Soy: NOT AS GOOD AS YOU THINK!
00Angela00
Posts: 1,077 Member
I have been posting daily from the book, "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" and tomorrow is on soy foods. The intro to the section was very lengthy, but good so I thought I would post it for anyone interested. I thought it might be too lengthy for our daily routine, but TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE. so here it goes:
What about Soy?
Wait a minute, i can almost ehar you saying. In a book on teh world's healthiest foods, you barely mention soy. What gives? Is there a misprint? No misprint, and full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of soy. Man people reading this book are probably unaware that there is a huge controversy in nutrition community over soy. the pro-soy PR effort has been so strong that most people simply accept that anything with soy in it is a health food. You hardly hear about the many schientists, nutritionists, and researchers who have grave doubts about this so-called "fact." And in fact, the anti-soy contingent is sometimes so strident and angry )probably because it is frustrated with not being heart) that it sometimes tends to overstate some of the negatives (and the danges) associated with soy, making that group easier to ignore.
THE BAD NEWS ABOUT SOY
That doesn't mean those problems don't exist. Soy contains large amounts of natural toxins or "anti-nutrients," chief among them potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of enzymes needed for protein digestion. (Of course, these same protese inhibitors are believe by some to have a cancer-protective effect, hence part of the controversy.) Soybeans also contain baemagglutinin, a clot-prompting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together, and goitrogens--substances that suppress thyroid function. And soy has one of the highest phytate levels of any grain or legume studied. (Phytates block the obsorption of minerals; fermentation reduces them.) Yes, soy contains phytoestrogens, but that can be a good thing or a not-so-good thing, depending on many factors, not the least of which are your age and sex. The Israeli Health Ministry recently issued a health advisory that strongly recommended that the consumption of soy foods be limited for young children and adults and that soy formula be avoided all together by infants. And a recent article on soy protein infant formula by the "Journal of Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Nutrition" suggested that soy protein formula had no nutritional advantage of cows' milk protein and that the "high concentrations of phytate, aluminum and phytoestrogens ... might have untoward effects."
FDA RECONSIDERING ITS POSITION ON SOY
The universal acceptance of all things soy may be showing signs of cracking, even among the establishment organizations. As of April 2006, the American Heart Association's (AHA) Nutrition Committee no longer recommends eating soy to lower cholesterol. The FDA is currently reviewing its policy on soy health claims. And a recent article by Harvard Women's Health Watch (April 2006) was titles "Soy: Not So Miraculous?"
The soy associatedwith the Asian diet is a whole different animal from the soy we've been sold in America as a health food. There, they eat naturally fermented soy foods like tempeh and miso and old-fashioned fermented soy sauce--and they eat way less of it than you might imagine. it's also far from clear that the health benefits they get from their diet are attributable to eating soy rather than the fish and sea vegetables they consume regularly.
THE REAL DEAL ON SOY:
Let me be clear: In a world of French fries, fast food, trans fats, and high-fructose corn syrup, I hardly think a few servings of soy protein is the worst think in the world. We have bigger battles to fight in the food arena. But I also don't think soy products are among the healthiest foods on the planet, for all the reasons mentioned above. Currently, my thinking can be summed up this way:
1. Fermented soy products such as miso and tempeh--fermented the old-fashioned way, the way they are in asia--are very healthy foods, as are most traditionally fermented foods (e.g., sauerkraut).
2. One serving of a high-quality soy protein powder a day is not going to kill you and may even be good for some people.
3. Most "soy products"--e.g., soy chips, soy milk, soy ice cream, tofu ice cream, soy burgers, soy cheese, soy lattes, and all the rest--are junk foods and no healthier than the crap they replace.
4. I would not feed soy formula to infants and small children unless there were absolutely no other choice.
5. I would not make soy my only source of protein under any circumstances. (Vegetarians take note.)
6. I do not recommend supplements of soy isoflavones. Period.
Sonce you don't have to look very hard to finds "pro-soy" info but you might have to dig a little to get to hear "the other side", I suggest that anyone really interested in the soy controversy start by googling Dr. Mar enig and reading her extensive writing on soy, inclduing "The Ploy of Soy" and "Soy Alert: Tragedy and Hype." For a more easy and entertaining--but no less scientifically documented read--get the essential bood, "The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Health Food", by Kayla daniel, Ph.D. Then, to get the single most balanced and fair reading of both sides, read the conclusions of Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., based on her reading of more than five hudnred studies (pro and con). DesMaisons' conclusions, which you can read online at www.radiantrecovery.com/soy4303html.htm, are eminently reasonable, and I agree with them wholeheartedly.
By the way, it's interesting that of the fifteen experts I surveyed fro their "top ten favorite health foods", not a single one chose soy.
What about Soy?
