This is something that’s near and dear to my heart. Why? Because I used to be there, because I know what it feels like and can totally relate. I used to be that girl, my fridge was full of soymilk, soyyougurt, I would have tofu almost everyday and thought I was being “oh so healthy”. Usually people who buy soy products are trying to do something GOOD for their health, trying so hard yet doing the complete opposite. It literally kills me when I see people on instagram eating their soy yogurt or a mother in the grocery store,(obviously trying to do the right thing, but doing the complete opposite!) buy soymilk. To be completely honest It takes so much willpower not to go up to people in the grocery store and snatch the soymilk out of their cart. But Yasmin, why!? Isn’t soy really good for you? I mean it’s ment to make you live longer and is really healthy….BLABLABLA! I’m sorry but bulls***.! Yes, I did just swear. This is something that’s so near and dear to my heart. I grew up eating soy and quite honestly think it hat detrimental effects on my health and hormones. If I can just help one single person see the truth about soy, then I have done my part.
The truth about soy
Let me tell you, that if you look ANY study about soy the health benefits ARE FAR outweighed by the well proven health risks of soy. You see, these studies cost a lot of money, and who would be interested in founding a study on soy? Someone that can benefit from the sales of soy! So often times they then only mention the part that supports their study and what they’re trying to prove and just “forget” or fail to mention everything else. For example, they might claim it reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease but what they fail to mention is that the study showed in return it dramatically increased your risk of infertility, breast and other cancers, thyroid problems, conditions like gynecomastia (male breast development) and so much more! Again, the negative influences of soy are FARE outweighed by its benefits.
Negative influences of soy
- Soybeans contain phytoestrogens, which mimic the body’s natural estrogen hormones. In woman this can lead to estrogen dominance wish has been linked to infertility breast cancer and hormonal imbalances. In men it can lead to gynecomastia (male brest development), infertility, low sperm count and increased risk for cancer.
- Soy contains high levels of phytic acid, wich can stop the body’s ability to absorb minerals, like zinc, calcium and magnesium
- The protease inhibitors, found in soy can inhibit certain enzymes (molecules that digest and break down your food). Especially the enzymes that are responsible for digesting certain proteins.
- Phytoestrogens found in soy, have a huge amount of antithyroid agents that can lead to hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer.
- These phytoestrogens are so strong that a baby consuming only soy formula is consuming the equivalent hormones of 4 birth control pills a day! In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
- Soy increases your body’s needs for Vitamin D & B-12, calcium and magnesium.
- I could go on for ever! If you want to read more studies about this and want to know what else soy can influence, just click here.
Soy formula; probably the worst thing for your baby.
Obviously all the negative influences above apply to babies aswell, but if you’re still not convinced and want to know more about the effect on babies. According to the weston a price foundation: ” Aluminum content of soy formula is 10 times greater than milk based formula, and 100 times greater than unprocessed milk. Aluminum has a toxic effect on the kidneys of infants, and has been implicated as causing Alzheimer’s in adults. Soy formulas lack cholesterol, another nutrient that is absolutely essential for the development of the brain and nervous system; they also lack lactose and galactose, which play an equally important role in the development of the nervous system. A number of other substances, which are unnecessary and of questionable safety, are added to soy formulas including carrageenan, guar gum, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), potassium citrate monohydrate, tricalcium phosphate, dibasic magnesium phosphate trihydrate, BHA and BHT.
The most serious problem with soy formula is the presence of phytoestrogens or isoflavones. While many claims have been made about the health benefits of these estrogen-like compounds, animal studies indicate that they are powerful endocrine disrupters that alter growth patterns and cause sterility. Toxicologists estimate that an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day (!!!!!) By contrast, almost no phytoestrogens have been detected in dairy-based infant formula or in human milk, even when the mother consumes soy products. A recent study found that babies fed soy-based formula had 13,000 to 22,0000 times more isoflavones in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula. Scientists have known for years that isoflavones in soy products can depress thyroid function, causing autoimmune thyroid disease and even cancer of the thyroid. But what are the effects of soy products on the hormonal development of the infant, both male and female?
Male infants undergo a “testosterone surge” during the first few months of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult male. During this period, the infant is programed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of his sexual organs and other masculine physical traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior. In monkeys, deficiency of male hormones impairs learning and the ability to perform visual discrimination tasks-such as would be required for reading-and retards the development of spatial perception, which is normally more acute in men than in women.
It goes without saying that future patterns of sexual orientation may also be influenced by the early hormonal environment. Pediatricians are noticing greater numbers of boys whose physical maturation is delayed, or does not occur at all, including lack of development of the sexual organs. Learning disabilities, especially in male children, have reached epidemic proportions. Soy infant feeding-which floods the bloodstream with female hormones that could inhibit the effects of male hormones-cannot be ignored as a possible cause for these tragic developments.
As for girls, an alarming number are entering puberty much earlier than normal, according to a recent study reported in the journal Pediatrics. Investigators found that one percent of all girls now show signs of puberty, such as breast development or pubic hair, before the age of three; by age eight, 14.7 percent of white girls and a whopping 48.3 percent of African-American girls had one or both of these characteristics. New data indicate that environmental estrogens such as PCBs and DDE (a breakdown product of DDT) may cause early sexual development in girls and a study in Puerto Rico implicated soy feeding as a cause of early menarche. The use of soy formula in the WIC program, which supplies free formula to welfare mothers, may explain the astronomical rates of early menarche in African-American girls.
The consequences are tragic. Young girls with mature bodies must cope with feelings and urges that most children are not well-equipped to handle. And early maturation in girls is frequently a harbinger for problems with the reproductive system later in life including failure to menstruate, infertility and breast cancer.”
What about the Asians, they eat a lot of soy?
Actually they don’t. It’s important to emphasise that people in those countries do NOT consume as much soy as the media would like us to believe. In fact soy based foods are served as a condiment, not as a main course and defiantly not as a replacement for animal protein. In addition, these foods are fermented or traditionally prepared, which minimizes the harmful factors.
Take away
Soy is not the health food the media claims it to be. If you absolutely have to consume soy, go for fermented soya products like miso or tempeh as that reduces the negative effects. In general, you’re probably way better off without soy. Also make sure to read the labels. Soy is added to pretty much every packaged and processed food these days, because it’s a cheap and easy filler. Soymilk and Tofu are not the only products with soy these days.
DTHM (Debunking the health myth) #1: The saturated fat myth
healthyyfood 