In the vast sea of processed foods, soy is found as an ingredient in many foods. Are we good off with it or without it? And is soy in fact so dangerous?
Soy has been colse to for centuries and centuries. It is known as shoyu in Japan, and later adapted to the word "soy" that we currently use.
Before it was a source of food, the soy crop was revered in Asia and used to fix nitrogen in the soil when rotating crops.
Soy was not eaten until the Chou Dynasty, when fermenting techniques were discovered. It was made into foods like miso, natto, and soy sauce. Historically, the Chinese did not eat a lot of soy that was unfermented. Even today, unfermented soy is not a large mainstay of the Asian diet, and is often eaten with meat and fish broths, which helps to counteract the harmful effects of soy on the body.
After the early 1900s, soy became a major crop in the United States. However, it did not come to be a source of food until the 1920s. Growing soy was especially leading after World War I and during the Great Dustbowl. It was used to help fix the soil in order to reestablish huge crops in the Mid-East areas of the United States (remember... It has awesome nitrogen-fixing properties). From 1932-1933 Henry Ford spent about ,250,000.00 on soybean research. It was used to make paint and oil with for his car company, Ford Motor Company. Ford even hired chemists to make silk out of soy, called Azlon (although Dupont came along and took over the market with their version of "faux-silk," called polyester).
From there, soy took off as a food ingredient, first being used to make ice cream and non-dairy whipped cream. Now, it is prevalent in all from chocolate to processed grain-cereals. In fact, soy is found in many processed foods, both Organic and Conventional. It is familiar as the main ingredient in child formulas and protein drinks.
But Hey, What's the question With Soy?
A lot is wrong with soy. Although this "miracle-bean" is touted as a factor in longevity and heart-disease prevention, it comes with many more risks than so-called benefits. The dangers of soy are many:
Phytic Acid in Soy
Soy contains Phytic Acid. Phytic Acid in soy cannot be neutralized (like it can in some grains, seeds and nuts) by being soaked in an acidic medium. Phytic acid is also not neutralized when soy is cooked or during its processing. Phytic Acid is an enzyme-inhibitor. And what it does is block mineral absorption in the digestive tract. That means when eating soy, you block your body's ability to discharge calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and copper. A mineral deficiency contributes to a collection of health problems, not miniature to growth problems in children, immune amelioration and thyroid disease. Only fermentation will neutralize Phytic Acid in soy.
Goitrogens
Okay, I bet you may not have heard of this one. And the risk with ingesting too many goitrogens (which are plentiful in soy), is it suppresses the thyroid. This can lead to weight gain, fatigue, inability to concentrate, decreased focus, feeling cold all the time, and so much more. Don't take your thyroid gland for granted, because once you start to have problems here, the road to rescue can be long and agonizing (I know).
Phytoestrogens
Back in the olden days, phytoestrogens were believed to be a woman's Bff (Best Friend Forever). Soy was the super-duper magic elixir that could help a woman with her hormones. Phytoestrogens mimic estrogen. Independent research (Not sponsored by the soy industry) shows that high estrogen is linked to breast cancer, infertility and low libido in women. Add soy to the diet and you get even more of that.
How Very Convenient, But The Dangers of Soy Don't Stop There...
Manufacturing soy is a huge ordeal; made up of lots of processes. Here is what happens when one of the most common food ingredients, soy protein cut off is made:
- After the bulk of a soy crop is solvent-extracted with hexane...
- Soy protein cut off is taken as a byproduct from the manufacturing of soybean oil.
- After being subjected to series of alkaline and acidic washes, it is spray-dried to come to be a powder (which ends up in "diet" protein powders and baby formula).
- During the spray-drying process, carcinogenic nitrates are formed.
- Msg is generally added to Tvp(made via a high-temperature process), which gives it a "meaty" flavor and masks the bean taste. Tvp is used as "fake meat" in many health food products.
- Also gift in soy (even after the high climatic characteristic process), is trypsin inhibitor, which makes it essential for farm animals that consume soy-based products to be given lysine supplements. Humans who eat soy can also come to be deficient in lysine, but we generally don't hear about supplementation for that.
Other Side Effects of Soy (Wait! You Mean There's More?!)
Yes.
Gmo Soy
What exactly is Gmo soy?
77% of the soy grown worldwide is known as a Genetically Modified Organism. In the United States, 93% of the soy grown is determined Gmo. This means that the soy seed has been genetically modified (in most cases) to be able to withstand huge amounts of the glyphosate or glufosinate herbicides. When you ingest soy that is Not organic, you ingest these herbicides.