Wait a minute, i can almost ehar you saying. In a book on teh world's healthiest foods, you barely mention soy. What gives? Is there a misprint? No misprint, and full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of soy. Man people reading this book are probably unaware that there is a huge controversy in nutrition community over soy. the pro-soy PR effort has been so strong that most people simply accept that anything with soy in it is a health food. You hardly hear about the many schientists, nutritionists, and researchers who have grave doubts about this so-called "fact." And in fact, the anti-soy contingent is sometimes so strident and angry )probably because it is frustrated with not being heart) that it sometimes tends to overstate some of the negatives (and the danges) associated with soy, making that group easier to ignore.
THE BAD NEWS ABOUT SOY
That doesn't mean those problems don't exist. Soy contains large amounts of natural toxins or "anti-nutrients," chief among them potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of enzymes needed for protein digestion. (Of course, these same protese inhibitors are believe by some to have a cancer-protective effect, hence part of the controversy.) Soybeans also contain baemagglutinin, a clot-prompting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together, and goitrogens--substances that suppress thyroid function. And soy has one of the highest phytate levels of any grain or legume studied. (Phytates block the obsorption of minerals; fermentation reduces them.) Yes, soy contains phytoestrogens, but that can be a good thing or a not-so-good thing, depending on many factors, not the least of which are your age and sex. The Israeli Health Ministry recently issued a health advisory that strongly recommended that the consumption of soy foods be limited for young children and adults and that soy formula be avoided all together by infants. And a recent article on soy protein infant formula by the "Journal of Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Nutrition" suggested that soy protein formula had no nutritional advantage of cows' milk protein and that the "high concentrations of phytate, aluminum and phytoestrogens ... might have untoward effects."
FDA RECONSIDERING ITS POSITION ON SOY
The universal acceptance of all things soy may be showing signs of cracking, even among the establishment organizations. As of April 2006, the American Heart Association's (AHA) Nutrition Committee no longer recommends eating soy to lower cholesterol. The FDA is currently reviewing its policy on soy health claims. And a recent article by Harvard Women's Health Watch (April 2006) was titles "Soy: Not So Miraculous?"
The soy associatedwith the Asian diet is a whole different animal from the soy we've been sold in America as a health food. There, they eat naturally fermented soy foods like tempeh and miso and old-fashioned fermented soy sauce--and they eat way less of it than you might imagine. it's also far from clear that the health benefits they get from their diet are attributable to eating soy rather than the fish and sea vegetables they consume regularly.
THE REAL DEAL ON SOY:
Let me be clear: In a world of French fries, fast food, trans fats, and high-fructose corn syrup, I hardly think a few servings of soy protein is the worst think in the world. We have bigger battles to fight in the food arena. But I also don't think soy products are among the healthiest foods on the planet, for all the reasons mentioned above. Currently, my thinking can be summed up this way:
1. Fermented soy products such as miso and tempeh--fermented the old-fashioned way, the way they are in asia--are very healthy foods, as are most traditionally fermented foods (e.g., sauerkraut).
2. One serving of a high-quality soy protein powder a day is not going to kill you and may even be good for some people.
3. Most "soy products"--e.g., soy chips, soy milk, soy ice cream, tofu ice cream, soy burgers, soy cheese, soy lattes, and all the rest--are junk foods and no healthier than the crap they replace.
4. I would not feed soy formula to infants and small children unless there were absolutely no other choice.
5. I would not make soy my only source of protein under any circumstances. (Vegetarians take note.)
6. I do not recommend supplements of soy isoflavones. Period.
Sonce you don't have to look very hard to finds "pro-soy" info but you might have to dig a little to get to hear "the other side", I suggest that anyone really interested in the soy controversy start by googling Dr. Mar enig and reading her extensive writing on soy, inclduing "The Ploy of Soy" and "Soy Alert: Tragedy and Hype." For a more easy and entertaining--but no less scientifically documented read--get the essential bood, "The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Health Food", by Kayla daniel, Ph.D. Then, to get the single most balanced and fair reading of both sides, read the conclusions of Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., based on her reading of more than five hudnred studies (pro and con). DesMaisons' conclusions, which you can read online at www.radiantrecovery.com/soy4303html.htm, are eminently reasonable, and I agree with them wholeheartedly.
By the way, it's interesting that of the fifteen experts I surveyed fro their "top ten favorite health foods", not a single one chose soy.
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Replies
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Thank you for posting this. I have done all the research and have tried to tell people that soy isn't what we thought when the craze hit. And it's not all bad, but it's not all good either (especially for us guys) -- wow!.... but anyway, it's nice to see you doing your research and sharing very valuable info with everyone.
kudos :drinker:0 -
This is great! I asked my nutritionist if she ate soy and she said, no way! I read that soy infant formula has the equivalent of five birth control pills worth of estrogen! :noway: no thanks! great post, angela! P.S. I love that we are both on MFP at 8:45am on saturday :laugh:0
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I think it is good that this book makes the distinction between processed soy and non-processed soy....most people throw the baby out with the bathwater. Fresh soybeans, traditionally fermented products like tempeh are good options...but I agree...much of the soy 'stuff' out there is pure garbage.
