Dangers of Soy Protein
For years the public has been led to believe that soy protein is a wonder food. This has led to a multi-billion dollar soy industry. However, it is coming to light that far from being good for you, soy is actually damaging to your health. Wonder food? Wonder why we call it food!
It is estimated by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America that soy protein is among the nine most common food allergens for pediatric and adult food allergy patients. It is still uncertain what component of soy causes the allergic reactions, nonetheless, 15 allergenic proteins have been identified in soy.
The soybean was first used by the Chinese as a source of green manure. Green manure is a crop that is grown and then plowed under to enrich the nutrient content of the soil. The Chinese discovered the digestive problems connected with the consumption of soybean such as bloating and gas. After soy fermentation was discovered, the Chinese began to use soy as human food.
Fermentation destroys the majority of harmful agents in soy protein and allows for human consumption without digestive upset and mineral loss in bones that is associated with eating non-fermented soy products. Nevertheless, in the United States, soy is sold in its non-fermented state. This leaves the toxins that are found naturally in soy in your diet! Furthermore, processing non-
fermented soy causes the proteins in soy to be incomplete and increases the concentration of carcinogens!
Soybeans have a large concentration of phytic acid. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of essential minerals: iron, calcium, copper, magnesium and especially zinc. The soybean has one of the highest phytate levels of all grains and legumes studied. To make matters worse, the phytates in soy are resistant to standard phytate reducing methods, most notably long, slow cooking. There is only one method that significantly reduces phytate levels in soybeans-fermentation.
Soy provided food engineers the platform to provide a meatless protein product. Now, soy products are found in nearly all processed food. The list is quite lengthy: soy sausages, soy burgers, chicken-like soy patties, packaged soy milk, protein powders, energy bars, veggie burgers, low-carbohydrate pastas as well as countless foods containing soy protein isolate, soy
protein concentrate, and texturized vegetable protein. You should read the labels of all foods you eat.
Most soy products contain phytoestrogen, estrogen derived from a plant source, and are called soy isoflavones. Studies have shown that soy isoflavones decrease the levels of testosterone in lab animals and humans. The Chinese do not eat soy in its non-fermented state, except monks in monasteries that wish to decrease their libido.
Babies are particularly vulnerable to the effects of soy isoflavones. Many infant formulas have soy isoflavones as their
base. The Swiss Federal Health Service indicates that an infant fed soy based formula ingests the phytoestrogen equivalent of 3-5 birth control pills a day! This may cause the delayed onset of puberty in males and the early onset of puberty in females. Reproductive problems are likely to occur in adulthood.
Soy isoflavones are also damaging to the thyroid. People that eat large amounts of soy often complain of the same symptoms: hair loss, dry itchy skin, depression, weight gain and diminished sex drive. These people typically test positive for hypothyroidism. Studies have shown that soy is a poor source of protein and causes many health problems. Soy can also inhibit your efforts to lose weight. Products made with canola oil are an ideal substitute for those that are made with soybean oil. Dangers of Soy Protein
