Soy Overload

The purpose of this article is meant only to provide those interested, not just vegetarians and vegans, information that can aide them in developing their own plan for a healthy diet. I am not meaning to scare you away from products containing soy completely however I would like to help educate you on the dangers of eating too much soy.

Many Vegans and Vegetarians rely significantly on soy and its products such as tofu and tempah as their source of protein. However many are unaware of the dangers that can come from too much soy. It is true that people such as the Chinese incorporate soy into their diets without causing major health issues, but the average American’s exposure to large amounts of soy is much different. Soy is used in many different processed foods so that Americans are essentially getting an overdose of soy- especially those who use soy as their main source of protein.

Soy contains different elements that become hazardous to the body when consumed on a regular daily basis. A few examples are Trypsin inhibitors, haemagglutinin, Phytic acid and phyto-estrogens. Trypsin inhibitors found in soy can cause a variety of health problems from digestive issues to cancer. Trypsin inhibitors along with haemagglutinin both act as growth depressants affecting the healthy growth of the human body, especially in young children. Despite the fact that fermentation weakens this effect it does not completely remove this risk from products like tofu. Phytic acid has been found as a cause of mineral deficiencies (calcium, iron and zinc for example) because of its effect upon digestion in the intestines. Soy foods also contain phyto-estrogens that are suspected as a cause of the early onset of puberty in American girls and are suspected as a cause of breast cancer.

One of the most surprising facts that I uncovered in my research is the fact that, “99%...of soy is genetically modified and it also has one of the highest percentage contamination by pesticides of any of our foods.” So this protein filled super-food that many have been supplementing their diet with, including myself until just recently, started to sound like it was not as great as it has been made out to be. In fact, using it on a regular daily basis seems to be extremely hazardous to your health.

The largest part of the problem for vegans and vegetarians comes from the daily intake of soy they see combined with the soy protein that they are unaware they are even consuming. “These days it can be hard to find foods that don't contain soy flour, soy oil, lecithin (extracted from soy oil and used as an emulsifier in high-fat products), soy protein isolates and concentrates, textured vegetable protein (TVP), hydrolyzed vegetable protein (usually made from soy) or unidentified vegetable oils.” Soy is used in a wide array of products not just products that are dairy free, such as may breads and breakfast cereals. You may be surprised at the amount of soy hiding in your diet if you just take the time to read the list of ingredients.

All of the information here is a mere portion of the information I found online and in books. If you have concerns or doubts regarding this information feel free to search out you own information. With knowledge comes the power to take your health into your own hands!!

The purpose of this article is meant only to help give vegetarians, vegans and anyone else information that can aide them in developing their own idea of a healthy diet. I am not meaning to scare you away from soy products completely however I would like to help educate you on the dangers of eating too much soy. I was drinking soy milk every day as well as using it in my cooking, to me this seems like it may have been too much. If you would like more information on the dangers of soy there are many website and books that can provide with the information you need to make your own decisions regarding the sole of soy in your diet. Below are a couple of links that I found useful.


http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/alert.htm#soy



http://desert-skies.net/AvoidSoy.pdf