The Dark Side of Soy Mary Vance Terrain Utne Reader July / August 2007 As someone who is conscious

of her health, I spent ! years culti"ating a "egetarian diet# I too$ ti%e to plan and &alance %eals that included products such as soy %il$, soy yogurt, tofu, and 'hic$(n patties# I pored o"er la&els loo$ing for )ords I couldn(t pronounce**occasionally one or t)o )ould pop up# +oy protein isolate, -reat. They("e isolated the protein fro% the soy&ean to %a$e it %ore concentrated# /ydroly0ed soy protein, I ne"er successfully rationali0ed that one, &ut I )asn(t too )orried# After all, in 111 the 2ood and 3rug Ad%inistration 423A5 appro"ed la&eling I found on nearly e"ery soy product I purchased6 (3iets lo) in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 27 gra%s of soy protein a day %ay reduce the ris$ of heart disease#( +oy ingredients )eren(t only safe**they )ere &eneficial# After years of consu%ing "arious for%s of soy nearly e"ery day, I felt reasona&ly fit, &ut so%e)here along the line I(d stopped %enstruating# I couldn(t figure out )hy %y sto%ach &eca%e so upset after I ate eda%a%e or )hy I )as often %oody and &loated# It didn(t occur to %e at the ti%e to 8uestion soy, heart protector and %iracle food# 9hen I &egan studying holistic health and nutrition, I $ept running across ris$s associated )ith eating soy# :ndocrine disruption, 'hec$# 3igesti"e pro&le%s, 'hec$# I researched soy(s deleterious effects on thyroid, fertility, hor%ones, se; dri"e, digestion, and e"en its potential to contri&ute to certain cancers# 2or e"ery study that pro"ed a connection &et)een soy and reduced disease ris$ another cropped up to challenge the clai%s# 9hat )as going on, (+tudies sho)ing the dar$ side of soy date &ac$ 00 years,( says clinical nutritionist <aayla 3aniel, author of The Whole Soy Story 4=e) Trends, 20075# (The 111 23A*appro"ed health clai% pleased &ig &usiness, despite %assi"e e"idence sho)ing ris$s associated )ith soy, and against the protest of the 23A(s o)n top scientists# +oy is a >? &illion @U#+#A industry that(s ta$en these health clai%s to the &an$#( Besides pro%oting heart health, the industry says, soy can alle"iate sy%pto%s associated )ith %enopause, reduce the ris$ of certain cancers, and lo)er le"els of C3C, the (&ad( cholesterol# :pide%iological studies ha"e sho)n that Asians, particularly in Japan and 'hina, ha"e a lo)er incidence of &reast and prostate cancer than people in the United +tates, and %any of these studies credit a traditional diet that includes soy# But Asian diets include s%all a%ounts**a&out nine gra%s a day**of pri%arily fer%ented soy products, such as %iso, natto, and te%peh, and so%e tofu# 2er%enting soy creates health*pro%oting pro&iotics, the good &acteria our &odies need to %aintain digesti"e and o"erall )ellness# By contrast, in the United +tates, processed soy food snac$s or sha$es can contain o"er 20 gra%s of nonfer%ented soy protein in one ser"ing#

(There is i%portant infor%ation on the cancer*protecti"e "alues of soy,( says clinical nutritionist :d Bau%an, head of Bau%an 'linic in +e&astopol, 'alifornia, and director of Bau%an 'ollege# Bau%an cautions against painting the &ean )ith a &road &rush# (As )ith any food, it can ha"e &enefits in one syste% and detri%ents in another# @An indi"idual )ho is sensiti"e to itA %ay ha"e an ad"erse response to soy# And not all soy is ali$e,( he adds, referring to processing %ethods and 8uality# (+oy is not a food that is nati"e to =orth A%erica or :urope, and you ha"e issues )hen you %o"e food fro% one part of the )orld to another,( Bau%an says# (9e fare &etter )hen )e eat according to our ethnicity# +oy is a "ia&le food, &ut )e need to loo$ at ho) it(s used#( Dnce considered a s%all*scale po"erty food, soy e;ploded onto the A%erican %ar$et# +tudies**so%e funded &y the industry**pro%oted soy(s a&ility to lo)er disease ris$ )hile a&sol"ing guilt associated )ith eating %eat# (The soy industry has co%e a long )ay fro% )hen hippies )ere &oiling up the &eans,( says 3aniel# These days the industry has disco"ered )ays to use e"ery part of the &ean for profit# +oy oil has &eco%e the &ase for %ost "egeta&le oilsE soy lecithin, the )aste product left o"er after the soy&ean is processed, is used as an e%ulsifierE soy flour appears in &a$ed and pac$aged goodsE different for%s of processed soy protein are added to e"erything fro% ani%al feed to %uscle*&uilding protein po)ders# (+oy protein isolate )as in"ented for use in card&oard,( 3aniel says# (It hasn(t actually &een appro"ed as a food ingredient#( +oy is e"ery)here in our food supply, as the star in cereals and health* pro%oting foods and hidden in processed foods# :"en if you read e"ery la&el and a"oid card&oard &o;es, you are li$ely to find soy in your supple%ents and "ita%ins 4loo$ out for "ita%in : deri"ed fro% soy oil5, in foods such as canned tuna, soups, sauces, &reads, %eats 4inFected under poultry s$in5, and chocolate, and in pet food and &ody*care products# It hides in tofu dogs under aliases such as te;tured "egeta&le protein, hydroly0ed "egeta&le protein, and lecithin**)hich is trou&ling, since the processing re8uired to hydroly0e soy protein into "egeta&le protein produces e;citoto;ins such as gluta%ate 4thin$ M+-5 and aspartate 4a co%ponent of asparta%e5, )hich cause &rain*cell death# +oy also is one of the foods**in addition to )heat, corn, eggs, %il$, nuts, and shellfish**%ost li$ely to cause allergic reactions# Most people e8uate food allergies )ith anaphyla;is, or a se"ere e%ergency i%%une response, &ut it is possi&le to ha"e a su&clinical sensiti"ity, )hich can lead to health pro&le%s o"er ti%e 4and is e;acer&ated &y the lac$ of "ariety co%%on in today(s A%erican diet5# (Geople can do an e%pirical food sensiti"ity test &y eli%inating the food for a period of ti%e and reintroducing it to see if there(s an i%%une response, &ut %ost don(t do this,( says Bau%an# (-enetically %odified 4-M5 soy is the %ost pro&le%atic, and that(s pro&a&ly )hat %ost people are eating if they(re not

