*Attn Vegetarians: Soy not so good for you*

[iyah360]

http://www.mothering.com/10-0-0/html/10-6-0/soy-story.shtml

Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food


By Kaayla T. Daniel
Issue 124: May/June 2004

Over the past decade, soy foods have become America's favorite health food. Newspapers, magazines, and best-selling health writers have proclaimed the "joy of soy" and promoted the belief that soy food is the key to disease prevention and maximum longevity.

The possibility that an inexpensive plant food could prevent heart disease, fight cancer, fan away hot flashes, and build strong bodies in far more than 12 ways is seductive. The truth, unfortunately, is far more complex. Soy foods come in a variety of forms, including many heavily processed modern products. Even good forms of soy foods must be eaten sparingly-the way they have been eaten traditionally in Asia. Most important, many respected scientists have issued warnings stating that the possible benefits of eating soy should be weighed against the proven risks. Indeed, thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility-even cancer and heart disease.

Americans rarely hear anything negative about soy. Thanks to the shrewd public relations campaigns waged by Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Protein Technologies International (PTI), the American Soybean Association, and other soy interests, as well as the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) 1999 approval of the health claim that soy protein lowers cholesterol, soy maintains a "healthy" image.

This article is written for parents who need to know the risks of feeding soy formula to infants, or soy milk and other soy foods to growing children. It's designed for prospective mothers and fathers who need to know the links between soy foods, infertility, and birth defects. Finally, it will serve anyone considering soy as a preventive for menopausal symptoms, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, or other ills . . .

(article continued at link http://www.mothering.com/10-0-0/html/10-6-0/soy-story.shtml )

[OlOrisa_Olokun]

the soy industry has almost no bearing on the companies that have produced natural soy products for the last 3 decades. they are totally disassociated and independent of one another in generating revenue for their businesses. organic farmers do not use the chemicals or soy seeds that are endorsed ADM or any other major soy producer.

if you are worried about soy, then stop eating at all fast food restaurants and get out of your regular grocery store. they are the ones pleddling poor sources of soy.

the research that says soy has dangers is not conclusive. if fact its paid for by those that would rather you not be on a vegetarian diet because it threatens the cattle industry.

gotta do your thinking and research prior to falling into line with these fancy talking lobbyists.


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there are 3 decades of parents that raised families on vegetarian diets that consisted of soy. now that is conclusive research.

[Kristian]

Greetings and blessings to all. Both sides of this topic are very interesting to me. I am a soy consumer, and while I do not purchase such items as soy sausage, and fake bacon, I do use a lot of the solid soy cakes. Are any of the brands found in my market quality producers? Grace and blessings.

[wezekana]

Soy products seem to be a mixed blessing. Inhibiting the intestinal absorbtion of some harmful substances as well as some beneficial ones.