I’ve long known that soy isn’t the health food it’s been made out to be, but hesitated in writing about it much since I hadn’t done the hard research to put out a good comprehensive post on the topic. Well now that I’ve waited around long enough, others have done a fine job of it for me!
- Last week Kristen at Food Renegade kicked out a doozy of a post on the dangers of soy. Here are a couple excerpts:
- The soybean was a modest and unpopular crop until food manufacturers intent on creating cheap vegetable oils convinced the U.S. government to start subsidizing it. The soy was turned into oil, and the industry was left with an industrial waste product. Then somebody had a brilliant idea: Let’s take this industrial waste product full of toxins and carcinogens — isolated soy protein — and turn it into food that people will eat!
- Soy foods aren’t real food. They aren’t traditional. They aren’t old. They’re industrial waste products dressed up in pretty clothes and marketed to an ignorant public.
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Sandy Gentle 09.25.09 at 4:42 am
I am quite concerned about reading the article on the harmful effects
of soy products.My son who is 14 years has been on soya for most of his life
The part that worries me most is delayed or retarded sexual development in boys.Any suggestion on how to rectify this.
Thanks
Sandy
Flo 09.25.09 at 6:43 am
Kelly (& Sandy, too),
Are you familiar with Kaayla Daniel, PhD? She’s an nutritionist/ author that writes for the Weston A. Price Foundation on the dangers of soy. Her book is called ‘The Whole Soy Story — the Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food’. I’d been searching my local area for sources of natural food and information when someone lent me some copies of the Weston A. Price Foundation publication. In one of these I found an article she’d written that talked about soy in baby formula. That’s when it clicked that my traditional midwife had me on protein shakes to bring my protein up to 100 gm/day when I was pregnant (I tried to eat that much but drank the shake when I couldn’t). After contacting her, she conceded that the protein probably WAS soy — we’re not really sure but it was really prevalent at the time. My son is now 13, just getting into puberty when some of that stuff can show up. Fortunately most things seem on track but there are some definite concerns, too.
She consults and helps you figure out nutrition and detox from any heavy metals with supplements using hair analysis to find out what you may have too much of and what you’re detoxing. We’re hoping to get started with her soon.
She is not an MD, however, so if there are any hormone imbalances beyond that, an endocrinologist (she mentioned a reproductive endocrinologist, if I remember correctly) would be in order.
Here is a link to her website: http://www.wholesoystory.com/. I was just surprised not to see her name come up anywhere since the Weston A. Price Foundation was involved.
Thanks, again, for all your research and sharing, Kelly! I really appreciate your work!
KitchenKop 09.25.09 at 7:58 am
Sandy, I completely agree with Flo’s advice, thank you Flo!
As a matter of fact, I’m going to add that website to the post…
Diana 09.25.09 at 11:26 am
Hi Kelly. I’m sure it is in one of these posts, but can’t find it readily: what about edamame, miso and soy sauce? Thanks in advance.
KitchenKop 09.25.09 at 12:08 pm
Diana, As I said, I haven’t done much research on this (and don’t have time to Google it right now), so you may want to comment at Kristen’s post and ask her, but here’s what I’m guessing (don’t take this as fact!):
*Edamame isn’t fermented, so probably not good.
*I think Miso is fermented (?).
*I use a fermented soy sauce.
Kelly
Soli 09.25.09 at 12:16 pm
From what I recall, and I admit I haven’t done nearly enough research, I think fermented soy is actually OK. I know I’ve seen miso and traditionally produced soy sauce as an ingredient in TF. Edamame, I don’t know, and I hope someone can shed some light.
Julie 09.25.09 at 1:45 pm
Miso is a good soy product–it’s aged for months and months. Sally gives it a thumbs up, along with Tamari, which is aged soy sauce. I think these are about the only good soy products.
KitchenKop 09.25.09 at 2:50 pm
Soli, yes fermented soy is good – you can read more about that at Kristen’s post. Sorry I wasn’t more clear in my last comment, I was in a hurry!
Diana 09.25.09 at 4:38 pm
Good follow up – thanks Kelly, Soli and Julie. I recently bought some miso, but am not sure what to do with it!
Susan 09.25.09 at 8:28 pm
Tempeh is also a fermented soy product.
Jen 09.26.09 at 3:43 am
Diana, here are a few wonderful links for miso recipes from the company I purchase mine from. Enjoy!
http://www.southrivermiso.com/store/pg/3-Recipes.html (the recipe categories are in red across the top of the page(
http://www.southrivermiso.com/pdf/misobook.pdf
Diana 09.27.09 at 9:25 am
Jen, thanks! I will check it out.