paying attention# Geople can de"elop sensiti"ity to a food that has antigens or &acteria not originally in the food chain, as is the case )ith -M foods#( Het a"oiding -M soy doesn(t %ean all is )ell, 3aniel says6 (Dne 8uestion I get all the ti%e is, ,9hat if I only eat organic soy,( The assu%ption is that -M soy is pro&le%atic and organic is fine# 'ertainly, organic is &etter, &ut the &otto% line is that soy&eans naturally contain plant estrogens, to;ins, and antinutrients, and you can(t re%o"e those#( The highest ris$ is for infants )ho are fed soy for%ula# (It(s the only thing they(re eating, they(re "ery s%all, and they(re at a $ey stage de"elop%entally,( says 3aniel# (The estrogens in soy )ill affect the hor%onal de"elop%ent of these children, and it )ill certainly affect their gro)ing &rains, reproducti"e syste%s, and thyroids#( +oy for%ula also contains large a%ounts of %anganese, )hich has &een lin$ed to attention deficit disorder and neuroto;icity in infants# The Israeli health %inistry recently issued an ad"isory stating that infants should a"oid soy for%ula altogether# Antinutrients in soy &loc$ en0y%es needed for digestion, and naturally occur* ring phytates &loc$ a&sorption of essential %inerals# This is %ost )orriso%e for "egans and "egetarians )ho eat soy as their %ain source of protein, and for )o%en in %enopause )ho up their soy inta$e through supple%ents# +oy contains phytoche%icals**plant nutrients )ith disease*fighting acti"ity** called isofla"ones# +tudies clai% isofla"ones can %i%ic the &ody(s o)n estrogens, raising a )o%an(s estrogen le"els, )hich fall after %enopause, causing hot flashes and other sy%pto%s# Dn the other hand, isofla"ones %ay also &loc$ the &ody(s estrogens, )hich can help reduce high estrogen le"els, therefore reducing ris$ for &reast cancer or uterine cancer &efore %enopause# 4/igh estrogen le"els ha"e &een lin$ed to cancers of the reproducti"e syste% in )o%en#5 Although soy(s isofla"ones %ay ha"e an adaptogenic effect 4contri&uting to an estrogen*&oosting or *&loc$ing effect )here needed5, they also ha"e the potential to pro%ote hor%one*sensiti"e cancers in so%e people# +tudies on the effects of isofla"ones on hu%an estrogen le"els are conflicting, and it(s possi&le that they affect people differently# In %en, soy has &een sho)n to lo)er testosterone le"els and se; dri"e, according to 3aniel# Bau%an &elie"es processed soy foods are pro&le%atic &ut %aintains that soy has &eneficial hor%one*%ediating effects# (Geople are largely con"enience* dri"en,( he says# (9e(re loo$ing at this )hole processed*food con"enience %ar$et and )e(re %a$ing generali0ations a&out a plant# Is soy the pro&le%, or is it the handling and pac$aging and processing of the plant that(s the pro&le%, (Gri%ary sources of food are a good thing# Dnce there )as a &ean, &ut then it got coo$ed and s8uee0ed and the pulp )as separated out, and it )as heated and processed for &etter shelf life and %outh feel# +oy %il$ is second or third le"el in ter%s of processing#(

Bau%an(s eating*for*health approach calls for a "ariety of natural and seasonal unprocessed )hole foods, including soy in %oderation, tailored to indi"idual &ioche%istry and sensiti"ities# (Using soy as part of a diet can &ring relief for peri%enopause, for e;a%ple,( he says# (Thro) out the soy and you thro) out the isofla"ones#( 4It is possi&le to o&tain plant estrogens to a lesser e;tent fro% other foods, such as li%a &eans or fla;#5 (The literature is e;tensi"e on the &enefits of soy, and that should al)ays &e stated, Fust as the ha0ards should &e# That(s science# These studies are not ridiculous or contri"ed, &ut ta$e a loo$ at the%# 9ho(s funding the%,( as$s Bau%an# (There are a lot of pro&le%s )ith these studies,( 3aniel says, adding that the 111 heart health clai% )as an industry*funded initiati"e# (:"en if there is positi"e infor%ation, and e"en if these studies are )ell designed, )e need to )eigh that against the fact that )e("e also got really good studies sho)ing the dangers# Better safe than sorry is the precautionary principle# Gossi&le &ene*fits are far out)eighed &y pro"en ris$s#( 3aniel and Bau%an agree on the &enefits of "ariety# (My e;perience as a clinical nutritionist is that people )ho ha"e a "aried diet tend not to get into trou&le,( says 3aniel# (9e li$e to de%oni0e certain foods in this society,( says Bau%an# (If you )ant to find a fault, you(ll find it# The &otto% line is6 9hat is a healthy diet,( Reprinted from Terrain (Spring 2007), published by Berkeley's !ology "enter# $edi!%ted to fine fe%ture &riting %bout en'ironment%l issues, Terrain is distributed free throughout (orthern "%liforni%# Subs!riptions) *+,-yr# (. issues) from 2,.0 S%n /%blo 0'e#, Berkeley, "0 127023 &&&#e!ology!enter#org-terr%in#

Soy 'Nuggets' Tofu +oy %il$, curdled and pressed into cu&es of "arying fir%ness# Dften used as %eat su&stitute# A nonfer%ented product, tofu contains antinutrients, )hich can &loc$ a&sorption of essential %inerals# Miso 2er%ented soy&ean paste, used in soups and sauces# Rich in pro&iotics, good &acteria that aid "ita%in a&sorption# Miso is high in sodiu% &ut is considered one of the healthiest soy products# Soybean Oil To e;tract oil, soy&eans are superheated, ground, pressed, %i;ed )ith che%icals, and )ashed in a centrifuge# +oy&ean oil accounts for I0 percent of all li8uid oils consu%ed annually in the United +tates#

Soy Milk A processed &e"erage %ade of ground soy&eans %i;ed )ith )ater and &oiled, )hich re%o"es so%e to;ins# +ugar is added to i%pro"e fla"or# An eight*ounce ser"ing contains up to !7 %illigra%s of isofla"ones, )hich %ay change estrogen le"els and hor%onal function# Snack Food /ighly processed, a source of trans fat# 'hec$ your la&els6 Gotato chips, tortilla crisps, and %any other deep*fried things ha"e &een coo$ed in soy oil**straight up or partially hydrogenated# Tempeh 9hole soy&eans pressed into loa"es, )hich are then fer%ented# Dften used as a %eat su&stitute# Te%peh is rich in B "ita%ins, %inerals, and o%ega*! fatty acids# Fast Food A source of hidden soy# Grocessed soy proteins e;tend so%e &urgers and chic$en 4nuggets, patties, e"en (grilled &reasts(5# Buns contain soy oil and to a lesser e;tent soy flour and lecithin# +oy oil also appears in dressings and dips, in A%erican (cheese,( and as the =o# 2 ingredient in fries# There(s e"en soy in Big Mac(s secret sauce6 +oy&ean oil nets top &illing# damame 9hole soy&eans, co%%only &oiled in the pod and eaten as a snac$# Most co%%ercial eda%a%e has &een preheated to %a$e digestion easier, &ut it still contains antinutrients# /o) Much Is Too Much, 'linical nutritionist <aayla 3aniel on the 3os and 3on(ts of soy consu%ption Mary Vance Terrain Utne Reader July / August 2007 :ditor(s =ote6 4%%yl% $%niel is % !ertified !lini!%l nutritionist &ith % /h#$# in nutrition%l s!ien!es %nd %nti5%ging ther%pies from the 6nion 7nstitute %nd 6ni'ersity of "in!inn%ti, 8hio# She is the %uthor of The 9hole +oy +tory6 The 3ar$ +ide of A%erica(s 2a"orite /ealth 2ood ((e& Trends, 200,)# !hat health problems do you see in your practice that can be traced back to o"erconsumption of soy# I )or$ %ostly )ith %idlife )o%en, and they(re li$ely to eat a lot of soy and drin$ a lot of soy %il$# They(re ta$ing soy isofla"one supple%ents &ecause they("e heard that it(s going to help the% through %enopause# A lot of these )o%en are "ery intelligent and educated, and, unfortunately, they get this idea that if a little of so%ething %ight &e good, then they should do a lot of it# They start gaining )eight, feeling fatiguedE they get lethargic and depressed, and )hen they go to a regular doctor, they(re told (9ell, )hat do you e;pect, you(re getting old,( and

