Soy: The Dark Side of America's

Favorite "Health" Food

From tofu and tacos to burgers and baby

formula, soy products have swept the
nation as a healthy source of high
protein, with a reputation for being all
natural and all good. But a 20/20
investigation has found that amid all of
this praise, some scientists are now
challenging this popular wisdom, and
suggesting there may be a downside to
this “miracle food.”

Researchers at Cornell University

Medical College said that children who got soy formula were more likely to
develop thyroid disease and that twice as many diabetic children had received soy
formula in infancy as compared to non-diabetic children. In fact, in other countries
such as Switzerland, England, Australia and New Zealand, public health officials
recommend highly restricted medically monitored use of soy for babies and for
pregnant women. Dr. Mercola - "Soy formula is one of the worst foods that you
could feed your child. Not only does it have profoundly adverse hormonal effects
as discussed above, but it also has over 1000% more aluminum than conventional
milk based formulas.

"While even in 1966 there was considerable research on the harmful substances
within soybeans, you'll be hard pressed to find articles today that claim soy is
anything short of a miracle-food. As soy gains more and more popularity through
industry advertising, we are moved once again to raise our voice of concern.
Soybeans in fact contain a large number of dangerous substances.

• One among them is phytic acid, also called phytates. This organic acid is
present in the bran or hulls of all seeds and legumes, but none have the high
level of phytates that soybeans do. These acids block the bodyís uptake of
essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and especially zinc.
Adding to the high-phytate problem, soybeans are very resistant to phytate
reducing techniques, such as long, slow cooking.
• Soybeans also contain potent enzyme inhibitors. These inhibitors block
uptake of trypsin and other enzymes that the body needs for protein
digestion. Normal cooking does not deactivate these harmful "antinutrients,"
that can cause serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and can
lead to chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake.
• Beyond these, soybeans also contain hemagglutinin, a clot promoting
substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. These clustered
blood cells are unable to properly absorb oxygen for distribution to the
 body's tissues, and cannot help in maintaining good cardiac health.
Hemagglutinin and trypsin inhibitors are both "growth depressant"
substances. Although the act of fermenting soybeans does deactivate both
trypsin inhibitors and hemagglutinin, precipitation and cooking do not. Even
though these enzyme inhibitors are reduced in levels within precipitated soy
products like tofu, they are not altogether eliminated. Only after a long
period of fermentation (as in the creation of miso or tempeh) are the phytate
and "antinutrient" levels of soybeans reduced, making their nourishment
available to the human digestive system. The high levels of harmful
substances remaining in precipitated soy products leave their nutritional
value questionable at best, and in the least, potentially harmful." Brandon
Finucan and Charlotte Gerson

There was considerable research done in 1966 about the harmful substance within
the soybean. Soy contains several naturally occurring compounds that are toxic to
humans and animals. The soy industry frequently refers to these toxins as anti-
nutrients, which implies that they somehow act to prevent the body from getting
the complete nutrition it needs from a food. The soy toxins (such as phytic acid)
can certainly act in this manner, but they also have the ability to target specific
organs, cells and enzyme pathways, and their effects can be devastating. As with
any toxin, there will be a dose at which negative effects are not observed.

Scientists have known for years that the isoflavones in soy products can depress
thyroid function and cause goiters in otherwise healthy children and adults. A
combined research team of Cornell University Medical College and Long Island
Community Hospital medical experts have found that children who develop Type1
diabetes are twice as likely to have been fed soy formulas as those fed all other
foods This confirms concerns based on animal studies raised in the 1980's and
1990s by Health Canada researcher Dr Fraser Scott and led to the American
Academy of Pediatrics issuing their warning to pediatricians against any use of soy
based formulas.

