Is soya bad for your health?

[MzNatural]

I was under the impression that Japanese did consume animals? I remember reading that the Buddhist were not allowed to eat other animals, but fish was viewed as ‘ok’. I remember reading in a few books that some Japanese started consuming more animals around the 15th century. I believe around the time when they were introduced to the Western style of eating.

I think the article is referring to isolates since it states ‘meat & milk’ some of your ‘soy meats’ do use isolates. I think ‘Gimme Lean’ and ‘Boca Burger’ contain soy isolates. Some of the soymilks might as well. The occasions I do consume ‘soy milk’ or make the occasional ‘soy meat’ for family/friends. I will make it myself.

[MzNatural]

Yes, that's how I formulated my question. I don't blindly post in threads based on an article. The article didn't say and I wasn't clear if soy lecithin is a form of soy isolate or is something completely different.

Did you somehow get the impression I was implying I agree soy is bad? I certainly don't think it is though I agree about moderation and avoiding highly processed soy products. Which leads me back to my original question regarding soy lecithin, I don't know if that is considered highly processed.
Hi feline01 :)
This article ( http://www.talksoy.com/pdfs/SoyLecithinFactSheet3.pdf) can explain soy lecithin better than myself. I use it in products for very rough/dry skin instead of beeswax. It works as a humecant, sealing in moisture. It is great if you are in a humid climate, since it will aid in drawing moisture from the air to be absorbed into your skin. If you don't live in a humid area you should avoid those products of the most part, or make your area 'humid' (humidifier, steam, etc,) a tiny amount goes a long way.

Personally, I think of it as being highly processed. I could be wrong.

[feline01]

Thanks Mz,

That article really praised soy including lecithin. They made the extraction process seem so natural. Even the babies' organic brown rice cereal has soy lecithin in it. We're getting antsy about their consumption of so much soy so we're trying to eliminate wherever possible and really start urging the solids so their soy formula consumption decreases.

[MzNatural]

Thanks Mz,

That article really praised soy including lecithin. They made the extraction process seem so natural. Even the babies' organic brown rice cereal has soy lecithin in it. We're getting antsy about their consumption of so much soy so we're trying to eliminate wherever possible and really start urging the solids so their soy formula consumption decreases.

Yes they did don’t they? It seemed 'unnatural' when I read that process. I figured you would have the same feeling I received after reading the ‘Processing’ information. You seem to question things, just as myself no matter how glowing the information.
I definitely can relate to being apprehensive about soy. It is showing up, in some form, in a lot of things. It makes me really stick to the whole foods even more. Jade does not get too many soy-based products in her eating. She does like roasted soy nuts & raisins as an occasional treat. I make her soymilk occasionally. We both like the homemade nut milks a lot more.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

I always buy the organic, 'plain' type, unsweetened Soya Milk which I feel is (at least compared with a lot of foodstuffs), pretty safe to consume once a day.
However, I am regretting my earlier 'flippant' answer to this thread, as I do worry about the processed 'meats' made with Soya, and I care VERY much about GM Soya. :mad:
I just hate articles that try to scare vegetarians into eating Meat - as if that could be the 'healthy' option???? :eek:

[feline01]

We still have a few more months on the organic soy formula/breastmilk. We're then going to ease off of the formula and switch them to fortified nut + rice milks. I'm easing me and my husband into a much more legume based diet since we have been eating alot of tofu so the babies will follow suit. The only fake meat products I buy are the tofurkey products, they seem to be relatively well-made for an occasional treat.

[MzNatural]

I just hate articles that try to scare vegetarians into eating Meat - as if that could be the 'healthy' option???? :eek:
I agree it can make you think all soy is bad.
It’s like saying ‘all vegetarians are unhealthy’. Why sure it can be if you eat unhealthy, processed, fried foods, and very little whole foods. :p

[Gorilla]

there's an article in my local paper today about apparent growing concerns about soya. it says some particularly scare-mongering things like "One report claims babies who are fed on soya milk consume the equivalent of five contraceptive pills a day." :eek:

the article sums up the pros and cons of soya and the pros are pretty much the usual - good for the heart, reduced risk of breast cancer, could protect against osteoporosis etc. the cons are as follows:

Your periods might be affected. Women fed soya formula as babies could experience long and painful periods, according to a study. A woman drinking two glasses of soya milk a day may see her menstrual cycle alter

