Too Much Soy Could Lead To Kidney Stones

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> > -

> > <nicola

> > Thursday, September 06, 2001 2:28 PM

> > Too Much Soy Could Lead To Kidney Stones]

> >

> > > Too Much Soy Could Lead To Kidney Stones

> > >

> > > Source: American Chemical Society (http://www.acs.org/)

> > >

> > > Posted 8/29/2001

> > >

> > > Too Much Soy Could Lead To Kidney Stones

> > > New research indicates that soybeans and soy-based foods, a staple in

> > > the

> > > diets of many health-conscious consumers, may promote kidney stones in

> > > those prone to the painful condition. The finding will be published in

> > > the

> > > September issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a

> > > peer-

> > > reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest

> > > scientific society.

> > >

> > > The researchers measured nearly a dozen varieties of soybeans for

> > > oxalate,

> > > a compound that can bind with calcium in the kidney to form kidney

> > > stones.

> > > They also tested 13 types of soy-based foods, finding enough oxalate

in

> > > each to potentially cause problems for people with a history of kidney

> > > stones,

> > > according to Linda Massey, Ph.D., at Washington State University in

> > > Spokane. The amount of oxalate in the commercial products easily

> > > eclipsed

> > > the American Dietetic Association's 10 milligram-per-serving

> > > recommendation for patients with kidney stones, with some foods

reaching

> > >

> > > up to 50 times higher than the suggested limit, she noted.

> > >

> > > " Under these guidelines, no soybean or soy-[based] food tested could

be

> > > recommended for consumption by patients with a personal history of

> > > kidney

> > > stones, " she said.

> > >

> > > No one had previously examined soy foods for oxalate, thus the

> > > researchers

> > > are the first to identify oxalate in store-bought products like tofu,

> > > soy cheese

> > > and soy drinks. Other foods, such as spinach and rhubarb, also contain

> > > significant oxalate levels, but are not as widely consumed for their

> > > presumed

> > > health benefits, Massey said.

> > >

> > > During their testing, the researchers found the highest oxalate levels

> > > in

> > > textured soy protein, which contains up to 638 milligrams of oxalate

per

> > > 85-

> > > gram serving. Soy cheese had the lowest oxalate content, at 16

> > > milligrams

> > > per serving. Spinach, measured during previous research, has

> > > approximately

> > > 543 milligrams per one-cup (2 oz. fresh) serving.

> > >

> > > Soy, a natural source of protein, fiber and healthy oils, is used to

> > > enhance a

> > > myriad of foods, ranging from hamburgers to ice cream. It can be

ground

> > > into

> > > flour and used in a variety of grain products, or formed into chunks

and

> > >

> > > ground like meat. Soy is also being studied for its potential to lower

> > > cholesterol, reduce bone loss and prevent breast cancer. The U.S. Food

> > > and

> > > Drug Administration recently approved a new label on foods containing

at

> > >

> > > least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving that boasts of a reduced

> > > risk of

> > > cardiovascular disease.

> > >

> > > Oxalate, however, cannot be metabolized by the body and is excreted

only

> > >

> > > through urine, Massey said. The compound has no nutritional value, but

> > > binds

> > > to calcium to form a mass (kidney stones) that can block the urinary

> > > system,

> > > she said. Further research is needed to find types of soybeans with

less

> > >

> > > oxalate, or to develop a processing method to remove the compound

before

> > >

> > > it reaches consumers, she added.

> > >

> > > No one knows precisely why kidney stones occur in particular

> > > individuals. But

> > > Massey said high levels of oxalate in the urine increase the risk and

> > > those

> > > with a family history of the ailment are more likely to suffer from

the

> > > condition;

> > > individuals with a low probability of kidney stones are unlikely to be

> > > affected

> > > by oxalate in soy-based foods.

> > >

> > > More than one million people were diagnosed with kidney stones in the

> > > United States in 1996, the most recent available data, according to

the

> > > National Institutes of Health. Stones can range in size from the

> > > diameter of a

> > > grain of rice to the width of a golf ball. An estimated 10 percent of

> > > the U.S.

> > > population, mostly men, will develop a kidney stone at some point in

> > > their

> > > lives, according to the NIH.

> > >

> > >

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