soya, depression

[Vegan cat]

Ok So I am soooo confused.

I just read in a book I have called the mood cure, which is bascally about depression and mood disorders and how to treat them through food etc.

It says in this book that one of the major foods that can affect moods is Soya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I am not saying this is true but since i started being vegan I have started getting really depressed and feeling very very low.

I have always suffered with depression but lately it has been very bad.

Does anyone know anything about this, is it true? Has anyone experianced this?

I really dont want this to be true as what am I going to use if it aint soya!:(

[Limey]

I've only heard it can affect hormones. I was just trying to find something I can use for a link, but no such luck and I'm about to leave work.

[Vegan cat]

i did find soemthing about it but my computor went topsy turvy and I cant find it now

[Veryblue2]

Vegan Cat,

If your thyroid is out of sinc and it's specifically that causing you to be depressed, then soya can be an issue and may need to be limited.

Otherwise there are pro's to soya for depression:
"The amino-acid, Tryptophan, has been used with success to help treat various forms of depression. ... Soya beans are very rich in tryptophan."
"Vitamin B6 has been shown to be an effective remedy for depression associated with oral contraception and menopause. ... Vitamin B6 is found in bran, wheatgerm, brewer's yeast, molasses, egg yolks, bananas, pulses, soya beans, sunflower seeds, raw peanuts, avocados, prunes, raisins, sprouting seeds and grains."
http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Health-problems/Depression%20-%20researchDiet&Lifestyle.htm (http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Health-problems/Depression%20-%20researchDiet&Lifestyle.htm)

Have you had your thyroid tested recently?

[Vegan cat]

I have had it tested a couple of years ago. It was fine,

thnk my depression is more hormonal, chemical imbalance.

[herbwormwood]

It's unlikely that eating soya is making you depressed. The book you have read may be biased against soya, there is a big anti soya lobby which is funded by the dairy industry.
See if you can find anything on www.notmilk.com
If eating soya is worrying you try cutting it out for a couple of weeks and see if your mood improves. Eat wholefoods, nuts, fruit and veg instead.

[Vegan cat]

I really hope it isnt - I love the Alpro soya shakes.

I think I am going to cut down a bit and see.

[Hetfield]

Hi Vegan Cat,

I wonder if your mood is anything to do with sugar - or have you already thought of that. I used to get terrible mood swings and since mostly giving up sugar (accept fruit) I am much more stable!
Just a thought - really hope you can sort it out as being miserable is well..... really miserable.

Hetfield

[j&k]

I would definitely make sure you are taking a pre-formed DHA supplement. There is vegan derived DHA, and we have another thread in which we have been discussing it which you may want to read through. Low levels of DHA can cause depression, and some people are incapable of converting omega 3's to DHA, and you may be one of those people. I'd take a dose of at least 200mg of DHA a day to see if that helps.

I personally would not worry about the soy.

Best,
Josh

[Vegan cat]

I dont thnk it is the sugar. I havent really been having alot apart from fruit like yourself.

I have been following the DHA thread and also reading other info on it.

I know the main cause of my depression is a chemical imbalance. After reading the stuff about soy I just wondered if maybe that was making things worse.

If I go to the doctors they are going to put me on medication and I dont want that

[j&k]

Sorry, I was not paying any attention that it was you Vegan cat who started this thread. Of course, I responded to you in the DHA thread. My bad! Depending on how severe your depression is, and depending on your finances, there is a light treatment that you use at home that has been shown in double blind medical studies to be as or more effective than conventional medicines. It is safe and vegan! Reports have been published in the world' most presitigious medical journals. I would recommend to someone who is depressed to do the light and take DHA, as well as eat a wholesome diet.

Here is a link to the light:
http://drfuhrman.com/shop/MDDLight.aspx

Best,
Josh

[j&k]

You can also check out the ionizer on his page as well.

[cvC]

This is how the people who run the linked site that warns against the consumption of soy describe themselves:

"Soy Online Service are a small group of private citizens from New Zealand, the United States and the United Kingdom. We have no industry connections and are not funded by any outside interest groups. Our mission is to uncover the truth about soy and to provide consumers with an alternative opinion to the plethora of criminal and dangerous lies that issue from the soy industry."

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/01aboutus.htm

This is their "Soy Dangers Summarized" section:

"SOY DANGERS:

High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.


Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic orders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.


Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.


Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.


Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.


Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.


Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.


Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.


Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and added to many soy foods.


Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

SOY INFANT FORMULA — BIRTH CONTROL PILLS FOR BABIES

Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula.


Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day.


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, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and other masculine physical traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior.


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 inhibit testosterone—cannot be ignored as a possible cause for these tragic developments. In animals, soy feeding indicates that phytoestrogens in soy are powerful endocrine disrupters.


Almost 15 percent of white girls and 50 percent of African-American girls show signs of puberty such as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some girls are showing sexual development before the age of three. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental estrogens such as PCBs and DDE."

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/03summary.htm

I tend to follow the Pythagoreans in their abstinence from all beans, which, apart from the effect traditionally associated with them, have, I think, contributed to bad dreams I've had in the past, although I'm not entirely sure about this. Here is an article I saw in the Daily Mail a while ago and the title of which is "Is soya a has-bean?":

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=387376&in_page_id=1774

[Vegan cat]

Sorry, I was not paying any attention that it was you Vegan cat who started this thread. Of course, I responded to you in the DHA thread. My bad! Depending on how severe your depression is, and depending on your finances, there is a light treatment that you use at home that has been shown in double blind medical studies to be as or more effective than conventional medicines. It is safe and vegan! Reports have been published in the world' most presitigious medical journals. I would recommend to someone who is depressed to do the light and take DHA, as well as eat a wholesome diet.

