Soy milk, soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy hot dogs, soy, soy bad! Soy is a perfect example of how marketing can manipulate science. When I ask clients to name a few “healthy foods”, soy always seems to be within the top five. I always enjoy the priceless reaction I get when I tell them of my disapproval of soy. “What, soy is bad? But my doctor recommended it for lowering my cholesterol”. “My dietician recommended it to help me lose weight.” It’s amazing what millions of dollars on marketing can do.
To clear the air
Soy was first used as a food by the Chinese centuries ago when they learned how to ferment soy beans to make foods like tempeh, natto, and tamari. Since then somewhere down the line a marketing expert in the US decided that the Chinese were healthier than us Americans and figured it had to be the soy. It didn’t manner that the Orient was more in tune with the land, mind, body, and spirit connection and that they had a more integrative health care system. It also helped that soybeans were a relatively cheap crop to grow here in the States.
Some health claims for soy:
Good source of protein – Hmm, uh, no. Soy is not a good quality protein source. It is deficient in the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cystine. And to make matters worse, modern processing of soy denatures the amino acid lysine. Basically, it won’t be fully digested by our bodies and places an extra load to our bodily systems. Also, soy contains phytates which are compounds found in beans, grains, and seeds that bind with minerals and prevent their absorption. Minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium can become deficient due to phytates. But the biggest reason why soy is a horrible source of protein: it contains protease inhibitors, which are compounds that inhibit enzymes that help digest proteins. This can lead to malnutrition and excess pancreatic stress (remember, the pancreas secretes enzymes to help digest our food). Lowers cholesterol Reduces menopausal symptoms Prevents cancer These three are listed together because they are true. Certain properties and compounds of soy can lower cholesterol, decrease menopausal symptoms and help prevent cancer, but the overall risks outweigh the benefits. For example, soy estrogens are listed as carcinogens in some chemistry textbooks and there has been well-documented protests filed with the FDA regarding the proposed soy and cancer health claims. Also, if you are a man trying to lower your cholesterol, if you want to keep any of your manhood, you may want to stay away from soy. Soy contains phytoestrogens which are plant compounds with estrogen-like effects. As we all know, what separates a man from a woman is how much estrogen and testosterone one has. Men have more testosterone and women more estrogen. The more soy a man consumes, the less testosterone he may have. In menopausal women, eating soy may relieve some symptoms like hot flashes but at the same time may increase their risk of high estrogen cancers such as in breast cancer. If one is taking soy for cancer prevention, they are better off taking supplements with the specific isolated anti-cancer compound rather than eating the whole processed soybean product.
Although this article may seem very anti-soy, not all soy is bad. It is okay to have miso soup or even tofu once in awhile. The more fermented (soaked) the soy beans and less processed, the less harmful effects. The only recommendation is that the source should be organic and the soy should not be the predominant form of protein within your meal. I find that there is too much media hype regarding soy benefits and for people who need to find alternatives for red meat and dairy, they have much better options than soy. Instead of soy, try other lean sources of protein such as poultry and fish. Red meat is not so bad either as long as you get the leanest cuts (FYI: Red meat is 60 percent saturated fat, the other 40 percent is monounsaturated fat, a good fat). Need soy milk for your cereal? Try goat’s milk instead or even rice or almond milk (although they may have a higher sugar content).
