I used to drink the stuff a bit. I got sucked in by the health messages.
don't get sucked in by the soy myth!!
Then I got told it’s a no-go for anyone with thyroid issues.
Then I learned it’s really a no-go for everyone. I know soooo many of you drink it in your coffee or tea.. Perhaps you’d like to reconsider that (and turn to FULL-FAT milk…more on this later):
Why do we think it’s healthy, then?
We’ve kind of been conned, to be honest.The story is this: in the olden days, tropical oils, like palm and coconut, were the basis of American food production. Problem was, they’re not grown in the US …cos they’re tropical. So a campaign was launched to demonize the these oils and push soy (and corn) as the healthy alternative. We, in Australia, then adopted these health messages blindly and I”m guessing the soy farmers here ran with the bandwagon.
Why is it so crappy?
Most soy grown is genetically modified (GM) soy. DrMercola explains on his site:
The GM variety planted in 91 percent of US soy acres is Roundup Ready—engineered to survive being doused with otherwise lethal amounts of Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. Monsanto produces both the Roundup Ready soy seeds and the herbicide Roundup.The logic — if you can call it that after all factors are considered — behind GM crops such as soy is that you can decrease the cost of production by killing off everything except the actual soy plant.
So these toxins cause all kinds of problems, including fertility issues…this has been proven many times over.
What about the organic stuff?
Still super crappy for you. Soy contains the following bits and pieces, which are not going to make you happy:
- Goitrogens block the synthesis of thyroid hormones and interfere with iodine metabolism. Soy milk is a significant contributor to thyroid dysfunction or hypothyroidism in women.
- Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, which is a plant compound resembling human estrogen, which is why some recommend using soy therapeutically to treat symptoms of menopause. But, says, Dr Mercola:
Typically, most of us are exposed to too much estrogen compounds and have a lower testosterone level than ideal, so it really is important to limit exposure to feminizing phytoestrogens. Even more importantly, there’s evidence it may disturb endocrine function, cause infertility, and promote breast cancer, which is definitely a significant concern.Drinking two glasses of soy milk daily for just one month provides enough of these compounds to alter your menstrual cycle. Although the FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, no warnings exist on soy.
- Phytic acid prevent the absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Bad news for vegetarians, because eating meat reduces the mineral-blocking effects of these phytates.I’ve mentioned phytic acid before, in regards to brown rice. Soaking brown rice (and beans) gets rid of the phytic issue… not so with soy. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans.
- Anti-nutrients” which interfere with the enzymes you need to digest protein.
All of which is pretty CRAPPY!!!
Is any of it healthy?!!
Yeah, ONLY when it’s fermented – so miso and tempeh are the go (but not tofu, which isn’t fermented!!). When soy is fermented it’s an excellent sources of health-promoting natural probiotics. The fermentation process also breaks down the goitrogens, isoflavones and the phytic acid. Phew.
NOT that I’m here to tell you what to do, but the above made me shift my ways. And every nutritionist I know is against it. Every now and then I’ll have a bit of tofu, but it’s not something I turn to. To be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of it anyway.
Want to know more….read The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food
Really!?? As I’m sitting here drinking my tea with soy milk right now, this is rather disturbing. Oh dear.
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I don’t like it in tea… but I need SOMETHING on my cereal :\ cow milk and I aren’t cool, and oat and rice milk taste like crap. Help?
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October 26th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Try prune juice – yummy.
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October 26th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
Goat or Sheep milk is great if you have lactose issues.
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October 27th, 2010 at 1:41 am
Almond milk is awesome.
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October 29th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Our family has survived on apple juice on our cereal for years. Try it on oats – divine.
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Wow – real eye opener. Back to cow’s milk then!
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Interesting and slightly scary stuff. So are there any types of soy milk that are fermented and therefore better for you? Cow’s milk and I aren’t cool either – although perhaps this is a sign I should try and give up caffeine once and for all!