Glyphosate (used in Monsanto's Roundup) has been linked with a host of deformities in lab animals, and of course, large doses of it will cause serious injury or death to an adult. First exposure can lead to rashes, nausea, sore throat, difficulty breathing, headaches, lethargy and nosebleeds. Long term human studies have shown more increased risks of the cancer non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, miscarriages, and attention deficit disorder with this herbicide.
Glufosinatekills plants by inhibiting the enzyme glutamine synthetase (try saying that 5 times in fact quicly), an enzyme also found in animals together with humans. In lab animals, particularly dogs, glufosinate caused heart and circulatory failure (within two weeks of ingesting). Other lab animals had higher rates of miscarriages, premature delivery, convulsions, diarrhea, and aggressiveness.
Please understand that A Lot of these two herbicides can be sprayed on Gmo soy to discourage weed growth. Gmo soy will include traces of these herbicides. It cannot be washed off. If you are going to consume soy, make sure you consume organic soy.
One more question with Gmo soy is that the soy has been genetically modified and long term studies on the effects of this on humans has not been studied extensively. The hereafter implications on our community could be serious.
Last, But Not Least...
Soy allergies are extremely common (along with milk, wheat, egg and nut allergies).
Soy allergies symptoms include:
According to the Mayo Clinic, "Soy allergies can include:
- Tingling in the mouth
- Hives, itching or itchy, scaly skin (eczema)
- Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat, or other parts of the body
- Wheezing, runny nose or problem breathing
- Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
- Redness of the skin (flushing)"
The Mayo Clinic also states:
"Soy allergy in infants often begins with the introduction of a soy-based formula. Soy allergy may create when a child is switched to a soy-based method after an allergic reaction to a milk-based formula." source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/soy-allergy/Ds00970/Dsection=symptoms
So...If you are not going to (or cannot) breastfeed your baby and he or she must have formula, please take a look at these natural child formulas at:
http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula
Now...there are soy alternatives that you can use in your diet, whether you are eating a Vegan diet, a Paleo diet or in any place in between.
Here's How You Avoid Soy and What You Can Eat Instead of Soy:
Check all labels. Soy is in many, many processed foods. Manufacturers will generally state on the label that the food product contains soy, but the best way to avoid it is to cook from scratch. It is known as "soy lecithin," "soya," "hydrolyzed soy protein," "soy protein isolate" or "soy." It can even be used as a "natural preservative."
Alternate milk sources:
Cow's Milk
Goat's Milk
Almond Milk
Rice Milk
Coconut Milk
Hemp Milk
All of these "milks" are guaranteed to be at the health food store and are becoming very common at quarterly grocery stores, as well. You can even make your own milks with nothing more than a blender and a coffee filter. Homemade coconut milk and almond milk are very nutritious. If you are curious in manufacture these milks (it's pretty simple to do), you can "Google" it.
Alternative Protein Sources:
Whey protein
Meat (of any kind)
Eggs (super-easy to make)
Spirulina
Pea (sold as drink powders)
Rice (sold as drink powders)
Dairy Products
I thrive on a diet with adequate meat, and sometimes I'll cook up some extra hamburger (or something else) ahead of time for those times when I really, really need some protein. I add it to salads, to mix into a veggie stir-fry, or whatever else. I also like to keep some hardboiled eggs in the fridge for an "on-the-go" snack. Of course, protein powders are handy too...
Fermented Soy Products. Now, these soy-containing foods are okay to eat. In fact, not only are they okay to eat, but because they are fermented (and include Lots of beneficial lactobacilli), fermented soy products can be a very important part of your diet. Here's what they are:
Tamari Sauce
Natto
Fermented Bean Paste
Tempeh
Miso
One of my favorite things to eat (especially first thing in the morning), is chicken broth with miso paste mixed in. I add ½ teaspoon of miso paste to one cup of chicken broth. Miso can be quite salty tasting (so watch out!); add it a miniature bit at a time to taste. You can start out slowly...
Snacks. There quite a few snacks out there that include soy. Some of these are made purely of soy (or have Lots of it in there). If you are avoiding soy entirely, watch out for chocolate chips or chocolate (soy lecithin is regularly in chocolate). Haha, chocolate is the trickiest one of all, I think...Here's where I have found soy-free chocolate:
SomeWhole Foods brand organic chocolate bars
Enjoy Life makes chocolate without soy in it (but still look at the labels)
Here are some other soy-free snacks:
Cheese
Veggies and Fruits
Homemade roasted(or dehydrated nuts)
Most Larabars
Enjoy Life products
Homemade organic popcorn
So, the next time you investment into the grocery store or to the Farmer's Market, know that you have healthy, quick, and nutritious alternatives to soy.