Men's fertility could be affected. The more soya a man eats, the more difficulty he will have in fertilising an egg, was the conclusion of Dr Lorraine Anderson who discovered sperm moved slower when the liquid surrounding it contained female-like hormones. In animals, large amounts of female-like plant hormones have been shown to reduce fertility. When marmosets, (small monkeys) were fed soya milk formula in a study it suppressed their testosterone levels. Pregnant women in the US were advised by scientists to avoid soya after tests on rats suggested a chemical in it could damage unborn boys' reproductive organs

Children with a cow's milk allergy could become sensitive to soya if they are fed only on baby soya milk

Mothers are advised not to feed babies soya milk baby formula as their sole source of food before six months, except on medical advice. This recommendation came from paediatric experts and the Government following the working group report. After six months, babies are generally eating solids and the risk is considered not so great. Sue Dibb, senior policy officer of the National Consumer Council, advises parents to be cautious. "You're giving the baby a dose of a hormonally active substance at a time when babies are developing. That is a concern even when the evidence is not very clear cut," she says

Eating soya for a long time can suppress the working of the thyroid gland, which is associated with metabolism, according to research

There is some evidence plant oestrogens can encourage the growth of oestrogen-dependent breast cancer.

the whole article can be found here www.theargus.co.uk/the_argus/body__soul/HEALTH_FEATURES0.html

in the paper they recommend alternatives such as goats' milk, sheep's milk and horse milk (!!!) all above oat and rice milk. despite all these scare stories they still admit a safe amount of soya is one or two products a day, e.g. a serving of tofu, a glass of soya milk etc. :(

[feline01]

Men's fertility could be affected. The more soya a man eats, the more difficulty he will have in fertilising an egg, was the conclusion of Dr Lorraine Anderson who discovered sperm moved slower when the liquid surrounding it contained female-like hormones. (

Well, my husband has been vegan for over 2 years and we conceived twins even after he was eating way more than 1-2 servings of soy a day :p /

[Suzulan]

I think negative report of soy products is mainly influenced by dairy industry because of too much competetion between dairy industry and soy industry.
Robert Cohen has excellent website about dairy products and here is link.
www.notmilk.com
After viewing this website, who want to eat dairy products?
Not me.

[Kiva Dancer]

I very much agree, suzulan. Soya was good for you and not a problem at all until people started consuming it and buying it instead of dairy products and now all of a sudden, soya is right up there with enviromental pollution and nuclear waste? hmmmmmm..... *scratches chin*

I've read several things from offline sources that indicate that the hormonal quality in soy is nothing, nothing, nothing like that of animal products. But the way that article is written, it makes soy sound like taking a full bottle of estrogen in one sitting which is highly rediculous.

It seems to me that I've aslo read something quite unsavory about the National Consumer Council but right now, I can't remember what it is or where I found it (so I can't give link just now).

There is some evidence plant oestrogens can encourage the growth of oestrogen-dependent breast cancer. And her evidences are nothing but bull cookies, shot straight from the hole. If I'm reading this article (http://www.blackmores.com.au/news/news_detail.asp?art=12) correctly, it seems that it's the lower the soy intake, the higher the incidences of breast cancer, colon cancer and heart disease. This is just one article, but I've read several just like it, all indicating that soy is beneficial, not harmful.

[drummer]

I do not believe that processed soy is very good, (fake meats, etc) but tofu, tempeh, soy milk, soy yogurt, TVP, miso, etc are very good. Who says drinking soy milk is bad?! bovine milk is loaded with female hormones, BGH, pus, benzyl penicillin.....the list goes on....

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Statistics and reports can always be interpreted to suit the researcher.

[Billy]

Not read all the posts on this thread, so sorry if this has already been mentioned. There are a number of ''studies'' circulating, which state that soya is bad for you. Now check who's done the research and who's funded it. Now there's a surprise, it's the meat and dairy industry! In other words, I take those studies with a great big pinch of salt, and use that to flavour my tofu! :P

See ya,
Billy

[Snaffler]

Blah Blah this is bad for you that is bad for you Blah Blah we hear all this sort of thing everyday.
I will never forget the milk marketing board investing in a campign to say that you must drink at least one pint of cows milk a day to stay healthy.

At the end of the day being vegan outways all the risks that are related to eating animals and animal by-products.

I will continue to eat soya and if it kills me so be it, at least I can rot without the guilt of animal by-products rotting along with me.

At the end of the day we will decide what we want to eat not some anti-vegan boffin locked in a lab payed to say what his investors want to hear.

If a company like Provamel invested research into soya and found this out I would listen to them.

