I'm convinced the soy industry has done the most amazing job of marketing soy to be something it's not. Namely, a health food that offers products like tofu as a protein to replace animal meat, soy milk for an alternative to cow's milk and if you haven't noticed it's hard to find a processed food item that doesn't have soy in it (my favorite protein bar- ugh!) Soy is cheap and is typically grown on farms that use toxic pesticides and herbicides, and many are from genetically modified organisms or GMO's. Monsanto provides roughly 90% of GMO seeds in the world. These seeds have been genetically modified to produce their own pesticide or engineered to withstand repeated spraying of toxic herbicides. What was Monsanto thinking when they came up with these toxic seeds designed for mass consumption?
For every article or study I read that supports the health benefits of soy there are just as many that contribute these findings to bad science and superlative marketing by a powerful industry. Whichever is correct there is one thing for certain and that is genetically engineered soy is to be avoided. At the very least buy soy products that are non GMO.
Another apparent myth is the Japanese eat huge quantities of soy and as a result have low rates of breast, uterus, colon and prostate cancers. A 1998 study showed the typical Japanese male ate only 2 teaspoons a day. Their good health could be due to the fact that the Japanese diet has far less fatty meats and processed foods than our Western diet. Fermented soy such as miso and tempeh however offer enhanced bioavailable nutrients and have been a staple in Japan for 1000 of years. The fermenting process is long and removes the toxins that are present in non fermented soy.
I personally am going to err on the side of caution and write off soy products unless they are fermented. If soy is a staple in your home you might want to start reading some of the voluminous material that is published on its health risks or even also ask your doctor.
P.S. The ads/links you may see to the right of the screen are automated based on the topic. Notice from whence any soy or GMO links come from and you'll understand why they are in conflict with my post. Thanks, Beth
Interesting. I went through a soy stage about 2 years ago and began to hear similar stuff. I did a little poking around on the internet and decided to ease up and eventually stopped altogether. Is fermented soy labeled in any particular way?
ReplyDeleteSame here. Even though I only gave it up when I decided to quit dairy all together. There is both a "fermented soy" and "fermented soy milk" which are labeled as such even though I've never seen these products in the store (but honestly never looked for them either). The more traditional fermented soys are miso, tempeh and natto. Glad you've given it up!
ReplyDeleteHmmm .... my allergist told me to stop using cow's milk because it produced flem. Which gave me a cough. Dot told me the same thing. He said goat milk or soy would be better. I only have it in cereal which is every morning.
ReplyDeleteI use organic Publix light soy. Is the work organic misleading?
Lynn
It could be misleading. I would look for "non-GMO" to be on the package. Also, have you tried almond milk? Not bad. Also, I haven't looked for "fermented soy milk" but if you were to find it and try it please let me know what you think.
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