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November 11th, 2010 at 7:42 am
You could try kefir! It’s a way to ferment milk. It tastes a little bit like yogurt; different, but not bad once you get used to it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir
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I’ve had soy on and off for a number of years. It’s Australian, organic and non GM. I do still get confused however when reading different articles. Is it good for you, is it not. When I asked my naturopath she said she rotates soy milk with almond and rice milk. She isn’t into milk or dairy other than yoghurt. I don’t have heaps of it and I do alternate with almond milk but I still think soy or tofu can’t be that bad if so many Chinese and Japanese people include it in their diet. I’ve also found these on my tofu travels which I thought might be of interest.
http://www.thefactsaboutsoy.com/index.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/01/anti-soya-brigade-ignore-scaremongering/print
http://natures-express.blogspot.com/2009/12/soy-is-healthy-in-breast-cancer.html
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You say soy milk is genetically modified but so is all the Milk that is provided to comsumers in Austalia wheather this be full fat, hilo or skim. I have heard that ‘our’ milk has the biggest connection to health problems including cancer, obesity and heart disease.
Most dairy products will limit the absorption of vitamins and minerals, only foods high in vitamin C will assist with the absorbption of any nutrient or mineral we consume.
My point being information overload how are we supposed to know who to believe – too much is being analysised everything in moderation should be adapted at all times.
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Nice work Sarah! I read a lot by Dr. Peter Dingle on this issue and he agrees with you – small amounts of full-fat cow’s milk are the healthiest option, just dont overdo it. Apparently there are oils used in the making of soy into milk that are quite nasty too, as if the soy wasn’t bad enough.
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OK so what happened to everything in moderation?? I think you need to be really careful with your words Sarah, it’s people saying things like this who turn us into fearful and obsessive eaters. This controversy has been going back and forth for many years now, I think we need to see how much is actually harmful? Dosages please??
Now we have people freaking out that they are drinking it with tea! Is it appropriate to be putting this fear into people?? Especially if they don’t “do” dairy. Yes there are certain conditions for which you should not consume soy products, and yes there can be serious outcomes if they do so, but is it all doom and gloom?
Here are some of the positive sides of soy:
- The lecithin and choline content improves memory recall and the soy isoflavones may protect the brain and reduce the risk of alzheimers.
- Numerous trials show that soy reduces high cholesterol LDL’s and triglycerides, improves arterial compliance and reduces blood pressure, whole soy is more effective than SPI and isolated isoflavones.
- Soy protein intake prevents bone loss compared with whey protein,increases bone mineral content and prevents urinary loss; reduces hot flushes in a squillion trials compared with placebo and decreases LH and FSH in perimenopausal women.
I think people should be looking at all types of research (and who is putting out the research) and making the decision for yourself whether it’s appropriate for your body.
We really need to be making these choices ourselves and stop just taking what we read or hear as truth. Or if we are going to be led by “experts” then these people need to make sure they are 100% across the research and facts. Sarah, generally love your blog, but there’s so many instances where opinions get in the way of facts and this can be misleading. I know you’re probably not trying to be misleading, but you need to be very careful about what you say because a lot of people will take it as gospel.
I personally don’t drink soy, but i don’t have any real need to. I don’t have a lot of dairy either, moderation is the key here.
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October 26th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
I’ve had to cut soy out because of my thyroid….so I have to be a bit extreme. But I also acknowledge I eat a bit of tofu. I’m not an extreme person in these regards. And agree with your point!
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October 26th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
I get very concerned and frustrated with articles such as this. I agree with you Angela, this article seems to lack balance and any substantive referencing to research.
I appreciate your passion Sarah but believe articles such as this are not constructive. I understand that you’re a nutrition course at present, I would hope that they emphasise the importance of research, referencing and balance…….something the public deserve in journalism but rarely get…..hence the many myths that are propogated.
I also don’t drink soy and haven’t had any need to. For myself, low fat milk has been sufficient.
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October 26th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
what makes you think it’s not researched?
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October 27th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Maybe I should say poorly researched, biased and unbalanced. Sorry to sound harsh but I am extremely concerned about the effects of disseminating misinformation. There are no references to detailed research by authoritative organisations such as Medical or Dietetic Associations and the research that has been undertaken.
