Is soy healthy or not?
http://gretabfit.typepad.com/gretabfit/2009/08/im-rethinking-soyand-so-should-you.html
Discussing if soy is really a healthy food or not.
Is it?!?!!?
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M$15 Answers
Nutritionally, there are many benefits, one of the most talked about is Isoflavones. Isoflavones are thought to reduce the risk of some cancers. Soy foods are also a low cost protein source.
There are a couple of concerns around the use of soy as a protein. For infants and children, a soy allergy can be as serious as a peanut allergy. If soy is used as the protein source of packaged foods, it can be challenging to weed out unsafe foods.
The other concern is the effects of phytoestrogens in soy. Does their presence in our food supply increase the risk of some types of cancer. The phytoestrogens from soy are currently one suspect in the increasing occurrence of feline hyperthyroidism, especially in younger cats.
Can hardly wait until Thanksgiving Day!
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1.) Caustic chemicals - Yes, there are food grade caustic chemicals, called GRAS chemical (Generally Regarded as Safe) by the USDA. In the typical commercial process for extracting soy proteins from soy beans, the proteins are extracted from defatted soy flour by adjusting the pH to slightly alkaline. (By the way, your blood pH is slightly alkaline, approximately 7.4. Milk of Magnesia has a pH of 10.5.). The pH range at which they adjust it to is to 10.0 and the most common chemical used is caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide. This helps remove the fat, and then the protein is separated from the slurry by adjusting the pH back down to below in the range of 3.8 to 6.0, which is the slightly acid range. (By the way lemons have a pH around 2.0.)
The moral of this story: there is no caustic left in the protein, it changes to salt, or sodium chloride when the pH is lowered. So there is no caustic residue !
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5658714/fulltext.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_pH_level_of_Milk_of_Magnesia
2.) GMO - genetically modified organisms - A big phrase that sounds bad, but definitely isn't the threat that it has been inflated to represent. All of the problems that exist are "perceived, or imagined" problems. Scientific evidence for any of these threats has not presented. And we have been genetically modifying plants since man has taken up the agrarian life style.
So you could sum up the Anti-GMO arguments the way Chicken Little perceived things: "The sky is falling! The sky is falling! "
3.) Soy protein in diets has been found to lower estrogen levels associated with the occurrence of breast and colon cancers.
news.bio-medicine.org/.../Diet-rich-in-soy-protein-lowers-estrogens-associated-with-breast-cancer-6694-1/
www.nutraingredients-usa.com/.../Hormone-link-to-colon-cancer-new-benefit-from-soy-protein
Additionally, there have been no studies that have corroborated the research of Drane, et. al -"Oestrogenic Activity of Soya-Bean Products"
which was done on hamsters, measuring uterine weights.
The hamsters were fed soy meal, which is different from soy protein. Soy meal has the fats, whereas soy protein is defatted. Hormones would be removed in the defatting process and would not be in the soy protein.
4-6.) Claims which are all unsupported speculations
7.) The only claim for which I believe that there is some evidence is that some soy-based formulas do have too much aluminum. The safety guideline is one mg/kg bodyweight and some formulas have exceeded this limit. High exposure averages were up to 0.9 mg/kg bw per week for milk-based formulae and 1.1 mg/kg bw per week for soya-based formulae.
Some brands had four times higher than the average concentrations, leading to a four times higher potential exposure.
http://www.nutraingredients.com/Regulation/EFSA-sets-new-intake-level-for-aluminium-in-food
in text
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(1) caustic chemicals - And? There are lots of "caustic" chemicals, many of them entirely natural and normal. Like soap!
(2) GMOs? Yes, we should be careful, but humans have been modifying the genetics of plants and animals for thousands of years. It's what we do. If a particular GMO is shown to be dangerous, then we should ban it, but a general fear of GMOs is irrational. Personally, I'd rather have GMO soy than pesticide soy (or no soy at all).
(3) Soy = five birth control pills a DAY?
OK, I'm done reading this. This sounds made up, whole cloth. I'd like to see some evidence for this.
Here's what the USDA says. If you were serious about checking this out, I wouldn't rely entirely on the USDA, but it is a good, reputable starting point.
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The soybean has a long history and a very long journey through out the world. This journey, lasting almost 27 centuries, changed the world that we know today. Soy products feed a large part of nearly every country's inhabitants, as well as various non-edible uses. The soybean was first cultivated by the Chinese. It then spread further throughout China and to other countries around it. Some time after the domestication of the soy plant, Europeans too learned about the uses of the soybean and they started to grow it. Much later, with a hand from Benjamin Franklin, the soybean made it's journey to America. The soybean has had a lengthy journey, and one that has effected the whole world.