Milk Soy Protein Intolerance is

commonly acknowledged and diagnosed
by both pediatricians and family
physicians. In the medical field the
occurrence is also known as eosinophilic
gastroenteritis or protein intolerance.
MSPI is diagnosed through the history of
an infant who displays irritable, colic-
like behavior, poor growth, and abnormal
stools, some of which visibly show
blood. Confirmation of the diagnosis is
made by a biopsy of the intestinal tissue
showing an increased amount of
eosinophilic cells, eroded intestinal villi, and hemorrhagic tissue. An increase in
the level of eosinophilic cells may also correlate with an allergic response of the
intestinal tissues due to the introduction of an allergic compound. Many physicians
request that parents alter the infant's formula, or the mother's diet (for breastfed
infants) prior to having a gastroenterologist perform an invasive biopsy, then if the
symptoms diminish, or even cease, the diagnosis of MSPI is assumed.

Both formula-fed and breast-fed infants can develop an intolerance to cow's milk
protein and also soy protein. For infants fed with the formula, it is easy to change
to a different formula, but more specialized formulas are more expensive. For
many families the costs of these formulas are prohibitive. For an infant who is
breastfed, the mother's diet must be altered to avoid milk and soy proteins in order
continue breastfeeding. This approach is certainly a much less costly solution to
the dietary demands of an MSPI infant.

Newest Research On Why You Should Avoid Soy

by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

"...the soybean contains large quantities of natural toxins or "antinutrients". First

among them are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other
enzymes needed for protein digestion.
These inhibitors are large, tightly folded
proteins that are not completely
deactivated during ordinary cooking.
They can produce serious gastric
distress, reduced protein digestion and
chronic deficiencies in amino acid
uptake. In test animals, diets high in
trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and
pathological conditions of the pancreas,
including cancer. Soybeans also contain
haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting
substance that causes red blood cells to
clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and
haemagglutinin are growth inhibitors.
Approximately 25 per cent of bottle-fed
children in the US receive soy-based formula - a much higher percentage than in
other parts of the Western world. Fitzpatrick estimated that an infant exclusively
fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at
least five birth control pills per day. Scientists have known for years that soy-based
formula can cause thyroid problems in babies."

Early in 2007, the Weston A. Price Foundation began hearing from inmates who
were suffering from a myriad of serious health problems due to the large amounts
of soy in the diet. These prisoners had found us through the Soy Alert! section of
our website. Complaints include chronic and painful constipation alternating with
debilitating diarrhea, vomiting after eating, sharp pains in the digestive tract,
especially after consuming soy, passing out, heart palpitations, rashes, acne,
insomnia, panic attacks, insomnia, depression and symptoms of hypothyroidism,
such as low body temperature (feeling cold all the time), brain fog, fatigue, weight
gain, frequent infections and enlarged thyroid gland. Since soy contains anti-
fertility compounds, many young prisoners may be unable to father children after
their release. read more..

Soy May Cause Cancer and Brain Damage - Two senior US government scientists
have revealed that chemicals in soy could increase the risk of breast cancer in
women, brain damage in both men and women, and abnormalities in infants.

"Dr Fitzpatrick's literature review uncovered evidence that soy consumption has
been linked to numerous disorders, including infertility, increased cancer and
infantile leukemia; and, in studies dating back to the 1950s, that genistein in soy
causes endocrine disruption in animals."read moe about the this fascinating
document

The health claims of the soy industry have one purpose and one purpose alone - to
sell more soy! That's why you'll only hear about the benefits of soy from the
industry, but Soy Online Services thinks all consumers deserve the right to make
an informed choice about what they are eating and feeding to their children, their
household pets and their livestock. Uncovering the truth about soy

Eating soy linked to memory loss Frequently consuming foods containing soy
may contribute to memory loss, British experts say. Experts at England's
Loughborough and Oxford Universities researched the impact of soy consumption
in 719 senior citizens on the Indonesian island of Java, the Daily Mail reported
Saturday. Researchers determined people who ate soy at least twice a day had 20
percent less memory function that those who ate it significantly less. "Soy
consumption is on the increase in the West and is often promoted as a 'superfood.'
Soy products are rich in micronutrients called phytoestrogens, but it is not entirely
clear what their effect on the aging brain is," said Professor Eef Hogervorst of
Loughborough University. Hogervorst said vegetarians and elderly women seemed
to be highly susceptible to potential memory loss from soy consumption.