The two references that are made are by Dr Mercola and final reference to ‘The Whole Soy Story………’ written by guess who…..Dr Mercola.
I refer to Wikipedia below in giving some insight into Mercola:
Mercola has received two Warning Letters from the FDA for marketing nutritional products in a manner which violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.[3][4] A 2006 BusinessWeek editorial criticized Mercola’s marketing practices as “relying on slick promotion, clever use of information, and scare tactics.”
Mercola gives the lie to the notion that holistic practitioners tend to be so absorbed in treating patients that they aren’t effective businesspeople. While Mercola on his site seeks to identify with this image by distinguishing himself from “all the greed-motivated hype out there in health-care land”, he is a master promoter, using every trick of traditional and Internet direct marketing to grow his business… He is selling health-care products and services, and is calling upon an unfortunate tradition made famous by the old-time snake oil salesmen of the 1800s.[5]
Mercola is also against homogenization,[24] claiming that it leads to xanthine oxidase absorption and oxidative stress.[25] This idea has been described as “tenuous and implausible” in the Journal of the American Medical Association.[26] A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that “Experimental evidence has failed to substantiate, and in many cases has refuted, the xanthine oxidase/plasmalogen depletion hypothesis”.[27]
Some other wild ideas from a person who can only be described as a ‘quack’ out to make a quick buck:
In October of 2010, Dr Mercola announced plans to produce a breastmilk substitute. Many of his fans were upset by the announcements and questioned his ethics, marketing an artificial milk product when donor milk banks provide a nutritionally perfect food for human infants, even when their mothers aren’t able to nurse. This controversy also ignited a discussion over his stance on infant circumcision.[37]
He is not, and certainly won’t be, the first person to use scare tactics to get people to buy his products. Balance, in information and diet, is the key here I believe. Unfortunately this article was lacking in that.
October 27th, 2010 at 10:16 am
wikipedia? sorry James, but it is just not credible beyond easy to digest, uncontroversial citations, and is often accused of being ‘poorly researched, biased and unbalanced’ itself in that It has become a battleground for diet-wars / well-poisoning.
October 28th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Ezmew, I agree with you – James, you completely lost all credibility when you mentioned Wikipedia!I am studying Nutrition & Dietetics at university and we would get an immediate fail if we cited such an amateur reference in ANY of our work.
This is so interesting. A couple of years ago i started eating soy yoghurt so was having a tub of yoghurt a day. My regular menstrual cycle went by the wayside and was two weeks late – the only thing i was doing differently was eating the soy yoghurt. My naturopath advised me to cut down the amount of soy yoghurt i was eating which I did and didn’t have any more problems. I don’t eat/drink soy anymore. Really interested to hear more about Full Fat milk as i’ve heard some rumours about reduced fat milk not being too good for you.
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October 26th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
the rumours are probably right…i’ll have a nutritionist do something on this soon!
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Great article Sarah – glad you decided to highlight the ‘soy’ myth, but also what the U.S has and still does to our concept of nutrition.
I agree with some points made Angela (hopefully alot of people will seek the info they need). But I think (too me – my opinion that has been well research) ithe issue here is that we have moved away from foods, natural and minimally changed from the source.
If everyone went back to whole, raw milk from happy cows roaming on pastures half the health problems we have would dramatically change. For those interested check out http://www.westonaprice.org
Alot of people who can’t handle “cows” milk (and change to soy) are actually struggling with the homogenised, pasteurised version which actually kills of vital enzymes and friendly bacteria (lactobacillus) which help the absorption of calcium and assimilation of other minerals. But worse still, your body then has to work extra hard to process the sugars, natural fat and protein without any assistance from these naturally occurring enzymes and bacteria in the milk, leading to additional stress on the pancreas.
In short, supermarket, pasteurised/homogenised milk it’s an ‘empty’ food source.