that this is typical of %enopause# In fact, the sy%pto%s are al%ost entirely co%ing fro% that change in their diet, )hich had to do )ith soy# $ow much soy does the a"erage person consume in a day# +o%eone on a Fun$*food diet is getting soy flour in the fast*food ha%&urger &un, soy protein in the &urger itself, and soy oil in the friesE soy is in e"ery one of these products &ecause it(s cheap and a&undant# Hou(ll find soy hidden in so %any foods, and s%all 8uantities add up# Geople often start &y drin$ing a lot of soy %il$# If they are ta$ing supple%ents, they can &e getting really high doses# :"en scientists )or$ing for the soy industry )ill say they support soy food &ut do not support use of soy supple%ents# It is so dangerous at such a high le"el, and it(s har%ing %any people# $ow does marketing affect soy consumption# It(s "ery %uch a&out %ar$eting# If )e loo$ &ac$, the soy&ean )as used in this country for soy oil# They ta$e apart the &ean and ta$e out the oil and turn it into %argarines and shortenings and all those li8uid "egeta&le oils# Dnce the oil is out, )hat they had left o"er )as a )hole lot of protein# 9hat(s happened is that so%e of the things they tried to get rid of they(re no) %ar$eting as things that can pre"ent cancer or pre"ent pro&le%s# They ta$e so%ething that(s &ad and turn it into so%ething that(s good# :"ery ti%e they re%o"e a co%ponent of soy, they ha"e another thing they can sell# In <enya, the soy industry is tal$ing to &a$ers, teaching the% to use soy flour in &a$ed goods, and do)n in Johannes&urg they(re )or$ing on using soy protein sha$e po)ders to help AI3+ patients# 9hen the tsuna%i hit @in 200?A, the soy industry )as right there gi"ing people assistance and free soy products# Rather than helping people pic$ up the pieces and get their s%all far%s &ac$ together, they(re replacing local foods )ith so%ething that(s glo&al# !hich soy product is the worst# The &iggest pro&le% is soy %il$# Those )ith lactose intolerance thin$ that soy %il$ is a great alternati"e, and they(re drin$ing a lot and getting a huge dose of isofla"ones# If you(re drin$ing soy %il$, you(re going to ha"e a pro&le%, or %ost people )ill sooner or later# 9e(re all different**so%e people )ill start ha"ing pro&le%s in a day, and so%e people )ill thin$ they(re fine and a year later things )ill start to go do)nhill# 3rin$ing Fust one glass a day of soy %il$ )ill gi"e so%eone the le"el of plant estrogens that has hurt the thyroids of healthy Japanese %en and )o%en# Most people are drin$ing se"eral glasses, plus the soy protein energy &ars and the &ags of eda%a%e# If people are concerned a&out getting enough calciu%, try a ho%e%ade coconut tonic %ade )ith coconut %il$ and dolo%ite po)der# It )ill %atch the %ineral content of %il$ and support the i%%une syste% and thyroid#

!hat pro"oked the %sraeli health ministry warning on soy foods# The Israeli health %inistry issued an ad"isory saying that &a&ies should not get soy for%ula and that children under I should eat soy no %ore than once a day, three ti%es a )ee$ %a;i%u%# Adults should e;ercise caution due to the ad"erse effects on fertility and increased &reast cancer ris$# It started a fe) years ago )hen se"eral &a&ies )ere hospitali0ed )ith se"ere &eri&eri and &rain da%age &ecause of a soy infant for%ula that )as deficient in "ita%in B # The %anufacturer had gotten the idea that if soy is such a perfect food, already high in B "ita%ins, )hy should they add e;tra B "ita%ins, They didn(t understand that &a&ies need added B and that processing affects "ita%ins# =ational alerts )ere issued, the product )as recalled, and all the &a&ies on soy for%ula i%%ediately got inFections of B # That incident caused the Israeli health %inistry to start loo$ing into soy for%ula# They for%ed a co%%ittee including to;icologists, oncologists, pediatricians, and other e;perts, they re"ie)ed literature, and they decided there are so%e ris$s# The Israeli soy industry has protested %ightily and threatened to sue the go"ern%ent, &ut the health %inistry %aintained its position# $ow much soy is O&# I(ll use the nu%&ers the Israelis used# But, of course, so%e people are allergic to soy, so%e are sensiti"e to soy, so%e ha"e thyroid pro&le%s already# Those people should pro&a&ly a"oid it# Then there(s the issue of )hat types of soy )e(re tal$ing a&out# I still enFoy %iso soup# 3o you thin$ )e should ha"e a )arning la&el here in the United +tates, That(s the ne;t step# I )ill &e in"ol"ed )ith three petitions to the 2ood and 3rug Ad%inistration 423A5# The first )ill petition to re%o"e fro% la&els the current health clai% that soy pre"ents heart disease# It(s &een on foods since =o"e%&er 111, and soy food sales )ent fro% less than > &illion to >? &illion @annuallyA &et)een 111 and 200?# @In 200JA the A%erican /eart Association retracted its position on soy# They(re no) saying that soy does not pre"ent heart disease or lo)er cholesterol# +econd, )e(re going to petition the 23A to re%o"e the -RA+ @generally recogni0ed as safeA status for soy protein isolate# The third petition )ill ha"e to do )ith putting )arning la&els on soy foods# Do you think that labeling will e"er be a reality# 9e(re hopeful that our petitions )ill )or$, &ut )e(re also &ringing attention to the issues# 9hat a%a0es %e is that so %any "egetarians and "egans )ill say that the 23A )ould ne"er ha"e appro"ed a (soy pre"ents heart disease( clai% unless there )as good strong e"idence# /ello. This is the sa%e 23A that ga"e us Vio;; and asparta%e# I(% sure in Ber$eley in the (J0s there )ere little co%panies that %ade tofu and soy %il$, and people still &elie"e that soy is that $ind of food# 9hat they(re not getting is that )e ha"e Big Ghar%a, and no) )e ha"e Big +oy#
AlterNet / By Tara Lohan
'OMM NT NO!(

The War on Soy: Why the 'Miracle Food' May Be a Health Risk and Environmental Ni htmare
Vegetarians aren't the only ones who should be concerned; there's soy in just about everything you eat these days -- including hamburgers, mac 'n cheese and salad dressing.
November !, !!" !

These days, you can get soy "ersions of Fust a&out any %eat ** fro% hot dogs to &uffalo )ings# If you(re lactose*intolerant you can still enFoy soy ice*crea% and soy %il$ on your cereal# If you(re out for a hi$e and need a 8uic$ &oost of energy, you can ni&&le on soy candy &ars# +oy is a lucrati"e industry# According to+oyfoods Association of =orth A%erica, fro% 112 to 200I, sales of soy foods ha"e increased fro% >!00 %illion to >? &illion# 2ro% sales nu%&ers to %edical endorse%ents, it )ould see% that soy has reached a $ind of %iracle food status# In 2000 the A%erican /eart Association ga"e soy the thu%&s up and the 23A proclai%ed6 K3iets lo) in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 27 gra%s of soy protein a day %ay reduce the ris$ of heart disease#K D"er the course of the last decade %edical professionals ha"e touted its &enefits in fighting not Fust cardio"ascular disease, &ut cancers, osteoporosis and dia&etes# But soy(s glory days %ay &e co%ing to an end# =e) research is 8uestioning its health &enefits and e"en pointing out so%e potential ris$s# Although definiti"e e"idence %ay &e %any years do)n the road, the A%erican /eart Association has 8uietly )ithdra)n its support# And so%e groups are )aging an all*out )ar, )arning that soy can lead to certain $inds of cancers, lo)ered testosterone le"els, and early*onset pu&erty in girls# Most of the soy eaten today is also genetically %odified, )hich %ay pose another set of health ris$s# The en"iron%ental i%plications of soy production, including %assi"e deforestation, increased use of pesticides and threats to )ater and soil, are pro"iding %ore fodder for soy(s detractors# All of this has %any people )ondering if they should e"en &e eating it at all# And you are %ost li$ely eating it# :"en if you(re not a "egetarian or an a"id tofu fan, there is a good chance you(re still eating soy# RaF Gatel, author of Stuffed %nd St%r'ed, e;plains that soy is no) an ingredient in three*8uarters of processed food on the %ar$et and Fust a&out e"erything you(d find in a fast food restaurant# It(s used as filler in ha%&urgers, as "egeta&le oil and an e%ulsifier# It(s in salad dressing, %acaroni and cheese, and chic$en nuggets#

