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The Israeli Health Ministry recently issued a health advisory strongly recommending that soy foods be eaten only in moderation. They also recommended that soy formula be avoided altogether by infants.

A Host of Disorders

There are hundreds of studies linking soy with such disorders as:

• Digestive problems
• Thyroid dysfunction
• ADD and ADHD
• Dementia
• Reproductive disorders
• Cancer

Phytoestrogens are the Culprit

The Israeli Ministry based its advice on the findings of a panel of nutritionists, oncologists, pediatricians and other specialists who spent over a year looking at the available evidence. They concluded that the phytoestrogens in soy (estrogen-like plant hormones) can be harmful. Their recommendations are in accord with those made by the United Kingdom’s chief medical officer and the British Dietetic Association.

The panel found that:

• The evidence that soy alleviates menopausal symptoms is inconsistent.
• Soy phytoestrogens increase the risk of breast cancer.
• Soy phytoestrogens can also reduce male fertility.

They also noted that while soy has been shown to reduce blood cholesterol, there is no proof that it reduces the risk of heart disease.

The panel concluded that the proven risks of soy foods outweigh the possible benefits.

Mothering August 2005

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:

The Israeli Health Ministry has made a wise decision, and I hope the knowledge of the potential dangers posed by uninformed soy use continues to spread.

After an aggressivemarketing campaign from the soy industry, Americans are convinced that soy is a miracle health food. Some 200 million Americans are now eating soy in record amounts and in newly created, highly processed forms like soymilk, soy burgers, soy energy bars, soy ice cream, soy cereal and soy meat.

Meanwhile, thousands of studies link soy foods to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, infertility and a host of other problems.

Millions of Americans feed soy formula to their infants. The estrogens in soy can irreversibly harmyour baby’s future sexual development and reproductive health, and can cause many other developmental abnormalities.

Soy formula should never be used as it can damage your infant. It:

• Will adversely affect hormone levels, as it has been associated with reduced testosterone levels.
• Will impair thyroid function through isoflavones present in the formula.
• Increases the risk of behavioral problems.
• Will expose infants to up to 2,000 times higher estrogen content.
• Has potentially high concentrations of aluminum and manganese.

There are some soy productsthat are, in fact, good for you — but only certain types and in limited quantities. Fermented soy, which includes natto, miso andtempeh,is a health food for most. But soy formula is an abomination that has caused much damage to the children of this country, and it should be immediately banned for sale everywhere.

Related Articles:
Soy Formula Kills Three Babies
Think Soy is Healthy?
Here’s Why it’s Not as Good as You Think
Soy Formula May Stunt the Intestinal Growth in Your Baby

Dr. Mercola is the founder of Mercola.com, one of the world’s most visited and trusted health websites, and publisher of the free Mercola.com e-newsletter — the #1 dietary health and wellness newsletter on the Web with over 500,000 subscribers. Dr. Mercola, a physician for over two decades, is also a New York Times bestselling author whose latest book, “Dr. Mercola’s Total Health Program,” presents his entire renowned dietary health program and has sold over 150,000 copies. He is routinely interviewed by the media for his expert insights, including CNN and ABC World News Tonight. His passion is to change the fatally flawed conventional medical system to one focused on real prevention and cure.

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So, how much soy did Asians eat?

Not much, even though we, as a society have been led by expert mass marketing to think otherwise. Soy has never, ever been a food staple in Asian history. The exception was that the poor often used the soybean to fill their empty bellies during times of famine. Even then, the soybeans were prepared in such a way as to neutralize the natural and inherent soy toxins thus proving that even ancient Asians understood the soybean better than we do today.
Soy is touted as the original protein source for those persuing a vegetarian lifestyle.

To consume a serving of tofu and a couple of glasses of soy milk has become commonplace for many Americans. This is absolutely in excess of the amount of soy that Asians consume. In native Asia, from where so much of this “research” is purported to have originated, a tablespoon or two of soy is simply used as a condiment. According to K. C. Chang, the editor of ” Food in Chinese Culture” the total caloric intake of soy in the Chinese diet during the 1930’s was only 1.5 percent as compared to 65 percent for pork products.

The huge concern about consuming large amounts of soy products lies in the mega dosing of isoflavones. If consumers follow the nutritional advice of Protein Technologies International (manufactures of soy isolated protein) their daily genistein intake (an isoflavin found in soy) could exceed 200 milligrams per day. It goes without saying this level of genistein intake should be avoided.

Up until only two decades ago, soy was considered unfit to eat. By Asians mind you! To see the hold soy products have on the USA marketplace is truly a miracle. Agricultural literature clearly depicts the soybean and its first and foremost use as a crop rotation plant used to fix nitrogen in the soil. Soybeans did not serve as any form of food until the advent of the Chow Dynasty. During this period, fermentation techniques brought us some of the soy edibles we see today such as tempeh, soy sauce and natto. In the second century B.C., the Chinese discovered a porridge of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium sulphate or magnesium sulphate (Plaster of Paris or Epsom salts) to make tofu. Sound healthy?

The Chinese did not eat unfermented soybeans as they did other legumes because the soybean contains large amounts of antinutrients (toxins). First among them is heamagglutinin, a clot promoting substance that makes red blood cells clump together. Soy is rich in enzyme inhibitors that block the action of much needed enzymes required to digest proteins. These inhibitors are not deactivated during cooking. They can cause gastric distress and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. Protein inhibitors and haemagglutinin are scientifically proven to inhibit growth, as evidenced in studies of weanling rats who eventually failed to thrive.

Soy contains goitrogens, plant chemicals that inhibit thyroid function. AND 99% percent of the soy we consume is genetically modified, otherwise known as GMO. Soy has one of the highest percentages of contamination by pesticides of any of our foods. Soy is rich in phytic acid, a chemical that blocks the uptake of essential minerals. Soy has the highest phytate levels of all the grains and legumes. The phytates have been found to be resistant even to to long slow cooking in an effort to denature them. There exist hundreds of research articles on phytic acid and their effects, including binding with certain nutrients, like iron, to inhibit their absorption.

The marketing push for more soy products has been relentless and global. Public relations firms help convert research projects into newspaper articles and advertising copy. It has worked like a charm. Soy protein is now found in a majority of supermarket breads. Soy can be found blended in the regular old corn tortilla. Try to find a salad dressing in a health food store whose first ingredient is not soy oil. Advertising for a new soy enriched loaf from Allied Bakeries in Britain targets menopausal women seeking relief from hot flashes. It goes on and on.

For more information on the great soy misinformation please consult the well written and respected book entitled The Whole Soy Story by Dr. Kaayla Daniel.

Dr. Linda Posh MS SLP ND. “Doc Posh” brings a fresh perspective to natural health and nutrition. She packs a solid educational background with degrees in organic chemistry, psychology and a Masters in Communication Sciences and Disorders. The Dr. sports a diverse work history including experience and expertise in acute care neurorehab services, special education, autism support services, spinal cord injuries, senior rehabilitation services and currently consults to both patients and colleagues in natural health. Recently, she has been in the laboratory, formulating revolutionary whole food nutritional supplements.

Nutra-Resources Body Balance Liquid Vitamins Website donates all profits to providing free Health Care for those in need. Sign up for Doc Posh’s newsletter. Get the latest in health care discoveries, consumer deception and more. Visit http://www.Nutra-Resources.com for the finest in liquid vitamins.

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