Perhaps, there needs to be more posts like this to slowly lift the wool off everyone’s eyes? That just because of U.S/Western food authorities say one way that we should believe and follow. Everything is about making money – I am for health and prefer not to jump on a heavily advertised bandwagon (like soy was) until I know what’s what…
But agree… not need to get scared and moderation is key.
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October 26th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Totally agree with the Weston A Price suggestion…I’ll post on the cow’s milk thing soon
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October 28th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Any thoughts on coconut milk, Sarah?
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If you are concerned about soy or dairy milk, may I suggest you make your own nut milk?
Try macadamias, pecans, walnuts or almonds, there are plenty of recipes available online.
I suggest you keep it simple and only add small amounts of extra ingredients like sea salt or maple syrup; besides nuts and water.
(I would also suggest avoiding Dr Mercola, but that is another issue entirely…)
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Thanks Sarah for your informative piece. I’m more many will be empowered with your help.
Gracias.
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bridget Davis, sarah wilson, Steven Boss, OmuRice S, feistyfeaster and others. feistyfeaster said: @fourchickens & I tweeted similar thoughts.Soy not good.RT @Bridget_CooKs:Why I don’t drink soy milk| @_sarahwilson_ http://fb.me/uukQcMXc [...]
Personally, I fail to see how milk from another species, even raw and from a happy cow can be that great for humans.
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Oh and when you refer to nutritionists are you also referring to dietitians?
“Q. What is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?
A.
‘Nutritionist’ is a non-accredited title that might apply to a qualified nutrition scientist or a self-professed nutrition adviser.
All dietitians can call themselves nutritionists if they choose because they have University qualifications in nutrition. These qualifications generally consist of a three year science degree and a two year Masters degree in nutrition and dietetics, or a four year undergraduate course in nutrition and dietetics. As well as being qualified to advise individuals and groups on nutrition-related matters, dietitians have the clinical training to modify diets to treat disease conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, renal disease, gastro-intestinal diseases and food allergy.
Dietitians are eligible for membership of the Dietitians Association of Australia and to participate in the Accredited Practising Dietitians (APD) regulation and quality program.”
http://www.daa.asn.au/index.asp?pageID=2145833454
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I found this quite interesting. Nearly 2 years ago my 38 year old husband was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. At the time I went to see Dietitian Sue Radd who wrote a book with scientist Dr Kenneth Setchell on the benefits of soy & phytoestrogens called ‘Eat to Live’. It highlights many studies and case studies on Cancer in Asian countries verses Western Countries. It also has case studies on when Asians become Westernised how their rates of getting Cancer and Heart Disease raise significantly.
From reading this book, now that my husband is Cancer free, I have made sure that both he and my 4 year old son (whose risk of having Prostate Cancer is quite high due to his father’s age at diagnosis) have only Soy & Linseed bread, and have one glass of Soy milk a day.
If soy milk is so bad, and that is primarily what people is Asia drink (or eat i.e. Tofu), why are their rates of heart disease and cancer so low? And why in Western countries is it quite high?
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October 26th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
An interesting question…but The Westin A Price group make the point that Asians don’t consume as many unfermented soy products as we do these days in the west. Mostly it’s the fermented versions…miso, for instance.
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October 26th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
It’s true that soy can be obtained through other sources than just the soy milk & tofu. Perhaps I should reduce the soy milk & tofu in our diet and increase the soybeans/edamame, tempeh, miso & soy bread.
Thank you for this post!
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I was lactose intolerant as a child, and as a result drank soy milk from a very young age until i was 20.During this time i was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries, and other reproductive concerns. In the last year i have been directed to the Western A Price philosophy where i drink unpastruised milk and eat whole foods. The doctor recently was surprised to find that the cysts are gone, and my hormone levels are back to a normal level.
I think that worst part is that for those who have made a decision not to eat/drink soy is that it is often hidden unsuspecting foods like chocolate, hence why everyone should read the packet, or turn to loving earth chocolate!
While people may argue the benefits of lectihin e.g chloine, which is good for your heart, that is not why they put it in food. It is put in food to hold it together.