K:"en if you read e"ery la&el and a"oid card&oard &o;es, you are li$ely to find soy in your supple%ents and "ita%ins 4loo$ out for "ita%in : deri"ed fro% soy oil5, in foods such as canned tuna, soups, sauces, &reads, %eats 4inFected under poultry s$in5, and chocolate, and in pet food and &ody*care products,K )rote Mary Vance for Terr%in 9%g%:ine# KIt hides in tofu dogs under aliases such as te;tured "egeta&le protein, hydroly0ed "egeta&le protein, and lecithin**)hich is trou&ling, since the processing re8uired to hydroly0e soy protein into "egeta&le protein produces e;citoto;ins such as gluta%ate 4thin$ M+-5 and aspartate 4a co%ponent of asparta%e5, )hich cause &rain*cell death#K $ealth )isks or )ewards# KI gre) up in /ouston on po( &oys and the W%ll Street ;ourn%l,K said Ro&yn D(Brien# KI trusted our food syste%#K But all that changed )hen one of her $ids de"eloped a food allergy and D(Brien &egan doing research to find out )hat(s actually in our food and the co%panies &ehind it# /er )or$ led to the &oo$,The 6nhe%lthy Truth) <o& 8ur =ood 7s 9%king 6s Si!k %nd Wh%t We "%n $o 0bout 7t, and she(s &eco%e an incredi&le crusader on %ultiple fronts )hen it co%es to food# +he(s also &een educating consu%ers a&out soy(s dou&le*edged s)ord# To understand )hy, it helps to $no) a little history a&out soy# It(s &een culti"ated, starting in 'hina, for !,000 years# 9hile Asian diets ha"e generally included soy it has &een in s%all a%ounts eaten fer%ented ** pri%arily "ia %iso, natto and te%peh# K2er%enting soy creates health*pro%oting pro&iotics, the good &acteria our &odies need to %aintain digesti"e and o"erall )ellness,K )rote Vance# KBy contrast, in the United +tates, processed soy food snac$s or sha$es can contain o"er 20 gra%s of nonfer%ented soy protein in one ser"ing#K It(s not that all soy is &adE in fact, eating it in s%all doses can &e 8uite healthy, if it(s fer%ented# But )hen it(s not, that(s )here the pro&le%s &egin# +oy is a legu%e, )hich contains high a%ounts of phytic acid# Ghytic acid &inds to %inerals 4li$e calciu%, %agnesiu%, copper, iron and 0inc5, interfering )ith the &ody(s a&ility to a&sor& the% 4)hich is usually a &ad thing5# +oy is also $no)n to contain Kantinutrients,K a%ong the% en0y%e inhi&itors that interfere )ith protein digestion# The 'hinese figured out a&out 2,000 years ago that antinutrients and phytic acid could &e deacti"ated during fer%entation, &ut in the processed*food laden land of the 9est, )e("e chosen cultural ignorance in fa"or of 8uic$ and cheap# Most of the soy )e eat is unfer%ented#

Another issue )ith soy is its high a%ounts of isofla"ones, )hich can &e good and &ad 4hence the dou&le*edged s)ord5# Isofla"ones are a po)erful antio;idant, )rites Ro&yn D(Brien in her &oo$, that can help &oost i%%unity# They also i%pact estrogen le"els and ha"e &een sho)n to ha"e positi"e effects on easing sy%pto%s of %enopause# KBut that plus can also &e a %inus,K )rites D(Brien, K&ecause isofla"ones( "ery a&ility to &oost estrogen production can also pose ha0ards to our health# 2or e;a%ple, the 23A scientists point out, during pregnancy, isofla"ones could &oost estrogen le"els e"en higher, ()hich could &e a ris$ factor for a&nor%al &rain and reproducti"e tract de"elop%ent#(K There is also a ris$ of &reast and other reproducti"e cancers for )o%en and the potential for testicular cancer and infertility in %en# 9hile there )as %uch ne)s a&out the A%erican /eart Association endorsing soy in 2000, there )as little attention gi"en )hen the A/A changed its %ind and 8uietly )ithdre) its pro*soy clai%s in 200J, D(Brien points out# +he also learned that they )ere not the only ones )ho e;pressed concerned a&out soy# A study in the British %edical Fournal >%n!et in 11J )arned of the effects of soy in infant for%ula# The study found &a&ies had le"els of isofla"ones that )ere fi"e to 0 ti%es higher than )o%en ta$ing soy supple%ents for %enopause# The effects in girls could &e early*onset pu&erty, o&esity, &reast and reproducti"e cancers# Boys could face testicular cancer, undescended testicles and infertility# Additionally, D(Brien says, a 200! British study conducted &y -ideon Cac$ of +t# Mary(s /ospital at I%perial 'ollege Condon follo)ed ?,000 children fro% the )o%& through age J and found that $ids )ho had &een gi"en soy for%ula as infants see%ed al%ost three ti%es as li$ely to de"elop a peanut allergy later on# As if all this )eren(t distur&ing enough, there(s also another reason to &e alar%ed ** %ost of the soy )e eat is genetically %odified to )ithstand increasing doses of )eed*$illing her&icides, and really, )e ha"e no idea )hat the long*ter% affects of that %ight &e# +o, )hat(s a person to do, +tay a)ay fro% soy as %uch as possi&le, )hich also %eans a"oiding processed foods# And, e"en if )e choose not to eat those things, so%e of us %ay end up getting the% any)ay# KThere are different sales channels that these co%panies are using to sell soy )ith little regard for the cost to people do)n the road,K said D(Brien# K+oy that is not used in grocery stores, in restaurants, or consu%ed &y li"estoc$, is disposed of in school lunch progra%s, hospitals, and prisons#K Dne organi0ation, the 9eston A# Grice 2oundation, is actually engaged in a la)suit on &ehalf of Illinois state prisoners )ho say they(re eating a diet %ade of largely soy protein# KIn their letters, the prisoners ha"e descri&ed deli&erate indifference to a %yriad of serious health pro&le%s caused &y the large a%ounts of soy in the diet,K the 9AG 2oundation )rites# K'o%plaints include chronic and painful constipation alternating )ith de&ilitating diarrhea, "o%iting after

eating, sharp pains in the digesti"e tract after consu%ing soy, passing out after soy*&ased %eals, heart palpitations, rashes, acne, inso%nia, panic attac$s, depression and sy%pto%s of hypothyroidis%, such as lo) &ody te%perature 4feeling cold all the ti%e5, &rain fog, fatigue, )eight gain, fre8uent infections and an enlarged thyroid gland#K 9hile the soy industry has profited fro% the )idespread adoption of its products here in the United +tates, other de"eloped countries ha"e ta$en a %ore precautionary approach and not allo)ed soy to &eco%e as per"asi"e in their food supplies in an effort to protect the health of their citi0ens, says D(Brien# But it(s not Fust people )ho are at ris$# The deleterious effects of soy can start )ith the seed# *oodbye )ainforests+ $ello )oundup -lenn Bec$ recently chastised Al -ore a&out his %eat eating, telling hi% that if he really cared a&out the planet he should put do)n his &urger and pic$ up so%e Tofur$ey# But unfortunately, it(s not that si%ple# Increasing e"idence is sho)ing that soy production is also catastrophic for the en"iron%ent# Just li$e a &eef &urger, a soy*&ased "eggie patty %ay also &e leading to deforestation, )ater depletion, and pesticide pollution# But it(s also i%portant to note that the "ast %aFority of soy produced glo&ally isn(t used for tofu and "eggie sausage ** it(s actually used to fatten li"estoc$ and create &iofuels 4so, yeah, you %ay still )ant to put do)n the &urger5# K+oy is a really se;y cropE it(s fantastic# It(s nitrogen fi;ing, it(s full of proteinE it(s "ery rich and fle;i&le,K RaF Gatel said in an inter"ie) )ith =e) A%erica Media# KThe tragedy is that the )ay )e gro) it today has turned a &lessing into a curse &ecause the )ay that soy agriculture )or$s is %onocultural, )hich %eans it ta$es o"er large parts of land# In Bra0il, that %eans the 'errado and the rainforest in the A%a0on, and they are draining the )ater that is &eneath that land# There are e"en so%e soy and &iofuel plantations in Bra0il )here the International Ca&or Drgani0ation says there are ?0,000 sla"es )or$ing today# +la"es. In Bra0il, producing &iofuels and soy#K Bra0il is one of the leading soy producers in the )orld, second only to the U#+# and poised to 8uic$ly %o"e to the top spot# And o"erall, the gro)th of the )orld %ar$et is huge, )ith glo&al production dou&ling o"er the past 20 years and 2 0 %illion tons produced a year# But it has also led to pro&le%s# 'ountries across Catin A%erica, including Argentina, Garaguay and Boli"ia, are e;periencing en"iron%ental pro&le%s si%ilar to Bra0il(s# Rainforests are cleared, car&on e%issions increase, indigenous and s%all far%ers are displaced, a8uifers are suc$ed dry, roads are &uilt through sensiti"e ecosyste%s, and hea"y pesticide use threatens

