Beware of the Dangers of Soy

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Beware of the Dangers of Soy

Friday, October 30, 2009 by: Ethan Huff, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews)

Soy. It is found in seemingly every prepared and processed food item

available on the market. Whether it is soy protein, soybean oil, or soy

lecithin, soy derivatives have become an almost universal additive in

American food products. Commonly thought to be a healthy, protein-dense

food, the soybean has been touted as a wonder victual capable of

feeding the planet and stopping world hunger. Truth is, unfermented soy

is one of the most harmful, toxic substances to ever become so

predominant in the food chain.

 

The History of Soy

Historically, ancient farmers planted soybeans in order to infuse their soil with nutrients such as nitrogen; their food crops benefited from the enriched soil that the soy plants provided. Typically attributed with Asian diets, soy has always played a minor role in eastern fare and, when consumed, it is done so fermented from a whole bean.

 

The traditional Japanese diet, for instance, includes over 100 biologically-unique foods per week with soy products accounting for only a few items. In Pearl Buck's 1931 bestselling Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Good Earth,

she writes of Wang Lung, a Chinese subsistence farmer who rises to

power in pre-revolutionary China because of he and his wife's hard work

and determination . Raised in China herself, Buck's story contains

scant mention of soy consumption as part of the typical Chinese diet.

 

Ancient pictographs from the Chinese Chou Dynasty period also confirm

that soy was traditionally not used as food but as a crop-rotating

plant that served to replenish the planting soil with nutrients.

Throughout the centuries, it gradually gained popularity in various

fermented forms.

 

Only in recent decades has corporate soy production become commonplace, ushered in by gales of misinformation claiming it as a health

food in all its processed forms. Even in Asian countries, 90% of soy

consumption involves processed, unfermented soy products much like the

ones consumed in America.

 

What's So Bad About Soy?

Soybeans naturally contain a host of anti-nutrients and toxins, including trypsin inhibitors, hemaglutinin, phytic acid, and phytoestrogens.

 

The potent trypsin inhibitors present in soy significantly curtail

protein absorption, causing abdominal distress due to hampered

absorption of crucial nutrients and amino acids. Animals fed diets that

contained large amounts of trypsin inhibitors developed pancreatic

problems including cancer.

 

Hemaglutinin is a substance that is responsible for causing red blood

cells to clump together and form clots. Both trypsin inhibitors and

hemaglutinin have been deemed "growth depressant substances" for their

contributions in stunting essential bodily functions.

 

Phytic acid, or phytates, is another nutrient absorption inhibitor that

deters the uptake of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium,

iron, and zinc.

Present in the bran of seeds, phytic acid will offset the intake of

nutrients by stopping their absorption within the intestinal track,

leading to severe mineral deficiencies. Zinc, the "intelligence

mineral", is the one most completely blocked by soy phytates. Soy has

also been shown to have the highest phytic acid content of any other

grain or legume ever studied.

 

Phytoestrogens are chemical compounds found in some plants that mimic the estrogen

hormone. Soy products are particularly rich in isoflavone

phytoestrogens which are capable of significantly disrupting human

hormonal balance, particularly in men. A study conducted by Harvard

University revealed a definitive correlation between soy consumption

and low sperm counts in men, indicating that high soy consumption can instigate reproductive harm and suppress testosterone levels.

 

Genetic Engineering

To add insult to injury, the GMO

Compass database records that as of 2008, 92% of soy crops in the U.S.

are genetically modified varieties. GMOs are continually shown in

independent studies to cause serious harm in the human body, a

frightening prospect when considering that soy derivatives are found in

virtually every processed food product.

 

One of the most prevalent culprits is soy lecithin, an emulsifier that is added to processed foods

to stabilize the ingredients with one another. Soybean oil is another

popular additive found in all kinds of foods from mayonnaise and salad

dressings to cakes and breads. Besides the fact that they are soy-based

and highly prevalent, these ingredients are most often derived from GMO

soybeans.

 

Even organic products

may contain GMO soy lecithin since this particular ingredient falls

outside the realm of organic requirements, a controversial loophole

that many have taken charge to have changed. Most organic products

specify non-GMO soy lecithin but it is always important to investigate

and verify.

 

Eat Soy Sparingly, and Only Organic

The proper way to eat soy is whole, organic, fermented, and sparingly.

Soy milk, tofu, soy nuts, and other popular food items are essentially

toxic due to the inherent toxic properties of unfermented soy. Many of

these products are also highly processed and genetically-modified.

 

Soy formulas are inadequate and potentially dangerous for babies as

they do not contain the vibrant array of vital nutrients found in the

mother's breast milk. Many doctors affirm that soy formulas lack

essential fatty acids (EFAs), cholesterol, immunoglobulins, and other

nutrients necessary for proper cognitive and neural development in the

child. As it turns out, many babies are allergic to the

highly-processed proteins and ingredients in infant formula.

 

For adults, soy products like miso, tamari, and shoyu that have been

properly fermented are not only delicious but healthy when used in

various food preparations. Fermentation eliminates virtually all of the

anti-nutrients and toxins present in raw soybeans. Tempeh is another

whole fermented soy food that is high in protein and dietary fiber,

making it a pertinent vegetarian meal option.

 

Small amounts of fermented, organic soy foods in conjunction with a

diverse, whole foods diet will serve the body well. Rather than consume

inordinate amounts of chemically-processed soy as is becoming typical

in the American diet, particularly among vegetarians, soy should be

shrouded among an array of complete food items - preferably as a

condiment and always fermented.

 

Sources:

 

Deville, Nancy. Death by Supermarket: The Fattening, Dumbing Down, and Poisoning of America. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books, 2007. 83-108.

 

The Ploy of Soy - The Weston A. Price Foundation

 

The

Effects of Antenatal Exposure to Phytoestrogens on Human Male

Reproductive and Urogenital Development - The Weston A. Price Foundation

 

Harvard study: Soy sinks sperm count - WorldNetDaily

 

Soybean - GMO Database