Thanks for posting..:flowerforyou:
A0 -
This is great! I asked my nutritionist if she ate soy and she said, no way! I read that soy infant formula has the equivalent of five birth control pills worth of estrogen! :noway: no thanks! great post, angela! P.S. I love that we are both on MFP at 8:45am on saturday :laugh:
What's even sadder is I've been on it since like 7:30 this morning. haha0 -
interesting, I posted this a while back:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/50310-bob-harper-was-wrong-last-night-about-soy?hl=phytoestrogen&page=1#posts-549241
nice to know there's more pressure on the conglomerates now!0 -
Any vegetarian that uses soy as their only source of protein are not worthy of calling themselves vegetarian IMO.0
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Before reading this, I just consumed a morningstar farms black bean burger and had the conversation about its "healthiness" vs. a regular burger. I'm not anti soy or pro, but I can't believe that the fatty meat would actually be better than something made with, at least in part, veggies and grains.
I, however, have not researched past this posting. Thanks for it.0 -
But... but... I really LOVE vanilla soymilk!!! :sad:0
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Thank you for posting this!!!!
I drank soy milk for a long time but then started hearing not-so-good things about it. I began doing some research on soy and found out about many of the things you mentioned but no one ever believes me! So many people think that soy is one of the healthiest foods you can possibly eat...but that isn't necissarily the truth! It was popular to consume soy products for awhile and people automatically bought into the hype without ever actually looking into it for themselves.
Thanks again for posting!
Like many of the people on this thread, I'm not totally anti-soy. People just need to look into the types of soy they are consuming!
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
But... but... I really LOVE vanilla soymilk!!! :sad:
You can live a long and healthy life drinking vanilla soy milk every day unless you're drinking 8 cups a day ... then you might want to cut down some.
I'm not against soy. I just don't think anyone's diet, vegan or otherwise, should consist of any one food. You'll find that massive amounts of nuts aren't good for you either but in proper quantities it's very healthy. If the majority of your foods were carrots you'll OD on a few vitamins and turn your skin orange, but no one is going to claim that carrots aren't healthy.0 -
I think it is good that this book makes the distinction between processed soy and non-processed soy....most people throw the baby out with the bathwater. Fresh soybeans, traditionally fermented products like tempeh are good options...but I agree...much of the soy 'stuff' out there is pure garbage.
Thanks for posting..:flowerforyou:
A
I agree! LIke anything, the fresh, from the earth versions of soy are better, such as soybeans!
But there are so many processed soy products out there that play up the hype that they must be healthy because they contain soy. But that just isn't the case. Like any other food, the processed version is not that great for you!
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
But... but... I really LOVE vanilla soymilk!!! :sad:
You can live a long and healthy life drinking vanilla soy milk every day unless you're drinking 8 cups a day ... then you might want to cut down some.
I'm not against soy. I just don't think anyone's diet, vegan or otherwise, should consist of any one food. You'll find that massive amounts of nuts aren't good for you either but in proper quantities it's very healthy. If the majority of your foods were carrots you'll OD on a few vitamins and turn your skin orange, but no one is going to claim that carrots aren't healthy.
YAY!!! That sounds good. :bigsmile: I just have it in my cereal and coffee. I've actually stopped buying tofu and I pick up tempeh instead every now and then because I'd been hearing the controversy for a while. But I really really don't want to give up my organic vanilla soymilk.0 -
taggin this forlater. thanks0
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Mmmmm... Vanilla Soy Chai Latte!
I tried tempeh once and maybe I don't know what to do with it (just stirfried it with veggies) because it tasted like crap and was hard to eat because of the texture (unappetizing).0 -
Before reading this, I just consumed a morningstar farms black bean burger and had the conversation about its "healthiness" vs. a regular burger. I'm not anti soy or pro, but I can't believe that the fatty meat would actually be better than something made with, at least in part, veggies and grains.
I, however, have not researched past this posting. Thanks for it.
lean beef isn't necessarily bad for your either :-D0 -
But... but... I really LOVE vanilla soymilk!!! :sad:
I used to love it to ... BUT ... then i discovered vanilla rice milk and I fell in love! :-D0 -
The problem isn't that soy is so horrible (it's not good IMHO, but not a poison per say either, in moderate quantities), the problem is two fold.
