Craig Burton asked:


Soy “stops cancer and baldness” (1)

“Soy foods can stimulate the growth of oestrogen-dependent tumours and cause thyroid problems.” (7)

“Boosting your Soy intake could reduce your risk of ****** cancer.” (5)

“A British Government report concluded that there is little evidence that soy foods protect against ****** cancer or any other forms of cancer. In fact, soy foods may result in an increased risk of cancer.” (8)

Confused?

This article on soy will examine the following:

- History of the humble soy bean

- It’s role in the Asian diet

- It’s role in the Western diet – where is it lurking

- Critical questions regarding its safety

- The guinea pigs

Soy Beginnings The soy plant was initially used as ‘green manure’ or a cover crop plowed under to enrich the soil, and it became known to the Chinese as ‘the yellow jewel’. Soy did not become human food till late in the Chou Dynasty (1134-246 BC), after the Chinese developed a process of fermentation to make it into soy paste, called miso, with the run-off liquid called soy sauce. Tofu came after miso and in Japan, and China it was rarely served as a main course except in monasteries where it was eaten with miso or fish stock. Around 1000 A.D fermented soy foods, natto and tempeh entered the food supply. Modern soy products such as soy-protein isolate and concentrate made using highly processed methods were unknown in Asia till after World War II. Furthermore neither soy milk nor infant formula is traditional in Asia. The first person to manufacture soy milk was actually an American missionary and physician Harry Miller. “Claims that soybeans have been a major part of the Asian diet for more than 3,000 years, or ‘time immemorial’ are simply not true.” (6)

Soy in the Asian diet According to a spokesman for Cancer Research UK “There’s a lot of research that countries with a high intake of soy in their diet, such as Japan, tend to have lower rates of prostate cancer and some other types, with the active ingredients in soy thought to be isoflavones.” (1). Sounds very compelling, however let’s elaborate how much soy is actually in the Japanese and Asian diet. According to the soy industry’s own figures Asians eat very little soy; around 9.3 to 36grams per day in China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Taiwan. In comparison a cup of Tofu is 252grams, or soy milk 240 grams (6). More importantly the quality is hardly comparable, with the Asian countries generally eating their soy already fermented like miso soup, not as tofu, sausages or meat replacement foods. According to Sally Fallon from Weston A Price foundation (leading independent health group) approximately 65% of Japanese calories come from fish while in China the same percentage from Pork. So it is far from the backbone of their diet (8).

Soy in the Western diet Apart from the obvious where else is soy lurking? Research estimates that soy is present in 70% of all supermarket products and widely used in Fast Food chains. Soy is used to bulk out and bind many processed foods such as sausages, lasagne, beef burgers and chicken nuggets (food firms can then put a higher protein value on them). Even the husk is used for fibre in breads, cereals, and snacks. The big one is in vegetable oil- soy is the most consumed vegetable oil in the world and is used in margarines, salad dressings and cooking oils. Food labels simply list soy oil as vegetable oil As well as that 90% of the 200 million tonnes of soy produced annually is used to feed animals (3).

Soy and the Thyroid According to Mary Shomon editor of http://www.thyroid-info.com (9) “Soy products increase the risk of thyroid disease. And this danger is particularly great for infants on soy formula…More than 70 years of human, animal and laboratory studies show that soybeans put the thyroid at risk.” Dr. Mike Fitzpatrick, an environmental scientist and phytoestrogen researcher who has conducted in-depth studies on soy, particularly the use of soy formulas published in the New Zealand Medical journal. Dr. Fitzpatrick makes it clear that soy products can have a detrimental affect on both adults and infants. In particular, he firmly believes that soy formula manufacturers should remove the isoflavones — that part of the soy products that act as anti-thyroid agents — from their products (2) How do researchers induce thyroid cancers in laboratory animals? They use thyroid-inhibiting foods like soy in combination with thyroid boosting drugs like Synthroid. (6) How much soy can impair thyroid problems? Perhaps as little as 30 mg or less than a glass of soy milk. (4)

Soy and reproduction Here is an interesting fact. Tofu is consumed by Buddhist monks to reduce libido. Humans and animals appear to be the most vulnerable to the effects of soy estrogens prenatally, during infancy and puberty, during pregnancy and lactation – all the major phases of hormonal shifts with growth and development. How powerful can soy be to the hormone system? One landmark study showed “that as little as 45mg of isoflavines could alter the length of a premenopausal woman’s menstrual cycle.” (4) Obviously it’s harder to find a cause and effect relationship as there are many potentially triggers to hormonal imbalances and reproductive problems. However in animals this has been more thoroughly tested. According to Dr Mary Enig (world renowned lipid and hormone specialist) female pigs can only ingest it in amounts no greater than 1% during lactation phase or face developmental problems in the piglets (8).