For those that are interested in finding out more information on the benefits of unpasturised milk from a credible source; http://www.ovvioorganics.com.au/blog
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There is much confusion about Soy, agreed.
Fermented soy is safest. Why?
Fermented soy still delivers the benefits, as stated by DaniV, however, fermented soy (ie: tempah, soy sauce, miso, tofu, natto (? strictly speaking, this is curdled verses fermented) it’s far more easily digestible (due to breakdown of phytates and cyanogenic cyanogenic glycosides).Phytates in food are linked to reduced intestinal mineral absorption. Cyanogenic glycosides are linked to reduced iodine absorption utilisation by the thyroid (i.e. may lead to iodine deficiency) Iodine Deficient is said to be a problem amongst Australians.
http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2005/11/03/1496781.htm
Hence if you consume a fair amount of soy- top up on your dietary sources of Iodine. Sea vegetables are easy to use. Try some arame in salads in summertime or added to soups in winter. This seaweed does not taste strongly.
Hypothyroid patients are best served by avoid too much soy and bets to use fermented forms of soy in moderation & in the context of a whole food diet, if they enjoy soy.
As for brands of Soy milk- most quite a lot of sugarcane (in AU) and high fructose corn syrup (USA) to sweeten and make the soy milk more palatable- so perhaps choose non sweetened as the healthier option.
It’s all about balance really. Personally- no unfermented soy for me. I do however eat Natto regularly for the health benefits of nattokinase (blood thinning, anti inflammatory) I also enjoy tofu and Tempeh from time to time and adore miso.
What ever your choice- perhaps its best to stick to as clean & unprocessed food as possible. Variety is always advisable, so rotate sources of milks (nut milks are great!)- this will deliver the best “spectrum” of nutritional profile.
As for the Asia diet and lower incidence of cancers in Asian countries- it;s more than just about soy! This can also be attributed to the use of medicinal herbs in their culture (TCM). Most Asians over the age of 50 consume korean ginseng as a health tonic- this is also linked to reduced incidence of cancer. (citations http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
Check out http://www.whfood.org for heaps of great food information. This site is also fully references.
Angela Hywood ND
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Interesting Charlie – I was brought up on soy milk too and also have polycystic ovaries and thyroid disorder. It’s a shame you can never really tell what causes these things!
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Can you buy unpasteurised milk?
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Jacqui you can, but its sold as a Cosmetic Bath Milk – because of the Food Regulations, it is your choice what you do with it.
Your cosmetic bath milk can be bought at organic stores – it is called Cleopatrsa Bath Milk, you have to be quick as it has a large following and sells out usually within the first day it hits shelves.
Personally i have found that it is the most delicious tasting milk i have tried (because i was bought up on soy, i hate the taste of pasteurised milk) and I have a glass everyday!
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October 26th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
Thanks Charlie. A friend of mine once gave me a bottle and if i remember she did say it’s sold as Bath Milk. It tasted yummy. I’ll ask about it at my local organic store.
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As my brother likes to say- cows milk is for baby cows. When you stop to think about it, drinking milk from another species is quite strange and unnatural. Ick. Not to mention the ethical dilemma of the cruelty of milk production.
Not sure what to think about this article, I love Bonsoy on my cereal in the morning! What’s a girl to do…
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This post is so timely,
Having recently cut Soy out of my diet; I have been raving about how much better my body has been functioning. I suffer food allergies and general discomfort when I don’t eat quality food and recently I couldn’t figure out why I was feeling so bloated and uncomfortable all the time when I was sticking to my usual food routine.
I went back to cow’s milk and I can’t believe how good my whole digestion and general well-being has been! It is so good to read something like this – it eases the frustration of those with food concerns, when you grasp at straws to figure out what will give you a tummy ache! I am going to listen to my body more!
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Sarah, it’s great that you are able to share this to others who wouldn’t necessarily be alerted to health issues and benefits of certain ingredients.