)ater)ays, soils and the health of locals# And as )ith all industrial %onocultural far%ing, the rich 4Monsanto, 'argill, and Bunge5 get richer and the poor get poorer# KThe soy (gold rush( has attracted fierce co%petition for land, leading to "iolence and %urder,K Marianne Betterly su%%ari0ed in 9%riri 9%g%:ine# K/undreds of acres of rainforest are &eing cleared e"eryday, often &y sla"e (de&t( la&orers, to %a$e roo% for %ore soy plantations#K +o, )e %ay get our cheap &urgers and a deluge of soy*infused foods, &ut at great cost# Adding to all these en"iron%ental pro&le%s )ith soy is the fact that %uch of the )orld(s soy 4and I7 percent of the U#+ crop5 is genetically engineered# +ince the early (10s far%ers in the United +tates 4and no) across the )orld5 ha"e &een using Monsanto(s Roundup Ready soy that is genetically engineered to &e resistant to the her&icide Roundup, )hich is li&erally sprayed on the crop to $ill )eeds# Much of the pro%ise of -: crops )as that they(d lead to the use of less pesticides and her&icides, )hich threaten &oth hu%an and en"iron%ental health# But that hasn(t actually panned out# KBecause her&icide*tolerant crops are designed to )ithstand application of )eed $illers, far%ers can apply large a%ounts of pesticides )ithout fear of har%ing their crops# The U#+# has seen %ore than a 7*fold increase in the use of glyphosate, or Monsanto(s Roundup her&icide, on %aFor crops fro% 11? to 2007,K 'o*Dp A%erica reported# And %ore da%ning e"idence has Fust &een released# A ne) study that Fust ca%e out this )ee$ funded &y a coalition of non*go"ern%ental organi0ations including the Union of 'oncerned +cientists, the 'enter for 2ood +afety, the 'ornerstone 'a%paign, 'alifornians for -:*2ree Agriculture, -reenpeace International and Rural Ad"ance%ent 2und International U+A, found that -: corn, soy&ean and cotton crops ha"e increased the use of )eed*$illing her&icides in the U#+# &y !I! %illion pounds fro% 11J to 200I# The study )ill surely &e acco%panied &y %ore alar%s &ells set off &y s%all far%ers, en"iron%entalists and organic supporters# And it )ill &e one %ore &attle in the )ar against soy that(s &eing fought on &oth health and en"iron%ental fronts# Gerhaps it )ill %a$e people thin$ t)ice &efore eating soy products, processed food and e"en %ost %eat#

L*

EcoSalon / By #arah $rani

G:R+D=AC /:ACT/

'OMM NT NO!(

"s Soy the Ticket to #ood Health or "n$ertility% Here's the Scoo&
#ome tout soy %roducts as a %anacea &or health and wellness, while others swear that soy is a sure tic'et to in&ertility and (man boobs.( )hat are the &acts*
+ctober , !!" !

The topic of soy can create a &ig de&ate a%ong healthy fol$s, and the "ie)points can &e e;tre%e# 9ho $ne) a hu%&le green &ean could &e so contro"ersial, +o%e tout soy products as a panacea for health and )ellness, )hile others s)ear that soy is a sure tic$et to infertility and K%an &oo&sK# 9hat are the facts, Aren't Asian cultures particularly healthy because of consumption of soy# Asians don(t actually eat as %uch soy as )e thin$ ** only a&out 0*!J gra%s per day# In contrast, a cup of tofu or soy %il$ contains o"er 200 gra%s of soy# Besides, the %ost co%%on soy foods in Asia are fer%ented products such as te%peh, %iso and shoyu 4soy sauce5, )hile %ost 9esterners eat unfer%ented, highly processed "ersions of soy# Unfer%ented soy contains en0y%e inhi&itors that &loc$ protein digestion 4a%ong other things )e(ll get to &elo)5# %sn't soy healthy because it's a natural plant product# Most soy foods are highly processed and &ear "ery little rese%&lance to the natural soy&ean 4thin$ soy hotdogs or TVG ** te;tured "egeta&le protein5# Just &ecause so%ething is touted as a KhealthKM food, doesn(t really %a$e it healthy# 9hole foods are al)ays the &est )ay to get your food nutrition ** the %ore processed a food is, the less natural and ulti%ately less healthy it is# !hat's so wrong with soy hotdogs and T,- anyway# Aren't they good+ protein.rich+ meat substitutes# +oy is %ore filler than food# 2or %any years, the protein left o"er fro% the e;traction of soy oil )as sold to far%s as ani%al feed# After so%e ti%e, the food industry figured out ho) to %a$e this highly processed soy protein palata&le to the hu%an tongue and &egan to aggressi"ely %ar$et it in foods li$e soy dogs, soy %eat su&stitutes and the li$e# +ure, there(s protein, &ut it also ta$es 8uite a &it of sugar, salt or M+- to %a$e soy protein actually taste good# The healthiest foods are )hole foods, not processed ones#

$ow will a diet hea"y in soy impact my health# Unfer%ented soy can inhi&it protein a&sorption, cause flatulence and increase the chance of de"eloping $idney stones# The processing of soy %ay re%o"e so%e of these pro&le%s# +oy also inhi&its gro)th# :"en )ithin the ani%al feed industry, the a%ount of soy protein that can &e fed to ani%als has to &e li%ited or the ani%als the%sel"es )ill suffer pro&le%s )ith gro)th and fertility# !hat's up with genetically modified soy# Most soy gro)n in the )orld is genetically %odified 4-M5 ** )ith I7N of A%erican soy &eing -M# And )hat(s the &ig deal a&out that, =ot a lot of research has &een done on the effects of -M foods, &ut one particular study on rats sho)ed that un&orn &a&ies and young infants )ere particularly har%ed &y the effects of genetically %odified soy# /ut aren't a lot of infants fed soy.based formulas# +oy infant for%ula, a co%%on alternati"e to co)(s %il$ for lactose*intolerant &a&ies, contains endocrine disruptors and phytoestrogens, plant hor%ones )hich ha"e &een sho)n to cause pre%ature pu&erty in young girls and delayed pu&erty in adolescent &oys# It(s a &it li$e gi"ing a &a&y &irth control pills# +oy infant for%ula also contri&utes to soy allergies# 4Breast %il$ is undou&tedly the &est food for &a&ies, and if that(s not an option, goat(s %il$ is the ne;t &est thing to try#5 Speaking of allergies0 +oy is a%ong the I %ost co%%on food allergens, )ith reactions &eing particularly co%%on a%ong children# !ould this ha"e anything to do with pesticides# That re%ains uncertain# /o)e"er, unless you &uy strictly organic, you can &et your soy products are hea"ily conta%inated )ith pesticides# As a %atter of fact, soy is the %ost conta%inated crop )e gro) in the United +tates# And don(t forget, non*organic soy is al%ost certainly genetically %odified as )ell# $ow has the demand for soy affected the Ama1on rainforest#

The huge glo&al de%and for soy 4for use in processed foods, ani%al feed and &iofuels5 is eating up the rainforest, &ecause far%ers ha"e &een financially %oti"ated to clear %ore rainforest land in order to plant this e;port crop# More deforestation, %ore glo&al )ar%ing# /ut still+ aren't soy farms pro"iding 2obs# Actually, for %any, soy far%ing is less li$e e%ploy%ent and %ore li$e sla"ery# Although sla"ery )as officially outla)ed in Bra0il o"er !0 years ago, de&t &ondage for o"er 27,000 people continues on Bra0ilian soy plantations# This is not the $ind of far%ing industry I )ant to support# Botto% line6 soy is not the %agical health food that %any tout it to &e# Cet(s &e clear, ho)e"er, that fer%ented soy products don(t carry the sa%e negati"e conse8uences as unfer%ented, highly processed soy foods# +o if you(re shopping for %iso or te%peh, %a$e sure to choose &rands that are organic and not genetically %odified# And if you("e &een depending on tofu 4an unfer%ented food5 for "egetarian protein, try out so%e of these other "egetarian proteins instead#