Here is a link to the light:
http://drfuhrman.com/shop/MDDLight.aspx

Best,
Josh


thanks is a bit pricey though.

after reading that last post I am not sure about soy. Latley my depression has been really bad.

Thing is not really had that much I dont think, soya milk with my cereal and a few milkshakes. Obviously most vegan products are soya.

Whats the alternitive to Soya???:confused:

[berta_the_aspie]

oh my gosh! first of all, one single food cant cause depression! and i should know. it is a series of factors combines, chemical imbalance too yes, but u make it sound so simple and its not. or you cant possibly be talking about real depression. its normal to feel a bit down now and then.

light treatment is for seasonal affective disorder (SAD, pun intended) which i have, but i dont even bother to use the so called treatment cause no one has bothered to research the side effects they have, i only know that it makes bipolar people more manic...

depression does not appear from eating or not eating certain foods, and cant be "cured" with foods eiter, its a neurobiological, social thing that can also make people extremely creative, and i dont like it when people try and make it sound so common and talk about it in the same sentance as food...

[Vegan cat]

I certainley never meant to make depression sound so common! As I know that it is a illness!

Firsty I know one single food cannot cause depression! I just asked if anyone had heard of Soya making depression worse.

Secondly food does have an effect on your mood , weather it makes you moody or happy. NO- its not the cause of severe depression but it can make feel up and down. Also I know very that if you suffer from (as you put it) REAL depression then eating the most healthiest of foods is certainly not going CURE you.

Thirdly I know that difference between feeling a bit down and suffering from REAL depression!

[j&k]

Vegan cat,

You don't really need an alternative to soya so to speak, because soya is not an essential part of any diet, even a vegan one. Just add in other beans, you can make nut milks at home as a healthy option for putting on cereals. Although the truth is, I wouldn't worry about the occasional soy -- it's just a ton of soy that may not be ideal. It may not be a bad idea to get your blood levels tested for DHA. This would show you if you are low. If not, you can scratch that off your list as a possible reason. If you are low, studies have shown it can cause depression. Just a thought! I wish you luck -- it can't be fun to be depressed. Also, exercising is great for balancing hormone levels -- at worst you get more fit, at best it may help some.

Best,
Josh

[Gorilla]

many people state that exercise is good for depression but if you feel really bad it's physically impossible to do it, you just don't have the energy or the inclination. i know from experience. i've had depression for years, before i was vegan and before i ate soya on a regular basis - soya doesn't seem to affect my depression.

[hazelbunny]

There are a lot of claims being made about processed soya, including effects on mental health. Maybe some of it is propoganda by the dairy and meat industries, but it cant be denied that soya affects the hormones, and contains strong thyroid function suppressants. Incidentally, thyroid function testing can show normal levels even if your levels are low.

It would appear that soya fermented in the traditional asian way is ok, but few companies do this as it is a costly process.

I can empathise with you, because I have decided to start avoiding soya altogether and its not easy!!!

[greenspex]

I know that if I don't eat or drink Soya I feel worse. My own "at home empirically tested with control" has proved it for me. I heard that in the far east women don't suffer from the menopause because of the soya in their diet. So I guess it can affect your moods for the better and therefore may do with some people for the worse? I think you have to try to find out for yourself. Use different protein for a couple of months and see what happens (as I think someone has already suggested).
I've also suffered with depression most of my life and have felt best out of all in the last 5 years since doing lots of meditation and changing my outlook/behaviour patterns. Not soy related as been vegan for many years ;)

[nervine]

the raw vegan diet is the best natural way to get rid of depression. the more raw you eat the better you will feel, physicly and mentally.

[Hemlock]

Depression has many causes, the soya could just be coincidental - I've found since eating loads of soya my moods have improved generally.
triggers for mood swings for me are/were:
Television - got rid of the t.v and never felt depressed again, there are only so many depressing reports/shows you can watch and not be dragged under.
Lack of exercise
Junk foods/food additives
The pill or any contraceptive with hormones in - I can't use any of them.
An unsatisfying job/lack of social life.
I think Nervine is totally right, from what I've seen and heard of raw foodists they seem a pretty healthy and sorted crowd.

[flutterby]

Rather than have numerous active threads about depression, several posts that weren't necessarily about soya and depression, are now in the depression thread, http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1340 . Thanks

[Gorilla]

the raw vegan diet is the best natural way to get rid of depression. the more raw you eat the better you will feel, physicly and mentally.
but if your depression causes or is related to an eating disorder, it's not that simple.

ensuring you get the right nutrients from a high raw diet isn't always easy and requires planning and preparation, which in my experience just isn't possible when you feel depressed. besides, the more raw food i eat, the weaker and more tired i feel. it never seems to fill me up.

[mariannetheresa]

well this concerns me. i have hypothyroidism, and i take synthroid as a supplement. if soy consumption inteferes with my body processing the synthroid, that bothers me a great deal, such as this article
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy_3.htm

gee whillikers, what do i do with my soy addiction now?