It’s quite interesting actually. I was about to do a post on milk! I kid you not, I saw this post today whilst procrastinating – in the time I had set aside to write about dairy milk.
It is very true that soy (unfermented) is not one bit good for those with thyroid issues. As it is true that dairy, the way we consume it in the west is also really really bad, for everyone. Raw milk, however, in small amounts, whilst not ideally made for human consumption would be far better for us, if it were direct. Straight from the cow to the table.
Moderation for sure is they key, when I say moderation, I mean less is best here. Moderation as in almost none! Small amounts of certain things may be ok, so long as your diet is balanced and predominately made up of the right foods, 90 – 99% of the time.
One of the best pieces of knowledge handed to me was this; eat what your ancestors ate. We aren’t all made the same way genetically, so what is appropriate for one, isn’t always for the next. Problem is, we live in Australia! I’m still trying to work out where I came from. My point remains, work out what works for your body. IMore than likely, its not the same as the person next door!
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October 27th, 2010 at 7:39 am
Re DNA / Haplogroups / ancestors; This National Geographic test is highly recommended:
https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/lan/en/journey.html
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October 27th, 2010 at 8:34 am
Thanks ezmew! V V interesting.
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thanks for bringing this to everyone’s attention. i get asked this question a million times. why not soy. i love what dr mercola is doing. great post s!
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This is an interesting blog. For instance, I never knew there are fermented and unfermented soy before, amongst your other scientific references.
To be honest, I like soy milk. Everytime I visit Asia, I have soy milk from a little market. $0.50 a litre in a plastic bag and it’s freshly ‘milked’ from beans in the morning. It’s like having freshly squeezed orange juice. Pure, no sweetness, ‘milky’, ‘beany’, earthy.
Try some when you have a chance.
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I’m not sure I would believe much of what Dr. Mercola says… the FDA has sent him a couple warnings in the past about making faulty claims.
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October 27th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Hey Lisa, I’m with you on this a little…his stuff is VERY extreme. However, there is generally good info in there…If you can wade through the hype.
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Asians have been eating soy products for thousands of years and they have longer life spans than we do. Are you saying that full fat milk and butter are better for you? Soy does not have enough estrogen to give you breast cancer or change your metabolism in any way. My friends grandma who lived til 95 has been drinking it for years and has been fine. I think we have to stop being so afraid of food and just concentrate on moderation! As long as the beans are not genetically modified, there should be no worries. Soy is good for you…really!
I mean think of it this way. We know cake is bad for us. It’s loaded with tons of saturated fats, butter, eggs, white flour and one serving hovers at around 350 calories. Yet I hardly see any blog posts about how cake is bad for you and that people have banned it from their diet. If you should “ban” anything, it should be white flour and sugar as this serves no nutritional value at all. But banning soy, a product that’s low in saturated fat, high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, high in protein, & has more fibre than the regular cow’s milk that most people drink is just absurd in my opinion. Everything in moderation, folks!
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October 27th, 2010 at 8:33 am
HH i think that you are right about the flour and sugar, they should be cut out of people diets, but i believe that you are misinformed about saturated fats.
Saturated fats are vital to our health. For a start they have been part of our diets for thousands of years and it is only recently that they have been demonised. We need saturated fat for proper digestive function, growth, and a host of other processes.
There is a great book called Eat Fat to Lose Fat, by Sally Fallon. http://www.eatfatlosefat.com/
Sally, follows the Weston A Price philosophy, i have all of her books, i recommend this highly.
My diet is high in fat (well what most people would consider high in fat), I have so much energy, as well as having a lean composition. The people who helped me get over the road block of not eating fat are a group called Origin of Energy –
http://originofenergy.com/www.originofenergy.com/Home/Home.html
They combine exercise smart and effective exercises routines with nutrition – they are the only gym i know who has a kitchen where members can have breakfast lunch and dinner.
So have a full fat glass of milk, and extra butter on your vegetables!
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I think sarah has put forward some interesting facts and information on soy milk. I for one am pleased to read about different points of view and it is up to the individual to make up their mind. I don’t believe there are any scare tactics here from sarah and if we took on board all information we received in this world as absolute turth, without discerning for ourselves, we would go bonkers!