Soy and the environment Soy was previously considered a good source of protein which attracted vegetarians looking for meat alternatives. But it’s a double whammy for environmental and health conscious vegetarians as the effect of soy farming on the environment is dramatic. It is predicted that 10,000 hectares of forest every year in Argentina (20 football fields an hour). If this continues at this rate in fives years time the country’s native forests will have disappeared. Similar scenarios are being played out in Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia all thanks to companies like the genetic engineering giant Monsanto. The World Wide Fund for Nature published a report recently calculating that 22 million hectares of forests and savannah in South America (an area the size of Great Britain) will be wiped out by 2020. Crops have also triggered soil erosion, and the widespread use of pesticides and chemicals are destroying some of the world’s most delicate habitats. (3).

Soy Business Soy is traded as an international commodity, like oil and gold. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry. “The reason there’s so much soy in America is because they [the soy industry] started to plant soy to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry. Once they had as much oil as they did in the food supply they had a lot of soy protein residue left over, and since they can’t feed it to animals, except in small amounts, they had to find another market.” (2)

Conclusion So Soy’s reputation as a health panacea is now badly blemished. It still has some supporters, but it is important to examine their background to ensure they are not just PR mouthpieces for a very powerful Soy industry. Big Soy, like big pharmaceutical, has been a powerful force shaping an attitude to nutrition and health. Given the mounting evidence that does not support Soy as a health food I believe we need to be very nervous about accepting big Soy spin as nutritional gospel.

Your 3d Coach

Craig Burton

References

1. BBC News 2004, Soy stops cancer and Baldness, 14/11/2004

2. http://www.mercola.com/2004/jan/21/soy.htm, Soy: Is it healthy or is it harmful

3. Anthony Barnett, The Observer, They hailed it a wonder food, 7/11/2004

4. http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/articles/Shadow.htm, Sean Carson, The shadow of Soy or, How I stopped loving and learned to worry about the bean

5. www.thehealthierlife.co.uk, Soy Health benefits: why boosting your intake of soy could reduce your risk of ****** cancer

6. www.thewholesoystory.com, Whole soy story: The dark side of America’s favorite health food. Daniel, K, T

7. New Zealand Medical Journal (vol 113 Feb 11 2000) Soy Formulas and the effects of isoflavones on the thyroid.

8. www.westonaprice.org, Myths and Truths about soy food

9. http://www.thyroid-info.com, Mary Shomon editor.



Rebecca

asked:


Soybeans: The Food of the Future – Norman A. Rubin

(Soybeans contains cheap protein that is convenient of process, can take on any form of

texture and has a long shelf life.)

The majority of individuals in the western world have a fairly regular eating habits; eating occurs three times a day at mealtime with snack at a coffee or tea break. The issue of healthy eating has long been an important concern to individuals or to the society as a whole. Amoung the varied practices is to have a diet with a limited meat consumption and more vegetables and fruit – ‘soybean’, as a food product, substitute for meat, food addition, is one that is highly recommended in one’s diet by dieticians and doctors alike.

Soy components are found among varied products, in breakfast cereals, cheeses, processed meat, ice cream products, baby formulas including milk substitute, cakes and cookies, backed goods and sauces. The soy protein is a relatively heat-stable storage protein. It is this heat-stability of the soy protein that enables soy food products requiring high temperature cooking, such as tofu, soymilk and soy flour to be made.

In fact the next hamburger, schnitzel or hot dog one may buy at the grocers or order at a restaurant could be a soybean substitute or an addition to meat products. Various spices and flavor extracts are added to the mixture. Colors from natural sources are then added to the mash – the hamburger and schnitzel gets its brown color from caramel and the hot dog gets its color from beets. Log on “www.unitedsoybean.org’’ to find listing of soy-based products, and to help you incorporate healthful soy foods into your diet.

Soybean oil is widely used oil and is commonly called ‘vegetable oil’. Soybean oil is a very healthy food, as it does not contain much saturated fat. Soybean oil is also used by the food industry in a variety of food products including salad dressings, sandwich spreads, vegetable margarine, health bread, mayonnaise, non-dairy coffee creamers and meat substitute foods. (Saturated fat can cause heart diseases and is mainly found in products from animal origin.)

Soymilks, cheeses, and yogurts are placed side by side in the dairy case with milk products; soy butter is next to peanut butter; and frozen microwave items, sausages soy burgers and schnitzels are all mixed together with meat products in the freezer case.

The soybean pods are similar to the size of the peapod; the soybean within the pod is similar and size of a pea with a firm, crisp texture. Green vegetable soybeans are highly recommended as a vegetable, which may be eaten as a side dish or snack, or used in salads and soup, etc.. ‘www.soyfoods.com’. or

‘www.revivalsoy.com’. is a source for soy food information based on data obtained from the Soyfoods Association of America.

