Do You Really Know If Soy Is Healthy?

Grocery store aisles are stuffed with soy based products—power bars, cereals, soy “milk”, yogurts, frozen desserts, hot dogs, cold cuts, and on and on. In most people’s minds the word soy is equated with “a healthy choice” regardless of the form it comes in.

Many doctors, nutritionists, and researchers would disagree.

Where is the truth?
The facts will follow, you decide.

If you are a midlife man or woman who eats soy, believes it to be a healthy choice in all forms, please be open. I was one of you. My daily research and reading about what constitutes a healthy diet has led me away from that idea. Not that soy is all bad, just that it is not a health food in all forms nor good for all people—men or women.

Here are some of the tenants of the soy debate.

Soy contains protease inhibitors. Protease or enzyme inhibitors, are substances that retard the action of digestive enzymes that work on protein. Hence protein digestion is hampered. Protein is one of the reasons people eat soy but it’s an inefficient way to get what you came for–protein. The debacle here is that protease inhibitors my have cancer protective elements. See why it’s tricky?

Next up are phytates. These antioxidant compounds are found in soy as well as grains and beans. Unless broken down by cooking or fermentation they block absorption and slow assimilation of the minerals, iron, zinc, manganese, and to some degree calcium. If the diet includes plenty of mineral rich foods, grown in mineral rich soil, and the occasional meal with soy, beans, and grains, you have little to worry about. Imagine though that one is using soymilk in their morning smoothie, soy cheese as a snack, whole grain bread, pasta or crackers later on.

It’s easy to see how phytates add up. This can be a problem.

Phytoestrogens are debate point number three. Phytoestrogens are chemical compounds found in some plants that mimic the estrogen hormone. Soy products are particularly rich in phytoestrogens. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your sex and the level of circulating estrogen you already have on board. Plant estrogens can disrupt uptake of natural estrogen.

What about the Asians who have been eating soy safely for years? Three things are what. The soy consumed by Japanese is fermented; miso, tempeh and the original version of long fermented soy sauce. When tofu is consumed it is not the only source of protein and is eaten in small amounts with vegetables making up the mainstay of the meal. I’ve been unable to turn up a historical record of miso soup with soy hot dogs floating in it.

Snark translated: they ate and still eat the healthiest form of soy—fermented—and they have many other protein sources to rely on.

Let’s heap one more thorn to this thorny conversation, genetic engineering. It is estimated that 90% or more of the soy grown in this country is from GMO seeds. That may be a yawn to some, for me it’s enough of an unknown with few supporters in the healthy foods industry to keep me away.

How can you include soy in your diet and not set yourself up for any of the above issues? Buy organic forms of fermented soy products like miso, tempeh, natto, or tamari—the fermented form of soy sauce. If you like tofu, keep in mind it is not fermented but enjoy it occasionally—no one will die from a weekly stir fry with tofu. Edamame, which must be boiled to be eaten, (hence phytates are partially broken down) are a healthy, high protein snack. Once again buy organic.

I was going to end but I can’t end in good conscience without mentioning this, hexane. Thanks to the Cornucopia Institute for this definition.

Hexane is a byproduct of gasoline refining. It is a neurotoxin and a hazardous air pollutant. Soybean processors use it as a solvent—a cheap and efficient way of extracting oil from soybeans, a necessary step to making most conventional soy oil and protein ingredients. Whole soybeans are literally bathed in hexane to separate the soybeans’ oil from protein.

The use of Hexane has been banned in organic food production.

The links below lead to lists of products with soy protein that are Hexane free and not. The first is for bars, the second for veggie burgers.

http://www.cornucopia.org/hexane-guides/hexane_guide_bars.html

http://www.cornucopia.org/hexane-guides/hexane_guide_meat_alternatives.html

One smart nutrition guru friend of mine believes the Dairy Council is behind such libelous ideas to promote dairy milk over soy milk. Me thinks the lady doth have blinders on but her point drove me further in to the research.

I’m off to shop for organic, fermented soy products as a delicious meat alternative. What’s the worst that can happen? I stay healthy and spend more on my food? Sounds like a steal of a deal.

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