Soy protein food is NOT healthy food at all unless it is fermented soy protein, no matter what the ads on TV spout. That means natto, miso, and tempeh should be the only soy protein you eat. You can maybe use soy sauce, if you do not have any problems with gluten, because all of them contain wheat.
I personally have experienced thyroid problems from consuming soy protein food, thinking that I was eating healthy foods for my body. Nothing could be further from the truth and I have the stack of medical bills to confirm it. Hypothyroidism is becoming epidemic is this country and we need to educate people as to its causes.
The Weston A. Price Foundation is an excellent place for doing just that. It is a nonprofit educational foundation that warns the public about the dangers of modern soy protein foods in addition to disseminating much other great nutritional information. There are many other quotes from this organization throughout this entire site. They are a wealth of great information.
The Soy Protein StoryHere's an introduction by Sally Fallon of WAP to the book "The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food (New Trends, Spring 2004) written by Kaayla T. Daniels at this site. This book is very comprehensive on the subject. This is a brief quote taken from it:
"The quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society," said a soy-industry spokesperson back in 1975, ". . . is to have the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society." Thus began the campaign to sell soy products to the upscale consumer, not as a cheap poverty food, but as a miracle substance that would prevent heart disease and cancer, whisk away hot flashes, build strong bones and keep us forever young. Soy funds for research enlisted the voices of university professors who haplessly demonized the competition—meat, milk, cheese, butter and eggs.
Garnering the attention of the health-conscious consumer was an important part of the strategy. Glossy magazines like Vegetarian Times, Health and Self transferred the pro-soy message from health food stores infused with the odor of vitamins to upscale markets, and a raft of books by health professionals encouraged avoidance of meat and dairy as the answer to the rising rates of disease caused by imitation foods.
The funds behind the push for soy are enormous—farmers pay a fee for every bushel of soybeans they sell and a portion of every dollar spent on Twinkies, TV dinners and the thousands of other processed foods that contain soy in one form or another, ultimately go towards the promotion of the most highly processed foods of all—imitation meat, milk, cream, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, candy bars and smoothies made from soy. Even the name of the late Robert Atkins, great defender of beef and butter, has been secunded to the cause. "Low-carb" versions of bread, pastry and pasta—the foods he warned against—are made with high-protein soy."
Soy Protein Food Formula For Infants
Soy formula being promoted for infants is especially horrible, in my opinion, and should be outlawed. It is causing premature puberty in both boys and girls and fertility problems in them too because of its high estrogen content. This is covered in the aforementioned article.
Concerning soy protein food and thyroid malfunctions, here is another quote from WAP on the soy controversy:
"Studies indicating soy’s antithyroid effects go back almost 60 years and continue to the present. A report in Pediatrics 1995 described a case of persistent hypothyroidism in an infant who had received soy formula.8 A 1990 study documents the association of soy formula feeding in infancy and autoimmune thyroid problems.20 A 1991 study in Japan found that soy consumption can suppress thyroid function and cause goiters in healthy people, especially elderly subjects.29 In rats, excess soybean intake with iodine deficiency caused abnormal growth of the thyroid gland.27
In 1997, scientists Divi, Chang and Doerge of the National Center for Toxicological Research discovered that the antithyroid components in soy were the isoflavones that the industry promotes as panaceas for osteoporosis, heart disease and problems associated with menopause.13 Low thyroid function can contribute to osteoporosis, heart disease and problems associated with menopause."
Genetically Engineered Foods
Also, soy protein food is the top number one genetically modified food (GMO) on this planet so you are eating Frankenfoods. There have been no studies done on long term effects on people but problems are beginning to surface in spite of what Monsanto says.
I strongly urge you educate yourself on all aspects of nutrition so that you can make better decisions as to what you put into your body. Different “experts” have divergent opinions on what constitutes healthy eating and only you can decide what is appropriate for you or your children.
Top of Page
Return from Soy Protein Food to Healthy Eating On The Run
Return from Soy Protein Food to Eat a Healthy Breakfast