O)3 There has been a whole re"olution in fake meat soy products4 )eading the book definitely ga"e me a new perspecti"e on soy in terms of how healthy it really is and how much of it are we eating in our diet without consciously being aware of it4 MG6 I ha"e a couple &asic principles a&out food, and one is to di"ersify our diet# 9e are o%ni"ores# 9e need to eat a great %any different nutrients ** &et)een 70 and a hundred are the esti%ates that I("e seen# Het, )e(re really getting %ost of our calories fro% four plants, and soy is one of the%# T)enty percent of the A%erican diet co%es fro% soy or soy oil# I thin$ that that(s putting all your eggs in one &as$et# There are t)o )ays to process soy products6 There are traditional )ays of processing, such as )hen you fer%ent and %a$e tofu, and these ha"e &een pro"en to $eep populations healthy and ali"e for a long ti%e# But )e ha"e so%e "ery no"el )ays of processing soy# 9e(re isolating the protein and using soy isofla"one as an additi"e# These are no"el and untested, and there is science to suggest that you %ight not )ant to eat too %uch of that# I don(t $no) that )e("e found real har%s, &ut there are 8uestions#

+oy isofla"ones, and soy products in general, closely rese%&le estrogen in the &ody# It isn(t really clear )hether that(s a good or &ad thing# They %ay &e fooling the estrogen receptors into thin$ing they(re estrogen and &loc$ing estrogen response, )hich %ight &e a good thing, or they %ay &e acting li$e estrogen and doing )hat estrogen does, )hich )ould &e a &ad thing &ecause estrogen pro%otes certain cancers# There are )ay too %any estrogen co%pounds already circulating in our &odies, &ecause )e get it fro% plastics and other things# +o going cra0y o"er soy %ight not &e such a )onderful idea# In general, I ha"e %ore confidence in the traditional )ays of processing soy than the ne) )ays# =o"elty in &iology is guilty until pro"en innocent# Mutations are no"elties, and e"ery no) and then there(s a great %utation that confers an ad"antage on the creature# But 11 out of 00 %utations are disasters# +o )hen )e co%e up )ith a co%pletely ne) )ay of using a food, co%&ining a food or processing a food, I(d Fust as soon )atch so%e other people eat it for a couple hundred years &efore I try it#

Mother 'ones (nline / By ,iera Butler

2DD3

Which )e ie B*r ers Were Made With a Ne*roto+in%

-ost non-organic veggie burgers currently on the mar'et are made with the chemical he.ane, an /01-registered air %ollutant and neuroto.in.
1%ril 23, !2! !

This is a&out the ti%e of year )hen I start $eeping pac$ages of "eggie &urgers in the free0er, Fust in case of an i%pro%ptu &ar&ecue# In the past, I ha"en(t had %uch fa$e %eat &rand loyalty6 I("e found that once I s%other %y hun$ of te;tured "egeta&le protein in &ar&e8ue sauce, all soy patties are pretty %uch created e8ual# But after reading a recentin"estigation &y the 'ornucopia Institute, I(% going to &e a lot %ore pic$y6 The food and agriculture nonprofit found that %ost non*organic "eggie &urgers currently on the %ar$et are %ade )ith the che%ical he;ane, an :GA*registered air pollutant and neuroto;in# In order to %eet the de%ands of health*conscious consu%ers, %anufacturers of soy*&ased fa$e %eat li$e to %a$e their products ha"e as little fat as possi&le# The cheapest )ay to do this is &y su&%erging soy&eans in a &ath of he;ane to separate the oil fro% the protein# +ays 'ornucopia Institute senior researcher 'harlotte Vallaeys, KIf a non*organic product contains a soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, or te;turi0ed "egeta&le protein, you can &e pretty sure it )as %ade using soy &eans that )ere %ade )ith he;ane#K

If you("e heard a&out he;ane &efore, it )as li$ely in the conte;t of gasolineOthe air pollutant is also a &yproduct of gas refining# But in 2007, grain processors )ere responsi&le for t)o*thirds of our national he;ane e%issions# /e;ane isha0ardous in the factory, too6 9or$ers )ho ha"e &een e;posed to it ha"e de"eloped &oth s$in and ner"ous syste% disorders# Trou&ling, then, that the 23A does not %onitor or regulate he;ane residue in foods# More )orriso%e still6 According to the report, K=early e"ery %aFor ingredient in con"entional soy*&ased infant for%ula is he;ane e;tracted#K The 'ornucopia Institute found that a nu%&er of popular "eggie &urgers )ere %ade )ith he;ane# The list 4 pdf, page !7, and &elo)5 is longer than you %ight thin$6 A%y(s <itchen Boca Burger, con"entional 2ran$lin 2ar%s -arden Burger ItPs All -ood Cightlife Morningstar 2ar%s GresidentPs 'hoice Taste A&o"e Trader Joe(s H"es Veggie 'uisine $e5ane.free products3 Boca Burgers KMade )ith organic soyK /elen(s <itchen Morningstar KMade )ith organicK

+uper&urgers &y Turtle Island Tofur$y 9ild)ood Also )orth noting6 Groducts la&eled KorganicK aren(t allo)ed to contain any he;ane*deri"ed ingredients, &ut that rule doesn(t apply to foods that are la&eled K%ade )ith organic ingredients#K 2or %ore on soy sourcing, plus a list of popular K%ade )ith organic ingredientsK*la&eled protein &ars that are %ade )ith he;ane, read the 'ornucopia Institute(s full study, K Behind the Bean #K T63 % thought your chapter on soy was "ery interesting4 This can be a pretty confusing topic because there is a great deal of research on whether or not soy is healthy and some of it seems conflicting4 Do you think that people are becoming unnecessarily scared of eating soy# JR6 Many people are, yes, I("e seen that and then on the other hand there are people )ho("e &een e;cessi"ely enthusiastic a&out it thin$ing soy )as the ans)er to e"erything and the %ore you ate the &etter# 9e("e had t)o de"elop%ents in the soy )orld in recent decades that are a %aFor concern# Dne of the% is that no), al%ost the entire soy&ean crop in the United +tates that isn(t organic is -MD )ith RoundupReady soy fro% Monsanto# The other is that food %anufacturers ha"e de"eloped soy*isolated products that are far re%o"ed fro% the )hole soy food and as such ha"e so%e du&ious nutritional realities# Both of those things are 8uestion %ar$s a&out soy, although if you eat organic soy and you eat )hole soy products those are pro&le%s you are %anaging to a"oid personally, &ut they are still of course pro&le%s for society# I thin$ there is a &alance hereE )hole soy and organic for %ost people eating the A%erican diet can &e a "ery healthful alternati"e to the factory far%ed %eat products# 9e shouldn(t thro) the &a&y out )ith the &ath)ater and there ha"e &een a lot of people )ho ha"e# There are so%e people )ho ha"e de"eloped soy allergies in recent years and there are a lot of people sho)ing up )ith food allergies today ### and )e see the graphs, it correlated directly to the )idespread use of -MD foods in our food chain#
Traduccin de Mnica Gmez Santos