Eating soybean-based foods may reduce the risk of a range of health problems, including coronary heart disease: it could be wise to include whole soy foods in the daily diet. Soy is a high quality protein and high in fibre. It is one of only two known plant foods to contain all the essential amino acids, similar to those found in meat. Eating soybean-based foods may reduce the risk of a range of health problems, including coronary heart disease. Additional research is needed, but the evidence so far suggests that it could be wise to include whole soy foods in the daily diet. See your doctor or dietitian for further guidance.

At www.amazon.com you can order the ‘New Soy Book: Tempting Recipes for Soybeans, Soy Milk, Tofu, Tempeh, Miso and Soy Sauce by Lorna Sass and Jonelle Weaver (Paperback).

NOTE:

1) Before the end of World War II, soybeans were mainly used as animal feed and fertilizer. Then a way was found to remove the characteristic flavor and taste from soy and process it quickly, break it down to its basic components and use it cheaply for human consumption in a variety of foods.

2) Tofu is a cheese-like food made from soybean “milk”. Tofu contains no cholesterol, is low in sodium, and is a good source of calcium, iron, and B-vitamins. And is recommended on for a baby formulae when babies cannot drink regular milk (consult your doctor before usage for your child).

3) Soybeans belong to the legume family and are native to East Asia. They have been an important protein source in the Orient for millions of people for over five thousand years. Soybeans can be grown on a variety of soils and a wide range of climates, ranging form tropical Brazil to the snowy lands of North America. When soybeans arrived in America in the early 1800’s – as ballast aboard a clipper ship returning from the Far East and viewed with curiosity. It wasn’t until 1879 that a few brave farmers began to plant soybeans as forage for their livestock. By the turn of the century, the US Department of Agriculture was conducting tests on soybeans and encouraging farmers to plant them as animal feed. In 1904, chemist, George Washington Carver at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama discovered that soybeans are a valuable source of protein and oil.



Robin

Raymond Lee asked:


Can tofu help prevent ****** cancer? Increasingly, it looks that way. Soy foods – soybeans, tofu, miso, tempeh, soy milk, soy protein and textured vegetable protein (TVP), but not soy sauce – offer all the healing benefits of the other beans. In addition, they contain unusually large concentrations of chemicals – isoflavones and phytosterols – with cancer-preventive value. These chemicals may help account for the low rate of ****** cancer among Asian women, who eat soy foods as staples.

Breast cancer. Soy isoflavones and phytosterols first came to American scientific attention at a National Cancer Institute conference in 1990. isoflavones, also known as phytoestrogens show the most powerful anti-cancer effects. They are structurally similar to the female *** hormone, and they bind to the same receptor sites on ****** cells. But unlike hormonal estrogen, isoflavones and phytosterols do not spur the growth of ****** tumors. When the soy chemicals bind to estrogen receptors, they prevent hormonal estrogen from doing so, which in turn prevents tumor growth. Soy foods’ marked influence in estrogen metabolism was demonstrated on six women in their twenties with regular menstrual cycles add two ounces of TVP to their usual diets. Within a month, their menstrual cycles were two to five days longer. Longer menstrual cycles mean less lifetime exposure to estrogen and, many scientists believe, less risk of ****** cancer. It was also then substituted the same amount of miso, a fermented Asian soy food, for the TVP and found an even greater effect.

Hot flashes. In Japanese, there is no word for “hot flashes,” the uncomfortable feeling of heat that plagues many women during menopause. Hot flashes develop as production of hormonal estrogen declines. It is suggested that the estrogen-like chemicals in soy replace declining hormonal estrogen and prevent hot flashes. Japanese who eat a traditional Japanese diet consume about 24 pounds of soy a year. Americans consume about 3 pounds annually, mostly because soy protein is added to many processed foods. Eat as much soy as you can, as long as your soy foods are low in fat.

High cholesterol. As beans replace meat in the diet, cholesterol levels decline. Research showed that, compared with other beans, soy foods are effective cholesterol cutters. In a study, volunteers whose average cholesterol levels were very high (353 mg/dl) and who were already on low-fat diets. Some continued eating as they had been, while the others’ diets were modified to include generous amounts of soy. After four weeks, the ones whose diets were unchanged showed no change in cholesterol levels, but among the soy eaters, average cholesterol levels plummeted 27 percent, to 257 mg/dl.

Prostate and colon cancer. Tofu and its soy cousins may also help prevent prostate and colon cancer. A study showed that those who ate the most tofu had the lowest rate of prostate cancer. It was also discovered that as soy food consumption rises, colon cancer risk falls. Scientists theorize that in addition to soy’s direct anticancer effects, people tend to use it to replace the meat in the diet. Meat’s high fat content has been linked to both prostate and colon cancer.



Amanda