Soy – Dynamic, or Destructive?

There are a host of sites out there that will brag about the health benefits of soy; this product has been around for almost 5,000 years.

Nowadays, soy can be found in practically everything packaged, boxed, or canned, at the grocery store (even in the organic stuff!). If you're traveling through the inner aisles of the grocery store, chances are, you're purchasing something that has a soy product in it.

Soy has been touted as a beneficially healthy meatless protein source, because it’s a complete protein; I've read that it can also lower your cholesterol (low in saturated and trans fats), and may reduce your risk of heart disease. It’s even been said that it can help menopausal women, because it has phytoestrogens.

Here’s what else I've learned about its benefits -

• Good source of iron
• Reduced risk of certain cancers
• Protective benefit to cancer survivors
• Great alternative to cow’s milk

The recommended daily intake of soy is 25g per day. With all these benefits, it doesn't seem like that big of a deal, does it? Well, it probably wouldn't be, if it weren't for a few things we’re not being told.

The link I just gave you (click on the highlighted word “benefits”), is a website sponsored by Silk, whose parent company is Dean Foods. Dean Foods spent $253,000 in the cause to defeat Prop 37; kind of signals a red flag that the soy they peddle is GMO soy, doesn't it? Not only that…but we, the average consumer, don’t eat just 25g of soy a day. Remember, I said soy is found in practically everything packaged, bottled, or canned?

Read your labels...soy lecithin, soybean oil, and soy flour are all in our packaged, boxed and canned foods. Some of these may be, as well. Always read the labels!!

We, unfortunately, are eating WAAAAAAAY more than 25g, on a daily basis! And, you know what they say…too much of a good thing, is a bad idea!

Let me show you what Dr. Brownstein says about soy….this is an excerpt from one of his Newsletters:

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“I wrote about soy in both the December 2008 and November 2011 issues of Natural Way to Health. Soy is a type of plant called a legume – a category that also includes peas, beans, lentils and peanuts. And like other legumes, soy has been touted as a healthy food.

I can assure you that the vast majority of soy food sources are not healthy products. In fact, most soy products cause a myriad of health issues, including thyroid problems and deficiencies in many vitamins and minerals.

Then why is soy promoted as such a healthy food? For one thing, it is incredibly cheap to grow, so it is added to many products to increase volume. There are estimates that the food industry has added soy to more than 50 percent of supermarket food products. The vast majority of these products should be avoided.

Soy can be processed as a fermented or non-fermented product. Fermented soy is produced by using bacteria to break down the soy. Examples of fermented soy include miso, natto, tempeh, and fermented soy sauce.

The fermented forms of soy can be eaten in small amounts without causing nutrient deficiencies, or thyroid problems.

Non-fermented soy products, on the other hand, contain anti-thyroid agents and enzymes that block the absorption of many vitamins and minerals. Soy in its natural form contains protease inhibitors. Protease enzymes, such as trypsin, are used by the body to break down protein into amino acids. Amino acids are used to maintain muscle tone and bone strength.

Soy is one of the most potent trypsin inhibitors known to science. Animal studies have shown that trypsin inhibition results in illnesses of the pancreas as well as cancer. Examples of non-fermented soy products include soy milk, soy-based meat substitutes, soybean oil, tofu, and many kinds of spreads with soy in them.

Non-fermented soy use leads to hypothyroidism as well as autoimmune thyroid problems such as Hashimoto’s disease and Graves’ disease.

I have seen many patients develop thyroid problems due to soy ingestion. And it is nearly impossible to rectify thyroid problems in patients who continue to eat soy as a major protein source.”

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Ever hear of hexane? It’s a neurotoxin used to process soy milk. And you may not see the words “USDA Organic on soy products anymore…it’s not required. Hexane-processed soy milk can still be labeled “natural” or “made with organic ingredients” if there are any ingredients that were grown organically; regardless of how they’re processed.

Dr. Mercola is another voice of reason that I completely trust, when it comes to honest healthy lifestyle advice. His website as an article focused on soy; click here to read it.

To gain the benefits of soy, without consuming any, you can eat foods from these sites:

Balancing Hormones (the numbering system is a bit confusing, but this is a great list!)

Meatless Sources of Protein (#3, #6 and #9 mention soy products…we already know that’s not an option!)

Meatless Sources of Iron (this one also mentions soy, but there are a LOT more foods to choose from!)

Cholesterol Lowering Foods (soy alert!! Choose the other options!)

Cancer Fighting Foods (it’s an alphabetized list...skip over the soy!)

Alternatives to Cow's Milk (soy milk is mentioned first, but we won’t hold it against them! LOL!)

My own Oncologist even told me to avoid soy, since I was diagnosed with Estrogen-receptive Breast Cancer! Considering how much of our packaged foods have soy in them, it's not an easy task!

Soy is also used in products we don’t eat, so be mindful of labels on all your inedible products, too (body wash, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, make up, etc.); it can still infiltrate your system, through your skin!

Considering all the possible ways soy can get into our bodies, it's frightening to think that it could cause an estrogen overload, in all of us, if we're not aware! Let me know if you have any more ideas for improving the overall condition of the body, without the use of soy products!

Have a great day, and be blessed! oxoxox