John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America writes: "There are legitimate
questions about certain soyfoods, and much we have yet to learn. Becoming soy-a-
holics and automatically downing anything made from soybeans is not the road to
health, but neither is shunning and stigmatizing soyfoods. The anti-soy crusade has
needlessly frightened many away from a food source that has long been a boon to
humankind, a food source that can, if we are respectful of our bodies and of nature,
nourish and bless us in countless ways."
SOY AS A MALE CONTRACEPTIVE

Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD - "In September of this year, researchers from the Harvard
School of Public Health presented evidence at the 63rd annual meeting of the
American Society for Reproductive Medicine showing that soy phytoestrogens can
seriously lower a man’s sperm count. This is old news to Weston A. Price
Foundation members. Over the years, we’ve
often reported on research that links soy
consumption to poor sperm quality, lower
testosterone levels and sagging libidos. Dr.
Chavarro and colleagues studied 100 men
whose partners were having trouble getting
pregnant. Semen analyses showed that the men
with the highest levels of soy food intake-
approximately a half serving per day-had 41
million sperm per milliliter fewer than men
who did not consume any soy-that’s 41 million
fewer sperm per milliliter on just one-half cup
of soy food per day! The researchers used a
questionnaire listing 15 soy-based foods to
determine soy consumption over the preceding three months."
The Hidden Dangers of Soy We are eating soy products today at levels never
before seen in history. Advances in food technology have made it possible to
isolate soy proteins, isoflavones, and other substances found in the bean and add
them to all kinds of foods where they have never been before. The number of
processed and manufactured foods that contain soy ingredients today is astounding.
These days it can be hard to find foods that don't contain soy flour, soy oil, lecithin
(extracted from soy oil and used as an emulsifier in high-fat products), soy protein
isolates and concentrates,
textured vegetable protein
(TVP), hydrolyzed vegetable
protein (usually made from
soy) or unidentified vegetable
oils. Most of what is labeled
"vegetable oil" in the U.S. is
actually soy oil, as are most
margarines. Soy oil is the most
widely used oil in the U.S.,
accounting for more than 75
percent of our total vegetable
fats and oil intake. And most of
our soy products are now
genetically engineered.

Kaayla Daniel’s research,

presented in The Whole Soy
Story, brings bedazzled
consumers to their senses with
her dispassionate history and
straightforward analysis of the
science behind soy. She tells
the whole soy story, the story
that the public needs to hear,
the story that will burst the soy
bubble and turn modern
seekers of good health towards
real food again, foods that soy has attempted to usurp. She also brings us a
message of great urgency: the estrogenic compounds in soy are natural antifertility
agents. Soy thus represents a threat not only to our health, but to our future.more

Soy contains goitrogens - substances that depress thyroid function - Oprah's Soy
Milk Habit

Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD - " Oprah Winfrey’s announcement last month on Good
Morning America that she “blew out” her thyroid brought much needed attention
to the underreported epidemic of thyroid disorders in this country. Sadly, few
commentators noted that Oprah’s consumption of soy milk and other soy products
might have played a key role in the development of her thyroid problems. Oprah
has told her viewers that she loves shakes made with soy milk and blueberries. She
has applauded when guests such as Julia Roberts have talked about how much they
“love” their soy milk. Unfortunately, soy can seriously damage the thyroid gland,
most often causing hypo-thyroidism, with its symptoms of weight gain, leththargy,
fatigue and malaise. In Oprah’s case, soy may have initially over stimulated her
thyroid, causing a revved up metabolism and sleepless nights. With Hashimoto’s
thyroiditis-the likeliest diagnosis for Oprah-it is quite common for someone’s
thyroid gland to go hyper for a period before falling into the exhaustion of
hypothyroidism."

THE RISE IN SOY ALLERGIES

In the 1980s, Stuart Berger, MD, labelled soy one of the seven top
allergens—one of the "sinister seven"

Soy is one of the top allergens—

substances that cause allergic reactions.
In the 1980s, Stuart Berger, MD, labelled
soy one of the seven top allergens—one
of the "sinister seven". At the time, most
experts listed soy around tenth or
eleventh—bad enough, but way behind
peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, shellfish,
fin fish and wheat. Today, soy is widely
accepted as one of the "big eight" that
cause immediate hypersensitivity
reactions.