1, the soy bean companies out there that are producing this stuff is trying to cover the truth and get regulators to pass it off as something more then it is. by that I mean, telling half the story is the same as lying. Yes soy has lots of protein, but they leave out that it's possibly harmful to infants and the elderly. They leave out that it has stuff in it that messes with the thyroid ...etc.
and
2, You guys think stuff like soy milk and protein powder is the only thing that americans eat with soy in it? Think again, soy is in many many many more items than you think. Many products that are processed and has more than trace protein in it is made with some amount of soy. If you buy any of the packaged "low calorie" or "reduced fat" stuff out there, check the label, you'll be surprised at how much has soy in it. See, soy makes an excellent filler, and then companies can claim higher protein and fiber volumes because of it0 -
2, You guys think stuff like soy milk and protein powder is the only thing that americans eat with soy in it? Think again, soy is in many many many more items than you think. Many products that are processed and has more than trace protein in it is made with some amount of soy. If you buy any of the packaged "low calorie" or "reduced fat" stuff out there, check the label, you'll be surprised at how much has soy in it. See, soy makes an excellent filler, and then companies can claim higher protein and fiber volumes because of it
Glad you brought that up! This is so true! I'm a big lable reader and there is soy in so much stuff out there!
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Just so MUCH information out there:laugh:0 -
We've been here before. WHY does my tuna have soy in it? Has anyone found canned tuna that doesn't?
It's most harmful to those non-label readers and the poor (even though you know what other option do you have but to buy the cheap product)2, You guys think stuff like soy milk and protein powder is the only thing that americans eat with soy in it? Think again, soy is in many many many more items than you think. Many products that are processed and has more than trace protein in it is made with some amount of soy. If you buy any of the packaged "low calorie" or "reduced fat" stuff out there, check the label, you'll be surprised at how much has soy in it. See, soy makes an excellent filler, and then companies can claim higher protein and fiber volumes because of it
Glad you brought that up! This is so true! I'm a big lable reader and there is soy in so much stuff out there!
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary0 -
But... but... I really LOVE vanilla soymilk!!! :sad:
I used to love it to ... BUT ... then i discovered vanilla rice milk and I fell in love! :-D
Also, vanilla almond milk is delicious!!! :drinker:0 -
But... but... I really LOVE vanilla soymilk!!! :sad:
I used to love it to ... BUT ... then i discovered vanilla rice milk and I fell in love! :-D
Also, vanilla almond milk is delicious!!! :drinker:
I've been thinking of trying rice milk. I've heard Almond milk is good too. Do you get the refridgerated or shelf kind? How do they stand calorie-wise and price-wise in comparison with Soymilk?0 -
Almond milk is more expensive, but it is pretty delicious. Like soymilk, it can have significant added sugar in it, so you have to be careful...But chocolate almond milk? Deeelish!0
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Great post!
:flowerforyou:
I find that soy is almost non-existent now in health food stores, whereas in the 90's it was a staple!
I was having a vegan friend over for dinner, and was making pizza for everyone else,and I could not for the life of me find soy cheese anyhwere - when in the 90's I had a veggie friend and used to get it at any corner grocer!0 -
I hate soy. I'm glad to hear it's not the be-all and end-all of good nutrition that some claim it to be. I tried a lot of the soy products during my time as a hard-core vegetarian, but I couldn't stomach any of it. 0
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Great post!
:flowerforyou:
I find that soy is almost non-existent now in health food stores, whereas in the 90's it was a staple!
I was having a vegan friend over for dinner, and was making pizza for everyone else,and I could not for the life of me find soy cheese anyhwere - when in the 90's I had a veggie friend and used to get it at any corner grocer!
Cheese made with soy :sick:? I use nutritional yeast flakes.0 -
Great post!
:flowerforyou:
I find that soy is almost non-existent now in health food stores, whereas in the 90's it was a staple!
I was having a vegan friend over for dinner, and was making pizza for everyone else,and I could not for the life of me find soy cheese anyhwere - when in the 90's I had a veggie friend and used to get it at any corner grocer!
Interesting, something to note, When looking for my protein power, there was only one brand in GNC, of ALL the ones I looked through, that didn't contain soy, that brand was ADS by the way.0 -
OMG! I totally didn't know this!!!0
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Great article!!! Thank you for posting!!
I can't wait to show this to my husband
I hateeee soy, he's always saying how healthy it is for you and that I need to switch and start to consume it.
Now I have proof and a reason not to lol :bigsmile:
Lifesaver!!
:flowerforyou:0 -
The best thing I can say is that soy is not bad in it's most natural form. Tempah and edamame are great...because they have not been processed. I will not eat soy cheese or the such. I do occasionaly eat soy ice cream and soy milk. I eat tofu at least 4 times a week. I'm a vegetarian and it's one of the best sources for protein that I have. I also eat beans, lentels, greek yogurt for the high protein content. Soy isn't horrible, it's a food source and a pretty good one at that.0
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