This bean causes allergies, is high in copper, and upsets hormone balance.
Soy is everywhere. Besides feeding animals, the soybean finds its way into a host of processed foods including many “health foods.”
Baked goods, cereals, cheese, flour, hydrolyzed plant protein, milk, miso, snacks like tacos and soy “nuts,” soy sauce and tamari, tempeh, tofu, texturized vegetable protein, vegetable broths, and even yogurt are made from soy. Soy is also used in baby formula, making it one of the first allergies that infants and young children develop.
This popular legume is among the top 10 allergens. One reason may be that 90% of soybeans are genetically modified—and no one has adequately assessed the allergenic effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on humans.
Another reason may be soy’s popularity as a livestock feed. This lowly bean makes it way up the food chain, so it’s hard today to eat something that doesn’t contain soy.
Soy allergy symptoms range from skin conditions like acne and eczema to hay fever and asthma to colitis and other gastrointestinal (GI) problems like diarrhea. It can even lead to anaphylaxis, a potentially deadly allergic reaction.
That’s not all! Soybeans (like other beans and grains) contain non-nutritive phytic acid that blocks mineral (calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc) absorption, making its use a concern from infancy on. And soy contains enzyme inhibitors, which make it difficult for the body to digest this vegetable protein.
Only after a long period of fermentation (used in miso and tempeh) is soy really digestible. Most of the population studies that show long-term benefits involve fermented soy, a traditional Asian food.
That’s very different from manufactured soy foods and ingredients, which use only certain parts of the soybean. This kind of soy contains high levels of the heavy metal aluminum, which is toxic to kidneys and the nervous system, and MSG, another neurotoxin. The processing of soy protein creates other toxins, including cancer-causing nitrosamines.
In addition, soy contains genistein and isoflavones, substances that act like estrogen in the body. That explains why soy can block thyroid hormones.
Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:
Phytoestrogens potentially lead to infertility and breast cancer, although the research (mostly done by soy manufacturers) is mixed. One recent review of genistein by a pharmaceutical company recommends that postmenopausal women use this plant estrogen for no more than three years.
The debate over soy isoflavones is even more controversial, which is one reason I don’t recommend soy foods or supplements to my clients. Even Mark Messina, PhD, executive director of the Soy Nutrition Institute, recommends against eating too much soy (more than three servings a day). That’s still way too much!
Protect Hormone Health
Phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function. For example, infants fed soy formula may have up to 22,000 times more estrogen in their blood than babies fed other formula. Some experts believe this may explain early menstruation and physical development in girls and underdevelopment in boys.
Just 30 mg of soy isoflavones a day has a negative impact on thyroid function. That equals the isoflavones in 5 to 8 ounces of soy or just 1½ ounces of miso. High levels of soy have been linked to goiter. Any woman who has or suspects thyroid problems should avoid soy.
Safe Vegetarian Protein
Protein is an important source of steady energy, especially for anyone trying to lose weight and keep it off. This nutrient also helps relieve water-logged tissues.
When the body is deficient in protein, fluid leaks from vascular spaces into the spaces between the cells and gets trapped there. This results in bloating (water retention), cellulite, and water-weight gain.
One alternative to soy is whey protein, especially in the form of a pure, denatured, and unheated protein powder like Fat Flush Whey Protein. It supports production of the powerful antioxidant glutathione, which fights toxins, aging, and disease. Each serving has 20 grams of 100% bioactive protein, along with naturally occurring healing substances: lactoferrin (an iron-modulating protein), immunoglobulins and other immune enhancers, useful peptides, and natural appetite suppressors.
For vegans (or anyone allergic to whey), Fat Flush Body Protein is a delicious combination of yellow pea protein and brown rice. It’s 100% hypoallergenic (both dairy and gluten free) and contains no GMOs. Sweetened with all-natural stevia (a calorie-free herb) and inulin (a prebiotic that nourishes beneficial bacteria in the GI tract), Fat Flush Body Protein supports high energy levels, putting an end to cravings.
Soy Sensitive?
I avoid soy like the plague because it’s one more unnecessary source of copper. Copper toxicity is increasingly common today due to birth control pills, copper cookware and pipes, dental material, and diet (brewer’s yeast, cocoa, seafood, nuts, seeds, and tea). Copper imbalances also result from molybdenum and zinc deficiencies.
High levels of copper have been linked to acne, anemia, candida yeast infections, elevated estrogen, lower libido, PMS, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and a variety of nervous disorders including depression. To rebalance your body’s supply of minerals, eat zinc-rich eggs, grass-fed meat, and poultry. And take my copper-free, hypoallergenic Female Multiple from UNI KEY, specially formulated for copper-sensitive women.
Sources:
https://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/soy.htm