Local Nourishment 09.27.09 at 10:37 am
Many traditionally fermented soy products aren’t fermented anymore, so check the label carefully.
My sister drinks a soy shake everyday. She already has a tendency toward hormonal problems. But now that she is postmenopausal she doesn’t think there is anything to worry about with soy. I’m gathering research for her on the other problems soy causes. Thanks, Kelly, for more ammo.
Kyle 09.28.09 at 2:38 pm
Kelly you are a mind-reader. Just a few days ago, I told my best friend that soy was bad for you. I said it matter-of-factly. He said ‘why?’ and I mumbled something about it not being traditional and about how even the chinese ate only a little, and they fermented theirs. But I think I didn’t sound very convincing.
KitchenKop 09.28.09 at 9:22 pm
Kyle, that’s soooooooooo cool that you’re teaching your friends about real food!
Teena 09.29.09 at 11:17 am
After reading Cheeseslave’s post a while back, I have been trying to avoid soy. It is really hard. Most tea bags have soy lechtin and my favorite ranch dressing has soybean oil. There is soybean oil in every mayonaise jar I have looked at. Thanks to this website I know how to make my own soy free!! Thanks to my two little angels, I haven’t found the time
melissa 09.29.09 at 2:21 pm
interesting. i’m so glad someone warned me about feeding soy to little ones a few years ago. i’m lucky to have a friend who keeps up on all this – i just do what she tells me
angie 09.29.09 at 5:51 pm
thanks so much for the wonderful post on soy and the information was great
Sandy Gentle 09.30.09 at 3:11 am
Hello Kelly
Thanks for the feedback on the harmfull effects on soya,I have now totally
banned soya from my house,although i must admit it made my meal planning
very easy i am now struggling as all our meals included soya,because my husband
and son are vegetarians.I busy researching and so far i am not happy what i have
discovered,most of the universitys are very evasive with their comments,i have now involved my husband in the research,and we will let you know our findings.
Thanks Sandy
Musings of a Housewife 10.02.09 at 8:45 am
Good stuff. I’ve never been big on soy. And of course, cutting out most processed foods helps eliminate the crap soy that seems to be in everything. Thanks for putting these links together. It’s a great resource when people ask me what I think of soy!
lysander 10.22.09 at 2:59 am
Dangers of Soy? How absurd. First of all, the government never
subsidized soybeans any more than any other crop. In fact, it was
probably subsidized the least, as there was eventually a much more varied application of it’s by-products and a resultant greater demand,
for both industrial and food products, unlike for example, corn, oats and wheat. Also, until the 1970’s, U.S. farmers produced a surplus
that ended due to world-wide demand and since then there has been
no significant crop subsidies, as there’s no need for them, as U.S. farmers have no problem selling as much as they can produce and at a decent profit.
So, I guess millions of Asians have been dropping like flies from all
those “toxins and carcinogens” in their tofu processed from U.S. grain exports?
Please cite a thoroughly scientific study with peer review that gives
even the slightest indication that soy products processed for human
consumption are “full of toxins and carcinogens”. Follow the dollar
trail to those who would benefit from fear-mongering about the
“dangers of soy” and you’ll find the source of the misinformation.
To anyone who frequents your blog: you’ll be much healthier by
worrying less about such hysterics and just use common sense when
selecting what to put in your body.
Teena 10.22.09 at 8:42 am
I stopped eating soy and my health, including thyroid issues have improved greatly. What a “coincidence”, NOT!
Kelly, I don’t need you to post any scientific study to prove to me that soy is dangerous. I have all the proof I need every morning when I wake up feeling good!
Flo 10.22.09 at 11:38 am
Teena,
Were you eating straight-out soy products? Or was it the insidious stuff in all the processed foods only? We don’t eat any obvious soy products but I know it has to be in a lot of the processed things that find their way into our house. ‘Just wondering where you started from and where you went to for that great change in your health!
Thanks!!! And good for you!
KitchenKop 10.25.09 at 11:59 pm
Lysander, you seem to have a few facts mixed up – I wonder, have you had a chance to take a look at any of the links above in the post?
Teena, I’m so thankful that you’ve been feeling great!
liz 11.12.09 at 9:00 pm
Thank you for this information. I never realized how many items I commonly buy contain soy. I have always struggled with Polycystic Ovaries and wonder if the “estrogen like” properties of soy have exacerbated the problem. I am going to try to remove the soy and see what happens. Thank you!