SOY: A HEALTH FOOD?

By: Dr. Linda Posh MS SLP ND

SOY IS NOT HEALTHY FOOD: In fact, it is exactly the opposite.
Read on to find out why and what it actually does to your body.

So, how much soy did Asians eat? Not much, even though we, as a
society have been led by expert mass marketing to think
otherwise. Soy has never, ever been a food staple in Asian
history. The exception was that the poor often used the soybean
to fill their empty bellies during times of famine. Even then,
the soybeans were prepared in such a way as to neutralize the
natural and inherent soy toxins thus proving that even ancient
Asians understood the soybean better than we do today.

Soy is touted as the original protein source for those persuing
a vegetarian lifestyle. To consume a serving of tofu and a
couple of glasses of soy milk has become commonplace for many
Americans. This is absolutely in excess of the amount of soy
that Asians consume. In native Asia, from where so much of this
"research" is purported to have originated, a tablespoon or two
of soy is simply used as a condiment. According to K. C. Chang,
the editor of " Food in Chinese Culture" the total caloric
intake of soy in the Chinese diet during the 1930's was only 1.5
percent as compared to 65 percent for pork products.

The huge concern about consuming large amounts of soy products
lies in the mega dosing of isoflavones. If consumers follow the
nutritional advice of Protein Technologies International
(manufactures of soy isolated protein) their daily genistein
intake (an isoflavin found in soy) could exceed 200 milligrams
per day. It goes without saying this level of genistein intake
should be avoided.

Up until only two decades ago, soy was considered unfit to eat.
By Asians mind you! To see the hold soy products have on the USA
marketplace is truly a miracle. Agricultural literature clearly
depicts the soybean and its first and foremost use as a crop
rotation plant used to fix nitrogen in the soil. Soybeans did
not serve as any form of food until the advent of the Chow
Dynasty. During this period, fermentation techniques brought us
some of the soy edibles we see today such as tempeh, soy sauce
and natto. In the second century B.C., the Chinese discovered a
porridge of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium
sulphate or magnesium sulphate (Plaster of Paris or Epsom salts)
to make tofu. Sound healthy?

The Chinese did not eat unfermented soybeans as they did other
legumes because the soybean contains large amounts of
antinutrients (toxins). First among them is heamagglutinin, a
clot promoting substance that makes red blood cells clump
together. Soy is rich in enzyme inhibitors that block the action
of much needed enzymes required to digest proteins. These
inhibitors are not deactivated during cooking. They can cause
gastric distress and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake.
Protein inhibitors and haemagglutinin are scientifically proven
to inhibit growth, as evidenced in studies of weanling rats who
eventually failed to thrive.

Soy contains goitrogens, plant chemicals that inhibit thyroid
function. AND 99% percent of the soy we consume is genetically
modified, otherwise known as GMO. Soy has one of the highest
percentages of contamination by pesticides of any of our foods.
Soy is rich in phytic acid, a chemical that blocks the uptake of
essential minerals. Soy has the highest phytate levels of all
the grains and legumes. The phytates have been found to be
resistant even to to long slow cooking in an effort to denature
them. There exist hundreds of research articles on phytic acid
and their effects, including binding with certain nutrients,
like iron, to inhibit their absorption.

The marketing push for more soy products has been relentless and
global. Public relations firms help convert research projects
into newspaper articles and advertising copy. It has worked like
a charm. Soy protein is now found in a majority of supermarket
breads. Soy can be found blended in the regular old corn
tortilla. Try to find a salad dressing in a health food store
whose first ingredient is not soy oil. Advertising for a new soy
enriched loaf from Allied Bakeries in Britain targets menopausal
women seeking relief from hot flashes. It goes on and on.

For more information on the great soy misinformation please
consult the well written and respected book entitled The Whole
Soy Story by Dr. Kaayla Daniel.

About the author:
Dr. Linda Posh MS SLP ND, has been in the lab developing whole
food nutritional supplements. Nutra-Resources Body Balance Liquid Vitamin Website
donates all profits to Health Care for those in need. visit http://www.Nutra-Resources.
com