Allergies are abnormal inflammatory

responses of the immune system to dust,
pollen, a food or some other substance. Those that involve an antibody called
immunoglobulin E (IgE) occur immediately or within an hour. Reactions may
include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, hives, diarrhoea, facial swelling, shortness
of breath, a swollen tongue, difficulty swallowing, lowered blood pressure,
excessive perspiration, fainting, anaphylactic shock or even death.

Delayed allergic responses to soy are less dramatic, but are even more common.
These are caused by antibodies known as immunoglobulins A, G or M (IgA, IgG
or IgM) and occur anywhere from two hours to days after the food is eaten. These
have been linked to sleep disturbances, bedwetting, sinus and ear infections,
crankiness, joint pain, chronic fatigue, gastrointestinal woes and other mysterious
symptoms.
 Food "intolerances", "sensitivities" and
"idiosyncrasies" to soy are commonly called
"food allergies", but differ from true allergies in
that they are not caused by immune system
reactions but by little-understood or unknown
metabolic mechanisms.7–9 Strictly speaking, gas
and bloating—common reactions to soy and
other beans—are not true allergic responses.
However, they may serve as warnings of the
possibility of a larger clinical picture involving
allergen-related gastrointestinal damage.

PROFIT vs RISK
The soybean industry knows that some people experience severe allergic reactions
to its products. In a recent petition to the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), Protein Technologies International (PTI) identified "allergenicity" as one
of the "most likely potential adverse effects associated with ingestion of large
amounts of soy products". Yet PTI somehow concluded that "the data do not
support that they would pose a substantial threat to the health of the US
population". This statement is hardly reassuring to the many children and adults
who suffer allergies to soy products. And it ignores a substantial body of evidence
published during the 1990s showing that some of these people learn for the first
time about their soy allergies after experiencing an unexpectedly severe or even
life-threatening reaction. Severe reactions to soy are rare compared to reactions to
peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, but Swedish researchers recently concluded
that "Soy has been underestimated as a cause of food anaphylaxis" (Foucard T.,
Malmheden Yman, I., Allergy 1999, 53(3):261-265).11

Just How Much Soy Did Asians Eat? In short, not that much, and contrary to what
the industry may claim, soy has never been a staple in Asia. A study of the history
of soy use in Asia shows that the poor used it during times of extreme food
shortage, and only when the soybeans were carefully prepared (e.g. by lengthy
fermentation) to destroy the soy toxins.

Soy is an important crop on American farms, and there is a strong soy lobby. The
health claims of the soy industry have one purpose and one purpose alone - to sell
more soy! But scientists have known for years that the isoflavones in soy products
can depress thyroid function and cause goiters in otherwise healthy children and
adults. Researchers at Cornell University Medical College said that children who
got soy formula were more likely to develop thyroid disease and that twice as
many diabetic children had received soy formula in infancy as compared to non-
diabetic children. In fact, in other countries such as Switzerland, England,
Australia and New Zealand, public health officials recommend highly restricted
medically monitored use of soy for babies and for pregnant women.
Soy also contains a natural estrogen, which is why it is recommended to women at
menopause. The president of the Maryland Nutritionists Association, Mary Enig,
Ph.D. stated that "The amount of phytoestrogens that are in a days worth of soy
infant formula equals five birth control pills." Dr. Enig believes that soy infant
formula may be associated with early puberty in girls and slower physical
growth in boys. Others say it may effect fertility and normal brain development.

Brain.com reports an ongoing study involving 3,734 elderly Japanese-

Americanmen. That research has found that the men who ate the most tofu during
mid-life had up to 2.4 times the risk of later developing Alzheimer's disease. Lead
researcher Dr. Lon R. White said that men who ate tofu at least twice weekly
showed brain aging about five years faster than those who seldom ate tofu. Soy has
also been implicated in interference with the absorption of zinc, calcium, protein
enzymes and amino acids.

Precocious (Early) Puberty - Beware of infant soy formulas and other soy products

Precocious puberty in children have been fed soy formula. Early maturation, such
as breast development and menstruation as early as 6 years of age.

