The Power of Advertising

If you’ve ever questioned the power of advertising, look no further than the soy industry. Through magazine, television, newspaper, and billboard advertising, plus countless media articles and stories, soy has climbed the social ladder from cheap food for the poor to expensive health food for the affluent. We Americans have been duped into believing that soy is a panacea for a host of modern medical problems and is more desirable than animal products. Why? Because there is a superabundance of soybeans.

I’d like to share some little-known facts which reveal that soy is not everything it's cracked up to be. You won't hear this from the industry spokespeople. In fact, their marketing efforts have done much to conceal the negative health implications of soy. Take it from this reformed soy consumer, you owe it to yourself (and your well-being!) to hear the entire story.

A Look Inside the Bean

Let’s start with the chemistry of soybeans. They contain a variety of harmful substances (such as powerful enzyme inhibitors) which block the action of trypsin and other enzymes necessary for protein digestion. Cooking does not completely destroy these anti-nutrients and can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, reduced protein digestion, chronic amino acid uptake, and even cancer. Since protein and amino acids are the building blocks of life, this information should be taken seriously, especially by vegetarians who rely on soy as their primary source of protein.

Soybeans are also high in an organic acids called phytates. They block the uptake of essential minerals in the small intestine such as magnesium, iron, and especially zinc. The only way to significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans is to properly ferment them for long periods of time. That’s why miso, tempeh, tamari, and shoyu are nourishing forms of the soybean, but only if properly fermented.

So just the mere chemistry of the soybean poses some serious health problems. Now, add to that the processing of soy. We’ll start with soymilk since it is so widely used as a dairy substitute. To destroy the enzyme inhibitors, the soybeans are soaked in an alkaline solution, which actually produces the carcinogen lysinealine. The high pH of the soaking solution causes a decrease in the amino acid cystine, which renders the entire protein complex useless unless the diet is fortified with cystine-rich meat, eggs, or dairy products. This solution is then heated to about 239 degrees F in a pressure cooker. This reduces most of the anti-nutrients but also denatures the proteins making them difficult to digest and therefore ineffective as a protein source. However, the phytates remain in the soymilk, blocking the uptake of the four essential minerals listed above. The icing on the cake (pun intended) is the various unhealthy refined sweeteners, preservatives, and stabilizers that may be added, depending on the brand.

Not For Babies. Not For Women.

What about soy infant formula? By now you may be able to guess the problems with, in some cases, baby’s first food. Yes, the high phytate content has caused zinc deficiency in infants. This is serious, since zinc is necessary for optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. Soy protein isolate, the main ingredient in soy formula, is a highly-refined product that compromises both the protein and vitamin content. In addition, the enzyme inhibitors are still present, making digestion and protein simulation even more difficult. Soy formula lacks cholesterol, absolutely essential for the development of the brain and nervous system. Also lacking are lactose and galactose which are equally essential for the development of the nervous system.

What soy formulas and other soy products are NOT lacking is phytoestrogens. While menopausal and post-menopausal women think they have found a hot flash elixir, what they are really getting is a stimulate for estrogen-dependent tumors and thyroid problems. Babies can experience similar problems. Those that are fed soymilk can be susceptible to thyroid dysfunction as well as other very serious hormonal problems. It has been estimated that an infant fed soy formula exclusively receives the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at least five birth control pills per day. The potential side effects? Extreme emotional behavior, asthma, immune system problems, pituitary dysfunction, irritable bowel syndrome, early puberty and reproductive problems in girls, delayed puberty in boys, learning difficulties, and depression.

There is so much more to say about the dangerous health implications of soy. I encourage you to roll up your sleeves and do your own research. But you’ll have to dig deep–sometimes to the original sources–to find out the truth about soy. An excellent source is the Weston A. Price Foundation, which is currently lobbying Congress to do away with soy infant formula. This privately-funded organization, with no ties to the food industry, has done extensive research on soy. I credit many of the facts stated above to information I garnered from their publication, The Ploy of Soy: A Debate on Modern Soy Products.

Alternatives to Soy

If you are dependent upon various soy products, I encourage you to seek alternatives. Vegetarians, vegans, and those who are lactose-intolerant depend upon soymilk as their dairy substitute. There are numerous recipes for homemade almond and rice milks such as those found in, Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig. I encourage homemade because the commercial products are highly-processed. A very healthful alternative for many people (vegans aside) is raw, organic cow or goat’s milk. Many lactose-intolerant people find they can drink milk in its pure form.

The best alternative for soy infant formula is mother’s breast milk. I encourage mothers to do whatever you can to give their babies the best possible start in life by nursing--even if it means learning better techniques from a midwife nurse, doctor, or pumping before work or during office breaks. Your child’s health in later years will be worth the sacrifice. If nursing is absolutely not an option, the Weston A. Price Foundation has milk-based and milk-free formula recipes readily available.

Vegetarians and vegans who depend on tofu, soy cheese, soy dogs, and many other soy products will have the most difficult transition in becoming soy-free. However, they have the most to gain as some young women in their 20s are already experiencing the backlash of a predominately soy-based diet. I must be honest and say that practicing vegans are going to have a very difficult time remaining healthy as they grow older. With some hard work, vegetarians have a better chance, providing they consume a very good supply of raw milk, cream, butter, and pastured eggs; if they can’t do well in this regard, they must often add wild fish to their diet. The plant combinations of legumes and grains simply do not provide complete protein.

To Soy or Not to Soy?

Not. If you want to be truly healthy, start by removing soy from your diet, with the exception of properly fermented miso, tamari, shoyu, and tempeh.

Wishing you good health through healthy food.

© 2003 Cynthia Cechota, M.S.