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Yes, I am so sick of hearing these kind of things every day - what the F*** should we eat????? Many fruits and veggies are laden with chemicals, soya is bad for you, wheat causes allergies, nuts are calorific, water is toxic - all these things may well be true, but they sure are safer than dead animals mechanically scraped off the abbatoir floor. :mad:

[PinkFluffyCloud]

BTW - my last doctor told me he had changed himself, his wife, and 3 young kids to a Veggie diet for HEALTH reasons, he didn't give a Flying Fig about the animals. This kind of annoyed me at the time, but think about it, what does that tell you about the dangers of a meat-based diet in contrast with a Veggie one???

[PinkFluffyCloud]

Pardon?
I have been a Vegan 5 years, so if you meant that info for me, it's ok, I know all about it - who are you getting at? My doctor???? I wouldn't class him as Vegan as he only eats a strict Veggie diet, I am not sure who on this site you think DOESN'T know about dairy - erm, that's why we are Vegans! :rolleyes:

[Billy]

BTW - my last doctor told me he had changed himself, his wife, and 3 young kids to a Veggie diet for HEALTH reasons, he didn't give a Flying Fig about the animals. This kind of annoyed me at the time, but think about it, what does that tell you about the dangers of a meat-based diet in contrast with a Veggie one???


Thing is, as long as they keep at it, I don't think the cow/pig/chicken won't give a flying fig either why they don't get abused and eaten! :)

Btw I totally agree with PFC: please don't post horror stories about animal cruelty here! It was my exposure to this that made me go vegan 10 years ago, I know about it now, I don't need to get it rubbed in no more! Please don't ''preach to the converted''! Suzulan, to be honest, as soon as I started reading the horror stories I scrolled down and skipped it altogether, and might've missed any other valuable points that you might have made. Going off topic happens, I just don't want to read about the cruelty that animals in the various industries are subjected to. Maybe start a thread about ''reasons to go vegan'' (I think there is one already, have a check to see of any of the animal cruelty explicits have been addressed yet).
Anyway, back on topic: we're having some mashed malarky with TVP for tea tonight, yummy! :p So nice, can't be bad for you!

See ya,
Billy

[Artichoke47]

This is strange. Back to soya, perhaps?

[Marina]

The dairy industry says soy is bad, the soy industry says soy is good. They are both right, and they are both comparing apples with oranges. Fermented soy is good. The soy industry, therefore, tells of the wonders of soy conveniently omitting the bad news on the non-fermented soy (soy milk, for example). Non-fermented soy is bad for women who are predisposed to, or already have breast cancer, and for everyone consuming it because of the "plastic effect". Of course, the dairy industry is quick to point this out, while conveniently omitting the benefits of fermented soy.

It's very simple: fermented soy (playing the role of the "apples" in the analogy) is very, very good for you. This includes miso, tempeh, and fermented tofu. You should eat it every day! Non-fermented soy (playing the role of the "oranges" in the analogy) is bad for you and includes all the products not marked "un-fermented".

There are no contradicting studies about soy. The studies only appear this way because they are comparing apples with oranges.

[eve]

Where are your references to prove that non-fermented soy is bad?

[FR]

I usually hear omni's say that the only soy that is healthy is fermented soy. I think they are the last folks on earth to try and tell me what is healthy.

When you have so many conflicting reports out there, you are left with a decision on which side of the story to believe. I believe soy is healthy and I do not plan on omitting it from my diet any time soon.

[Marina]

Where are your references to prove that non-fermented soy is bad?

I read this explanation years ago and honestly don't remember where. However, I can give you a link to an article written by and for the soy industry (so it is biased in the favor of soy) which recognizes the benefits of fermented soy over the Western manufactured type which blocks calcium absorption among other things.

http://www.wellbeingjournal.com/soy.htm

I will do my best to find the data for you, but I imagine it will take a while.

Personally, I consume fermented soya regularly. Once in a while I drink soy milk because I like the taste, but I make a point of not consuming it daily, or even weekly. I am 35 years old, no children, and don't plan on having children. As such, I am at higher risk for breast or reproductive cancer. It is my understanding that my risk is lowered back to that of being an omni woman with children by the simple fact that I am a strict vegetarian. Nonetheless, I am extra careful when it comes to products that might raise my risk down the road.

[Marina]

When you have so many conflicting reports out there, you are left with a decision on which side of the story to believe. I believe soy is healthy and I do not plan on omitting it from my diet any time soon.


I see no harm in choosing fermented products more often. They are delicious and true to Asian tradition, not to mention they have been proven to have tremendous health benefits thanks to the process of fermentation.