More on soy foods

[Guest guest]

HOW SAFE IS SOY?

By Susun S Weed

Condensation of an article in NewLife Mag, May '96, by Sally Fallon,

M.A. and Mary Enig, Ph.D.

With widespread concern about the possible unhealthy effects of

commercial meat and cows' milk many more people than before are using

soy products as substitutes for animal products. Soy products are

supposed to be high protein, low calorie, devoid of cholesterol, and

easy to digest. The authors disagree on most of these counts.

 

Click here for a printable version of this article.

 

Soybeans were one of the five sacred grains in the Orient according to

records dating back to before 1134. Agricultural reports speak

frequently of using soybeans in crop rotation (to fix nitrogen and

thus improve soil fertility) but there is no indication that soybeans

were eaten until fermentation processes were discovered, sometime

around 440 BCE. The first soy products eaten by people were tempeh,

natto, miso, and shoyu tamari. And it was not until some centuries

later (2nd century BCE) that the process of making tofu was discovered.

 

While it is true that the people of the Orient have relied heavily on

tofu as a source of protein for about a thousand years, this is not

necessarily by choice nor beneficial. The early Chinese did not eat

soybeans, although they did eat other pulses, because they recognized

the large quantities of a number of harmful substances which have been

well studied scientifically. Some of the most detrimental are potent

trypsin inhibitors which block the action of enzymes needed for

protein digestion. Soybeans also contain hemagglutinin, which causes

red blood cells to lump together. Soybeans are also high in phytates,

an organic acids which blocks the uptake of calcium, magnesium, iron,

and especially zinc and contributes to widespread mineral

deficiencies. In fact there are more phytates in soybeans than in any

other grain, bean, or plant studied and these phytates are remarkably

resistant to reduction techniques. Only a long period of fermentation

will significantly reduce the phytate content.

 

Another way to moderate the harmful effects of tofu and other

unfermented soybean products is to eat tofu with meat or fish, as is

traditionally done in the Orient. Vegetarians - especially vegetarian

children - who eat tofu and drink soy milk as substitutes for meat and

dairy products are at very high risk of loss of bone mass and severe

mineral deficiencies. Oriental children who eat soy but no meat, eggs,

or dairy often suffer from rickets, stunted growth, and lowered

intelligence. Unfermented soy virtually destroys all zinc in the body;

and zinc is critical for optimal development and functioning of the

brain, nervous system and immune system.

 

To what do we owe the current upsurge in use of soy products such as

TVP and tofu in America? Most of the 140 billion pounds of soybeans

raised in the USA every year are made into animal feed or pressed into

soy oil.

 

The soy industry has concentrated for 20 years on creating markets for

the byproducts of soy oil manufacture: lecithin and soy protein. But

these were generally (and rightly) considered " poverty foods " and

rejected by most consumers.

 

The soy industry recognized that, according to a spokesman: " The

quickest way to gain product acceptability in a less affluent market

is to have the product consumed on its own merit by those who are more

affluent. " Thus these soy byproducts have been cleverly marketed to

resemble traditional foods: soy milk malteds, soy baby formula, soy

yogurt, soy ice cream, coy cheese, soy hot dogs, and so on. Let's face

it: these are fake products, not health foods.

 

The production of soy milk does remove trypsin inhibitors, but at the

expense of denaturing the proteins, making them indigestible, of

creating a carcinogen, lysinealine, and of reducing the cystine

content, an essential amino acid which is already very low in

soybeans. The phytate content remains, further deranging the diet.

 

Soy formula and soy milk is often made with soy protein isolate, an

extremely refined product lacking virtually all minerals and vitamins.

Many soy formulas sold for infants are rich in trypsin-inhibitors

which can stunt growth. And all contain staggering amounts of

mineral-depleting phytates. The aluminum content of soy formula is 100

times greater than unprocessed milk. Aluminum has a toxic effects on

infants kidneys and may be a cause of Alzheimer's in adults. Soy

formula lack three important nutrients found in all milk: cholesterol,

which is essential for brain development, and lactose and galactose,

which play vital roles in the development and functioning of the nerves.