74 8 n cuanto a los efectos en la salud de las personas+ cual dir9a :ue es el producto m;s pernicioso deri"ado de la so2a :ue e5iste en el

mercado#
El peor sin duda es la leche maternizada de soja porque normalmente es el nico alimento que consume el beb. La soja contiene fitoestr enos que pueden producir un funcionamiento anmalo de la tiroides ! del aparato reproductor" as# como ni$eles t%icos de man aneso que pueden pro$ocar da&o neurol ico ! cerebral asociado con '()( *(ficit de 'tencin con )iperacti$idad+ ! comportamiento $iolento. Los bebs que toman leche maternizada de soja tambin corren un ries o ma!or de padecer problemas astrointestinales" aler ias" asma" menor absorcin de minerales ! menor coeficiente intelectual. 'unque la ma!or#a saben que es mejor dar el pecho a los bebs" las mujeres que no pueden hacerlo esco en la soja pensando que es una opcin m,s saludable. Esta decisin es un desastre. En contra de lo que se piensa" la leche de soja maternizada nunca se ha sido empleada tradicionalmente en 'sia. Tanto para los ni&os como para los adultos" las dos peores cate or#as de productos son la prote#na de soja ! el aceite de soja. 'l contrario que en 'sia donde la ente come peque&as cantidades de productos de soja sin procesar" en occidente se procesa industrialmente la soja para separarla en dos productos- prote#na ! aceite. .o ha! nada natural o se uro en dicho proceso. La alta tecnolo #a que se emplee ho! en d#a no slo no remue$e los anti nutrientes ! las to%inas presentes de forma natural en la soja" sino que deja residuos t%icos ! cancer# enos ori inados por las altas temperaturas" alta presin" ba&os ,cidos ! alcalinos" as# como disol$entes del petrleo. Los peores deri$ados de la soja que e%isten actualmente son los concentrados de prote#na de soja" la soja te%turizada ! la prote#na $e etal hidrolizado. Estos in redientes se encuentran en casi todos los productos procesados- batidos" barras ener ticas" hambur uesas $e etales o atn en lata. Los peores productos deri$ados del aceite de soja son las mar arinas hechas con aceite de soja parcialmente hidro enado que contiene los peli rosos ,cidos rasos transaturados. /ara que el pblico acepte los aceites de soja se les somete a un procesado industrial e%hausti$o" que inclu!e desodorizacin e hidro enacin. El hecho de que la prote#na de soja oce de una e%celente reputacin" pero el aceite de soja ha!a ca#do en des racia ha conducido a una di$isin en cuanto al mar0etin en las clases sociales. La ente preocupada por la salud de las clases sociales ele$adas est, dispuesta a pa ar un alto precio por los supuestos efectos benficos de la soja en herbolarios ! tiendas de productos or ,nicos. Mientras tanto" el resto in iere el mortal aceite de soja car ado de rasas hidro enadas en cualquiera de los alimentos procesados del mercado- cra0ers" coo0ies" boller#a" alimentos enlatados" patatas fritas con eladas" etc. Sin embar o" los productos de soja de ele$ado coste se han asociado en la mente popular con la palabra 1saludable2. 'unque el americano promedio toda$#a considere un 1filete de soja2 como al o repu nante" parecen no darse cuenta de que la industria alimenticia ha introducido soja in$isible en casi todos los productos de los supermercados. Siempre que los precios se manten an bajos ! el sabor ! la te%tura resulten familiares" la soja es percibida como un aditi$o saludable. Mientras tanto" en los $ecindarios de las clases altas" el aceite de soja est, acabando con la reputacin de saludable que ten#a la prote#na de soja" ! comienza a aparecer en productos $endidos en los herbolarios ! tiendas de productos naturales" ! no precisamente en su forma m,s

saludable *sin refinar ! prensado en fr#o+. El producto que m,s me preocupa es la leche de soja. .o porque sea el producto peor que e%iste" sino porque la ente la est, consumiendo en e%ceso.

<4 8'omo ha conseguido la so2a+ hasta hace poco un producto poco popular+ :ue ahora se considere como una panacea para pre"enir toda clase de enfermedades#
(urante a&os" el Mercado de la soja fue mu! limitado. Los americanos no slo odiaban su sabor a le uminosa ! la flatulencia que produc#a" sino que consideraban a la soja como una comida de hippies o especial para los $e etarianos. E$identemente esta percepcin de la soja preocupaba a la industria" que ten#a ran cantidad de restos de prote#na de soja procedentes de la produccin de aceite de soja a los que dar salida. (espus de todo" solamente pod#an alimentar a los animales una cantidad determinada antes de que aparecieran serias complicaciones en su salud. /ara conse uir randes beneficios $endiendo prote#na de soja como 1alimento para los hombres2 era necesario que la industria hiciera que la ente estu$iese dispuesta no slo a comer soja" sino pa ar caro dicho pri$ile io. Tal como un pez ordo del mar0etin e%plicaba en 3456" 1el medio m,s r,pido para conse uir que un producto sea aceptado entre la poblacin de menor ni$el adquisiti$o es que la poblacin de m,s ni$el adquisiti$o la consuma por sus propiedades saludables2. Este mila ro se ha conse uido con$enciendo al pblico de los efectos benficos de la soja. Millones de dlares procedentes de la industria de la soja se han in$ertido en in$esti aciones mdicas" esponsorizar simposios" establecer reclamos de la 7(' sobre los beneficios que reporta para la salud el consumo de soja en el etiquetado de dichos productos ! en influenciar dietistas ! periodistas. La campa&a ha lle$ado a una e%altacin de la soja ! a inmensos beneficios.

=4 8'on tantos productos deri"ados de la so2a >concentrado de prote9na de so2a+ aceite de so2a+ etc? :ue conse2o dar9a a los consumidores :ue :uieren e"itar la so2a pero no saben por donde comen1ar#
Es un reto" especialmente para las personas con aler ia a la soja. /ero tambin nos brinda la oportunidad de ele ir la comida de forma ptima. El mejor" ! puede que nico modo" de e$itar la soja completamente es comprar comida sin procesar ! prepararla uno mismo. /ara los que aun as# prefieran productos empaquetados ! listos para comer" les recomiendo que consulte la lista de productos en mi 8ebwww4wholesoystory4com . La lista contiene alias tras los que se esconde la soja en la lista de in redientes" con apelati$os como 9sabor natural: o 9prote#na $e etal te%turizada:. /ero no todo son malas noticias. En enero de ;<<= el consumidor americano se beneficiar, de una le! que estipula que en el etiquetado del producto indique si contiene al uno de los > principales productos alr icos- leche" hue$os" cacahuetes" nueces" pescado" marisco" tri o o soja" ! requiere que el 7(' realice

inspecciones para ase urarse que la industria alimentaria cumple esta le!" ! as# eliminar la contaminacin con estas substancias alr icas en muchos productos en los que no se ha sido incluidos intencionadamente como in redientes. Tenemos esta le! racias a la ?niciati$a de 'ler ia 'limentaria" una or anizacin sin ,nimo de lucro con base en .ue$a @or0.

@4 Muchos americanos est;n con"encidos de :ue la so2a es la panacea para las enfermedades del cora1An+ los s9ntomas de la menopausia y el colesterol alto entre otros4 8BuC le dir9a a este nutrido grupo de gente :ue toda"9a piensa :ue la so2a es una comida saludable#
En eneral" deber#amos ser cautos a la hora de pensar que un alimento cualesquiera es un alimento mila roso" especialmente uno que ha sido promo$ido por los mismos fabricantes" ! que por tanto se benefician de este reclamo. A#mos tantas cosas mara$illosas sobre la soja" pero la ente necesita recordar que los posibles beneficios no compensan los ries os demostrados deri$ados de su consumo. Miles de estudios cl#nicos" epidemiol icos conclu!en que el consumo de soja est, li ado a la malnutricin" problemas di esti$os" hipotiroidismo" decli$e co niti$o" problemas reproducti$os" debilitamiento del sistema inmunol ico" e incluso problemas del corazn ! c,ncer. 'unque ciertamente es posible que al unos componentes de la soja puedan utilizarse en la preparacin de medicamentos" es inapropiado que la industria de la soja recomiende a la poblacin en su conjunto *hombres" mujeres ! ni&os+ que se automedique comiendo in entes cantidades de soja. 'l pblico no se le ha ad$ertido que la soja puede tener muchos efectos secundarios" que es una sustancia que puede ser beneficiosa en un ciclo de la $ida ! perjudicial en otro" ! que los estr enos que introducimos en la dieta pueden tener un efecto acumulati$o o e%ponencial con los estr enos medio ambientales.

