natural hormones causing hormonal imbalances and thyroid 

problems. One article I read even stated that "Some studies in animals show that this chemical can alter sexual development. And in fact, 2 glasses of soy milk/day, over the course of one month, contain enough of the chemical to change the timing of a woman’s menstrual cycle." (http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/soy.htm) A woman needs balanced hormones to reproduce, maintain emotional balance, and for girls, grow and develop correctly. An imbalance of hormones can be disastrous in many ways for a woman. Soy has been shown to directly affect a woman's thyroid where here hormones are balanced, causing thyroid problems.



4. Infant Formula: There are various types of soy based infant formula on the market. For a time I used a soy based product for my daughter. "Particularly worrisome is the presence of phytoestrogens in soy-based infant formulas (isoflavones are a category of phytoestrogen). Critics point out that the level of phytoestrogens in soy-based formula is over 20,000 times that found in breast milk" (http://chinesefood.about.com/od/healthconcerns/a/soy.htm) The concern is obviously the affect of soy based infant formula on the thyroid. 

Overall, research is still in progress as to the effects of soy. The Mayo Clinic that not enough research has been performed to make it necessary to take soy and soy based products off the market. It is really up to the consumer to be aware of the soy products available and make wise purchasing decisions. It is almost impossible to eliminate soy from a person't diet in our country, however it is possible to guard from in-taking too much.




Further research:
http://soy.mercola.com/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/soy/NS_patient-soy
http://hiddensoy.com/