Dr. Mercola - "Soy formula is one of the worst foods that you could feed your
child. Not only does it have profoundly adverse hormonal effects as discussed
above, but it also has over 1000% more
aluminum than conventional milk based
formulas. It is becoming increasingly
common for young children, even 5- and
6-year-olds, to go through precocious
puberty (aka early sexual development).
The introduction of this report even
states that studies have found girls as
young as 2 years old entering puberty!
This is clearly a multi-faceted problem,
but I believe one of its main causes stems
from your environmental exposure to a
whole slew of endocrine-disrupting
chemicals. Even the conservative US
government has recognized that soy
formula is a potent endocrine disruptor.
There is absolutely no reason to ever give your child soy formula or soy milk. It is
one of the worst foods you could possibly give your child and the long-term health
complications can be quite significant. Prostate and breast cancer, early puberty,
endometriosis and infertility, irregular and painful menstrual periods are only a few
of the things your children will have increased risk for if they are given soy
formula or soy milk. If you have already given your child these foods the best way
to reverse the damage is to have them rigidly follow the eating plan. The nutrition
from whole organic foods is the most potent corrective force for these disruptions
in hormones. If you still aren't convinced of the dangers of soy you might want to
review the protest letter two FDA experts wrote earlier this year which points to
studies that show a link between soy and health problems in certain animals."

Babies and Soy: A Word of Caution Considering all of soy's health benefits, it is
tempting for new and expectant mothers to see soy-based infant formula as a
"miracle food" and to stock their pantries sky-high with the stuff. Well, hold on
there mama. That most vulnerable member of the population, an infant unable to
breastfeed, stands at great risk of developing a serious thyroid disorder due to a
diet based entirely on soy formula. That disorder is hypothyroidism, or an under-
active thyroid and it is a common cause of fatigue, depression, obesity,
constipation, extreme sensitivity to cold and a number of other symptoms, most so
common that the disorder can go undiagnosed for years.

The Problem of Precocious Puberty Early sexual development, or precocious

puberty, is a growing problem around the world; and while endocrine disruptors
and oestrogen mimics are implicated, the medical profession generally regards this
trend as perfectly normal.

Elaine Hollingsworth, director of the Hippocrates Health Center of Australia and

author of Take Control of Your Health and Escape the Sickness Industry, writes
about the terrible effects of soy products on children:
"I am not exaggerating when I say that HUNDREDS of people have rung me during the past year to
tell me about dreadful health problems that started after taking up the soy habit. Serious thyroid
malfunctioning is one of the most common complaints. This is not surprising, since it has been known
for years that isoflavones in soy can depress thyroid function, causing autoimmune thyroid disease
and even cancer. It is a medically recognised fact that our body absorbs significant amounts of what
we put on our skin. With Certified Organic food rapidly becoming the nutrition of choice by the health
conscious amongst us, why would you accept any less for your skin? of the thyroid. By far the worst
calls are from women whose children have been fed soy formula. They tell me heartbreaking stories
about baby girls who show signs of early maturation, such as underarm odour, breast development,
body hair and even menstruation as early as two, three and four years of age! The risk appears to be
greatest in girls who ingest soy formula for nine months or more. In baby boys, 12 months of soy
feeding can lead to gross effects by the age of 11 or 12. Breasts can appear and testicles do not
develop. Several women have rung asking what to do for these pathetic boys, who refuse to
participate in sports, fearing shower-room ridicule, and who will be dependent upon thyroid drugs for
life. I can't help, and I don't think anyone can. Nature did not intend infants to be fed hormones, and
life-threatening consequences occur when they are. Of course, these horrible problems do not occur
with every soy-fed baby, but is it worth taking such a chance? Your child will not thank you, and you
may never have grandchildren. Drinking soymilk during pregnancy can cause a failure to produce
breast milk, which can lead to feeding the baby soy formula. By far the worst cases of soy damage
are reported to us by women who have drunk soy milk while pregnant, and then fed their babies soy
formula. This is a deadly combination. These women cannot restrain their tears when describing the
dreadful health problems their children have. They keep repeating to me, "I didn't know, I just didn't
know, the doctor told me to drink it for my bones and give him soy formula."