D4 8'ual fue la moti"aciAn :ue le lle"A a escribir E6a "erdadera historia de la so2aF#
)ace a&os estaba e%citada con las mara$illas que se hablaban de la soja. La posibilidad de que este alimento de bajo costo pudiese pre$enir problemas de corazn" acabase con el c,ncer ! con los sofocos de la menopausia" a la $ez que fortaleciera los huesos me pareci mu! atra!ente. Sin embar o" estos reclamos publicitarios no se correspond#an con la cantidad de ente enferma cu!as dietas inclu#an soja que encontr. En los ashrams habl con $e etarianos que hablaban con entusiasmo de sus dietas iluminadas" pero que se quejaban de prdida de ener #a" confusin mental" debilitamiento del cabello" piel ris,cea" aumento de peso ! flatulencia. Buando era profesora me encontr con profesionales preocupados por la salud" que $inieron a m# confundidos ! frustrados porque les hab#an recomendado la soja" pero se sent#an peor de lo que se hab#an sentido nunca. En mi trabajo como nutricionista trat a muchos pacientes que recuperaron la salud despus de eliminar la soja de sus dietas. Estas obser$aciones me lle$aron a cuestionar todo lo que hab#a o#do o le#do sobre la soja" ! a in$esti ar personalmente el tema.

G4 8'uales son los tipos de so2a aceptables# 8No es cierto :ue la so2a fermentada >natto+ tempeh+ miso? es buena para la salud#

/ersonalmente consumo productos tradicionales fermentados de soja como miso" tempeh" natto" sho!u ! tamari" pues creo que pueden ser saludables en el conte%to de una dieta $ariada. El tofu es un producto procesado ! menos saludable" pero toda$#a lo disfruto ocasionalmente. EdamameClos ranos $erdes de soja inmadurosC contienen menos to%inas de las que se encuentran en los ranos maduros" ! por tanto" se pueden comer de $ez en cuando. La ente que no es alr ica a la soja puede consumir estos productos de forma se ura en las mismas cantidades que se comen tradicionalmente en 'sia. Es decir" en peque&as cantidades usadas como condimento" no como comida principal. Los brotes de soja" por el contrario" no son saludables. La erminacin a corto plazo incrementa los antinutrientes de la soja. En contraste" la erminacin a lar o plazo m,s la fermentacin los disminu!e" elimin,ndolos casi por completo. )istricamente" se pensaba que los brotes de soja eran m,s tiles como medicamentos" no como un alimento de in esta diaria.

H4 n su libro E6a "erdadera historia de la so2aF afirma :ue nunca se ha demostrado :ue el consumo de la so2a sea seguro+ y :ue puede causar daIos irre"ersibles en la salud de las personas4 8'uales son algunos de los efectos secundarios m;s importantes :ue puede producir la so2a#
.o me siento se ura al pronunciar palabras como 1irre$ersible2 o 1incurable2. Las personas adultas que han tenido problemas de salud debidos a la soja tienen altas probabilidades de recuperar su salud ! eliminan de su dieta la soja ! otros alimentos que contienen estr enos" adoptan una dieta omn#$ora" $ariada ! ecol ica e inclu!en suplementos apropiados recomendados por un nutricionista u otro profesional de la salud. Me he topado frecuentemente con problemas de tiroides" infertilidad" problemas menstruales" prdida del apetito se%ual" ca#da del cabello ! problemas di esti$os. /ero el da&o que producen las leches maternizadas de soja s# que es irre$ersible. Dn momento crucial para la pro ramacin del sistema reproducti$o humano es justo despus del nacimiento Ejusto en el momento en el que muchos ni&os que no son amamantados reciben toma tras toma de leche maternizada de soja. .ormalmente" durante este periodo en el cuerpo del beb emer en estr enos naturales" testosterona ! otros hormonas necesarias para pro ramar el sistema reproductor del recin nacido para la madurez desde la infancia" pasando por la pubertad hasta la edad adulta. En el caso de los bebs que se alimentan de leche maternizada de soja esta pro ramacin hormonal se puede interrumpir. Las isofla$onoss" los fitoestr enos de la soja" son mu! parecidos a los a los estr enos naturales producidos por el cuerpo humano" as# como a los estr enos sintticos que se encuentran en las p#ldoras anticoncepti$as. )ablando estrictamente" los estr enos de la soja no son hormonas sino 1imitadores de los estr enos2" es decir" que se comportan como los estr enos en el cuerpo humano" pero lo importante es que nuestro or anismo los confunde con hormonas. Los ni&os que son 1estro enizados2 de esta forma pueden e%perimentar retrasos de la pubertad. Las ni&as peque&as sometidas al mismo tratamiento pueden alcanzar la pubertad de forma prematura. )emos $isto muchas historias tr, icas de este tipo.

J4 8'ual fue la informaciAn :ue descubriA mientras escrib9as E6a historia "erdadera de la so2aF :ue m;s le impresionA#
Bomenc mi in$esti acin con la idea de que la soja tendr#a sus pros ! sus contras. Sin embar o" encontr una e$idencia abrumadora en su contra. Me sorprendi la cantidad de estudios que hab#an sido enterrados ! que hubieran debido publicarse" la fla rante ine%actitud de los datos ! el talento de la industria de la soja para dar la $uelta a resultados desfa$orables. 'hora mismo" la 7(' est, considerando seriamente aprobar un reclamo de salud en el etiquetado de los alimentos afirmando que la prote#na de soja pre$iene el c,ncer" a propuesta de la compa&#a Solae. La mera idea de que se inclu!a a la soja en la cate or#a de substancias anticancer# enas es totalmente rid#cula. Las isofla$onas de soja Flos estr enos que contiene la planta de soja a los que se atribu!e la proteccin contra el c,ncerF aparecen en muchos libros de te%to de to%icolo #a como carcin enos. Tambin se ha demostrado que son muta nicos" clasto nicos ! tero nicos. Estudios recientes han demostrado incluso que la soja acelera el crecimiento del c,ncer de pecho. Sin embar o" Solae toda$#a sostiene que 1ha! un consenso entre los e%pertos $alidado por suformacin cient#fica ! e%periencia2 que 1los productos de prote#na de soja reducen el ries o de ciertos c,nceres2. 'se$eracin tan opuesta a la $erdad que decid# unirme a Sall! 7allon ! Gill Sanda de la 7undacin Heston '. /rice para rellenar dos documentos de protesta al 7('. La 7(' ha retrasaso su decisin ! nos reuniremos con ellos esta prima$era.

K4 8A a:uellas personas en cuya dieta el mayor aporte proteico procede de la so2a :ue comidas les sugerir9a para reempla1ar la so2a#
Iecomiendo encarecidamente una dieta $ariada ! omni$ora" como la que propone .ourishin Traditions ! el libro de Sall! 7allon ! Mar! Eni 1Eat 7atJLose 7at2 *Boma rasa para perder rasa+" as# como los libros del (r Mercola ! su sitio 8eb. Si se opta por una dieta $e etariana recomiendo productos l,cteos crudos sin pasteurizar ! hue$os de allinas criadas al aire libre. En el caso de que el aporte de prote#nas proceda de le umbres o frutos secos se deber#an dejar en remojo para desacti$ar los fitatos ! otros antinutrientes" con el objeto de hacerlos m,s di esti$os ! asimilables.

7L4 8-lanea escribir otro libro#

Esto! recopilando historias de personas que han tenido problemas debidos al consumo de soja" ! que constituir,n una secuela de mi libro anterior. ?ncluir, testimonios $er#dicos sobre la soja" ! cmo muchos hombres" mujeres ! ni&os han conse uido recuperarse de problemas de salud ori inados por la soja. Me ustar#a que el pblico ! otros mdicos que han desarrollado o estn desarrollando protocolos para clientes que est,n sufriendo de problemas de tiroides" decli$e co niti$o" c,ncer u otros problemas de salud debidos a la in esta de soja se pon an en contacto conmi o. Les insto a compartir sus historias enwww4wholesoystory4com .