Soybeans were first used as early as the 11th century BC by the Chinese. Soybeans were honored by the ancient Chinese and the emperor Sheng-Nung named it as one of the five sacred plants. Included with soybeans rice, wheat, barley, and millet. Soybeans were used in this early civilization both as food and also as a medicine. Perhaps the soybean actually helped cure sicknesses because of the vitamins that it contains. Centuries after the soybeans were being used by the Chinese, they were domesticated and it is now said that they could be one of the first crops ever to be grown by humans. It wasn't long after this when the rest of the world learned about the benefits of the soybean.
More on The History of Soy - http://www.organic-items.com/history-of-soy.htm
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M$
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
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Do you have any sources that would confirm these claims?
There are pros and cons regarding phytic acid. Check the wikipedia entry for more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytic_acid
"Phytic acid is a strong chelator of important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, and can therefore contribute to mineral deficiencies in people whose diets rely on these foods for their mineral intake, such as those in developing countries.On the other hand, it has been shown that phytic acid is protective against osteoporosis, and low consumption of phytate should be considered a risk factor for osteoporosis. It also acts as an acid, chelating the vitamin niacin, which is basic, causing the condition known as pellagra. In this way, it is an anti-nutrient, despite its theraputic effects (see below) which simultaneously make it a beneficial phytochemical. For people with a particularly low intake of essential minerals, especially young children and those in developing countries, this effect can be undesirable."
"Phytic acid may be considered a phytonutrient, providing an antioxidant effect. Phytic acid's mineral binding properties may also prevent colon cancer by reducing oxidative stress in the lumen of the intestinal tract. Researchers now believe that phytic acid, found in the fiber of legumes and grains, is the major ingredient responsible for preventing colon cancer and other cancers.
It has been shown that phytic acid is protective against Parkinson's disease in vitro. The compound significantly decreased apoptotic cell death induced by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium in a cell culture model.
Phytic acid's chelating effect may serve to prevent, inhibit, or even cure some cancers by depriving those cells of the minerals (especially iron) they need to reproduce. The deprivation of essential minerals like iron would, much like other broad treatments for cancers, also have negative effects on non-cancerous cells."
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M$This is the article I recommend reading if you need more info about soy's effect on health:
http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2008/03/sprouted-soy-is-good-for-body-and-may.html
articlesofhealth.blogspot.com / book "pH Miracle" by Dr. Rober O. Young
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Soy does bind to thyroxine, which can exacerbate hypothyroidism in people who have it. However, for people with normal thyroid function, it would take a lot of soy to cause any noticeable effect. I consume soy milk as a substitute for cow's milk all the time and my thyroid levels are fine.
My main concern with soy is the fact that it mimics estrogen, which could theoretically trigger cancer. There are some isolated, weak links between excess soy consumption over the course of several years and lung cancer. However this has not been extensively studied and I would not cut soy from your diet just because of that.
As for the aluminum content, soy is not the only culprit. If you drink tea you're getting aluminum and fluoride. And I'm sure there's plenty of other foods that contain aluminum and a host of other unwelcome metals as well.
Overall soy is a great part of any diet. It's high in fiber, low in carbohydrates, and full of healthy fats, so it's not something I'd consider removing from your diet unless absolutely necessary.
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M$Soy relieves menopausal symptoms
Soy reduces risk for heart diseases
Soy helps to prevent certain cancers
Soy is very nutritive
Read More Health Related Articles:
http://www.harneedi.com/index.php/articles/6-healthcare-articles
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M$For those on a vegetarian diet, soybeans have a high content of lysine, an essential amino acid necessary for optimal human growth. Eating soybeans helps achieve better balance in your protein intake. Lysine availability in all vegetarian diets is the chief factor limiting growth, and soybeans have a lot of it, and it is very cheap. No wonder the Chinese eat so much of it! It is even better to add a little meat (it does not have to be much) to dramatically improve the overall nutrient value of the proteins in your diet.
I don't know where the excess aluminum comes from. Tofu is made from soybean milk, and can be precipitated using either Calcium sulfate, Magnesium chloride or "Nigari" which is seawater minus the sodium chloride. Nigari could contain other contaminants, such as aluminum, I don't know. Eating tofu coagulated with Calcium sulfate could also add to your calcium intake, which many are deficient in. Eating tofu precipitated with Nigari would add other trace elements, and would taste better, depending of course on the quality of the Nigari.
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