 

All is not what it seems with the supposed health benefits of soy.

Allergies to soy are at least as common as allergies to milk.

Nitrosamines, potent carcinogens often associated with meat, are found

in high concentrations in all commercial soy protein foods.

Isoflavones, anticarcinogenic sub-stances present in soybeans may have

a pro-cancer effect when consumed unfermented. Although soybeans

contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, these acids are

particularly susceptible to rancidity when subjected to the high heat

and pressure require to remove the oil from the bean; such rancidity

promotes cancer and heart disease. Additionally, all soy oil is

extracted with a solvent, traces of which remain in the oil.

 

In addition to containing anti-nutrients, soybeans lack these

important nutritional elements (found in all animal products):

cysteine, vitamin B12, vitamins A and D, and cholesterol. Consumption

of unfermented soy products actually increases the body's needs for

vitamin D and vitamin B12.

 

To summarize: traditional fermented soy products, especially when made

with organic beans, are beneficial in the diet when combined with

rice, sea foods, and fermented vegetables. The value of other soy

products is questionable at best, disease causing at worst. The use of

soy as a primary protein source is misguided.

 

Condensed by Susun Weed, PO Box 64, Woodstock, NY 12498 (845-246-8081)

[Guest guest]

Well, I have a love/hate relationship with soy products. Because of it

being a natural estrogen, it messes with my body, which is already

messed up in the reproductive department anyway (which is why I do

rice milk instead of soy milk). Then again, I'm not all that fond of

the way soy milk tastes either. But I love tofu, so I will

occasionally eat tofu. I like tofu burgers, but I don't eat them all

the time, and sometimes it makes my tummy feel funny.

 

The way I see it, is that if you body likes it and you like it, all

well and good, you know?

 

Gina

[Guest guest]

Hi Gina,

 

Well, I think soy products are fine - and if some can't eat them and others

think

they're unhealthy, well that's for them. I figure anything in moderation for

myself. If it doesn't suit you, of course, then you shouldn't use it ;=)

 

I do have serious doubts about this article, however. I am neither a medical

doctor nor a nutritionist, so I can't convincingly rebut the points made -

although I do dislike this business of attributing rickets to soy, for example.

As

for people who eat soy being undersized, what on earth is the western

concept that bigger is better?! Ah well . . .

 

Unexamined research of this sort does no one any favours. I caution

members to seek corroboration of articles that wander across their screens if

they go against conventional wisdom and their own knowledge and

experience.

 

Best, Pat ;=)

 

> Well, I have a love/hate relationship with soy products. . . .

>

> The way I see it, is that if you body likes it and you like it, all

> well and good, you know?

[Guest guest]

> Well, I think soy products are fine - and if some can't eat them and others

think

> they're unhealthy, well that's for them. I figure anything in moderation for

> myself. If it doesn't suit you, of course, then you shouldn't use it ;=)

 

exactly...that's why I don't drink soy milk, etc...whatever floats

your boat, I always say!

 

> I do have serious doubts about this article, however. I am neither a medical

> doctor nor a nutritionist, so I can't convincingly rebut the points made -

> although I do dislike this business of attributing rickets to soy, for

example. As

> for people who eat soy being undersized, what on earth is the western

> concept that bigger is better?! Ah well . . .

 

I have to admit, I didn't read the article, but I've read other ones

like it...a lot of the other stuff I have my doubts on, but as far as

soy products being a pseudo-estrogen, I know that for fact (as it

affects my body just like taking the Pill).

 

> Unexamined research of this sort does no one any favours. I caution

> members to seek corroboration of articles that wander across their screens if

> they go against conventional wisdom and their own knowledge and

> experience.

 

Well, being in the industry, most studies like this one are usually

bought and paid for by a " special interest group " , so who knows. Like

I said, I don't think that it causes all of that, but it sounds like

it's going on the old stereotypes about vegans....really dumb this day

and age, but hey, if the Powers that Be can make HIV non-existant,

then they can do anything, eh?

 

Gina

(who has little faith in the " Powers That Be " these days)