The truth is that unless the soy is properly fermented and prepared, it is not fit for human consumption and can create many health risks. Traditionally, the Chinese only ate products made from whole soy beans. When the bean was split into oil and protein, the oil was used as a kerosene type fuel and the protein was used as a fertilizer or animal feed. It was actually only used as animal feed when the goal was to fatten up the animals.
Here are some interesting facts about soy -
- It is one of the top 8 allergens
- People have died from soy allergies and people that have an allergy to peanuts are especially vulnerable to soy allergies.
- Soy has been linked to digestive distress, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, infertility, birth defects, immune system breakdown, heart disease, cancer and malnutrition.
- Soy is NOT a miracle food
Soy contains high levels of phytic acid which reduces the assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have been known to cause growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
Soy phytoestrogens are potent anti-thyroid agents that cause hypothroidism (under active thyroid) and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12. Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D
Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and testured vegetable protein. Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotixin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods. Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys
The problem with most modern soy foods is that they are not fermented to neutralize the toxins in the soybeans and are processed in ways that denature the proteins and increase levels of carcinogens.
Soy foods do not provide a complete protein because, like all legumes, they are deficient in sulfur-containing amino acids called methionine and cystine. Modern processing also denatures the fragile amino acid known as lysine
Many vegan and vegetarian diets include soy as they believe it is a way to get enough vitamin B12, however there is a compound in soy that mimics B12 but cannot be used in the human body; in fact, it causes the body to require more B12
As mentioned above, trypsin inhibitors inhibit protein digestion, affecting pancreatic function and causing stunted growth, as well as pancreatic disorders. Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D, which is needed for strong bones and normal growth. Phytic acid results in reduced bioavailability of iron and zinc and lacks cholesterol, which are required for the health and development of the brain and nervous system. The phytoestrogens in large doses from soy formulas have been determined to be the cause of premature sexual development in girls or retarded sexual development of boys, which seems to be an upward trend in today's society. Because soy foods cause calcium and Vitamin D deficiencies, it will not prevent osteoporosis.
So, why did we think soy was good for us? Well, documentation about the soybean dates back to 3000 B.C., when the Emperor of China wrote about how the soybean plants were instrumental in the regeneration of soil for future crops. However, he touted the root of the plant,not the bean. Even in these ancient times, it appears that the Chinese knew that the soybeans, in their natural form, were unfit for human consumption. We are now realizing, 5000 years later, that the soybean has antinutritive qualities, unless it is properly fermented.
It was discovered, about 1000 B.C. in China, that when a mold was present on the soybeans, it destroyed all of the toxins and made the nutrients available to the body. That is when they recognized "fermentation" as the process that created foods such as tempeh, miso and natto, which are still popular today.
Several hundred years later, the process was simplified to prepare the soybeans for human consumption. This involved lengthy soaking and cooking, then treating the beans with nigari, which is a substance found in seawater. The result of this process was tofu or bean curd, which the Chinese used as an effective remedy for dieseases, as well as a nutritionally important food.
In the natural state, soybeans contain the phytochemicals, toxic to humans, as nature's way of protecting the soybean plant so that it can live long enough to effectively reproduce. These three major anti-nutrients known as phytates, enzyme inhibitors and goitrogens, are basically the plant's immune system, which protects it from the sun's radiation and from invasions of bacteria, viruses, insects or fungi. These toxins make the plant unappetizing to animals and although all plants have some sort of anti-nutrients, the soybean plant is particularly rich in these properties. If they are not removed by extensive preparation such as fermentation or soaking, they are actually one of the worst foods a human being can eat.
There is so much more information on the dangers of soy, but it takes a lot of time to write it all. I think that I have covered most of the high points here and hopefully cleared up any confusion that you may have. There are many nutritionists and natural foodists out there that think that soy is the way to go for a healthy, plant based diet. Based on this research, they are sadly mistaken. Many people believe that the negative information circulating about soy, originates from people in the dairy industry to scare people into staying away from these products in hopes that they will revert to dairy products. I have read numerous articles about soy and the information just makes way too much sense to be made up.
I am a believer that we should eliminate dairy from our diet anyway, but soy is not the answer for a replacement. There are so many other things available such as cheeses and milks made from nuts and seeds. Many of the whole food stores carry these products or you can learn to make your own. There are many great books available about raw foods and these foods are delicious and actually very easy to prepare. It's like with anything new....it's a change. I find change to be exciting and I look forward to learning more and more. Change is fun!!
