The history of soybeans and how it evolved from a relatively obscure and rarely consumed food into a $6.6 billion per year and growing traditional industry is curious.
In 1913, soybeans were listed in the USDA manual not as a food but as an industrial by-product. Originally planted in the United States extensively in order to extract soybean oil – which eventually replaced much healthier tropical oils – the byproduct of the process was a massive amount of soy protein.
One would think that the (already existing) knowledge that soy was not a suitable food for animals would have led someone to conclude that the same was true for humans. But the temptation to turn a huge problem into a huge opportunity won out.
Thanks to brilliant marketing, intense lobbying with the FDA and a smear campaign against tropical oils, the soy industry has been very effective in promoting soy as an ideal protein and a great way to lower cholesterol. ; reduce symptoms of menopause; and protect against heart disease. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It seems ironic that soy is so accepted as a health food when Dr. Kaayla Daniel, the author of the most comprehensive book written about this soy deception – “The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food” states, “Thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive disorders, immune system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility, even cancer and disease. heart.”
After reviewing decades of studies on the health benefits of soy, the American Heart Association’s nutrition committee found little to no evidence to support the above claims – that soy foods reduce cholesterol or limit menopause-related symptoms – or that, moreover, soy helps prevent cancers of the prostate, breast or uterus.
So, is soy safe? Consider the following: Soy contains potentially harmful components, including:
o antinutrients, which contain inhibitors that deter enzymes needed for protein digestion,
o hemagglutinins which cause clumping of red blood cells
o goitrogens which can lead to depressed thyroid function
o phytates which prevent the absorption of minerals
o phytoestrogens which block the hormone estrogen
or aluminum
o and toxic levels of manganese, a trace element that we actually need daily in trace amounts, but whose excessive exposure can harm the nervous system
And if that’s not enough to get you thinking, most soybeans are genetically modified and contaminated with large amounts of pesticides.
Two-thirds of processed foods contain some type of soy, so you may be eating it without even knowing it. Learn to read food labels and watch out for soy protein isolates; soybean oil; soy protein concentrate; textured vegetable proteins; and hydrolyzed vegetable proteins in the ingredients.
What about the dangers of soy milk? Although soy milk is nothing more than the waste product of the tofu-making process, it continues to grow in popularity as more and more consumers drink it instead of milk. Did you know that drinking even two glasses of soy milk a day for a month contains enough phytoestrogens to alter a woman’s menstrual cycle?
Additionally, tofu is not “natural”, but a highly processed form of soybean curd, and it has all of the health risks associated with other highly processed soy foods, including potential health risks. brain.
If the soy is fermented and non-GM (genetically modified), soy can be a healthy addition to your diet. Fermented soy products include tempeh, miso, natto, and soy sauce or tamari.
Quite frankly, the words “soy” and “health” don’t seem to belong in the same expression –. you would be doing yourself a huge health service by completely eliminating all soy from your diet.