I have been wondering for a while now what milk to drink; this article has confirmed a few things for me…….backed up what i was thinking and i think we know what works best for each of us.
Soy long for now:)
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Great article Sarah, I was thinking about miso for a while now and just went with it, because I knew that it was alive. Fermented things are good for you and we don’t have a lot of it in our western diet. I was eating soy yoghurt every day a couple of months ago and after I quit soy and my pill, my migraines went away…I linked back to the article in my latest post on http://www.featheredlove.com …Love, Jules
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I don’t see any of the pretend milks as real food and without a thyroid issue a little to wet a cereal is fine. But drink it by the bucket load (or worse feed a toddle bottles of the stuff each day) and that’s a lot of sugar (or malt or whatever product the makes it sweet but is broken down as a sugar in the body), oil and processed crap.
There is so much hatred directed at soy milk in particular. I find it really interesting considering many carnivores are consuming soy via chickens/eggs, oils and fillers in processed foods. In short soy and soy oil has slowly crept into the food chain due to it being so cheap to produce. People consume much more soy via foods other than tofu/soy milk etc. This link gives a good rundown about what soy is really in http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/grocery_shopping/ingredients_additives/34.ingredients_additives_soybeans.html
I’m also highly suspicious of the Weston A Price Foundation (Sally Falloon, Nourishing Traditions et al). Have you ever looked at the board of this supposedly philanthropic organisation? You’ll find lots farmer there. The agricultural sector that’s been going down in a big way (ie dairy and meat farmers) due to the rise of people eating less of these foods. It seems more than a coincidence that the foundation and cookbook espouse the return of milk and cheese (from whole unpasteurised milk) and the joys of eating more meat, while promoting an anti-soy scare campaign.
Personally I think the soy issue is not black and white. Good or evil. But rather complex.
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October 28th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Interesting theory you have re: Weston A.Price. I’m open to hearing all theories, because if we look at how we got to this white flour, white sugar, vegetable oil loving culture we are in, you could claim a very similar theory! Look at the ‘board’ who created the original food pyramid? The USDA who (many believe) are influenced by political pressure exerted by food production associations, ever wondering why grains and bread are considering the food stuffs we should eat the MOST of? Hmm… big grain companies want more money!
Secondly, Weston A Price, although a growing movement and a new thought process (in-fact, simply reverting to the way we used to eat pre white flour + sugar!) hardly has the power and hold over consumers, currently. Everyone, even those uneducated in health/nutrition will mindlessly regurgitating out the lines they’ve been brainwashed with “Vegetable oil – GOOD, soy – GOOD, Coconut oil and meat – BAD” and so on.
In my opinion Weston A. Price organisation has, by default, rounded up a huge team of local farmers and supporters, because they want to change the health of society and maintain their small businesses. These guys don’t want to be HUGE farming associations, that’s not how you produce real milk and grass fed beef anyway.
I think the rise of people eating better s is actually as a result of re-education and a desire to put the right things into their body, not brainwashing from groups such as this. In fact, maybe now, slowly we are opening our eyes to the fact that we are continually having the wool pulled over our eyes and that most of what we read has an agenda… to push the product and make more money.
In the end, every single human body is different, so it will have different needs.
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October 29th, 2010 at 8:01 am
Claire I totally agree with your last line – every single human body is different, so it will have different needs. Absolutely. And I think that is a point that is getting lost in the soy debate.
The food pyramid is crap. Agribusiness continues to be a powerful lobby group here, in the USA, NZ etc. And now due to funding pressure the professional organisations we look to provide the “official” information about nutrition (and most GPs defer to) are sponsored by commercial interests in meat, dairy, even junk food gets a look in to sponsoring some DAA events. (FYI our dietitians association is sponsored by Fonterra, Kelloggs, Meat and Livestock Australia, Unilever, Nestle, Jalna and Dairy Australia to name a few.)
But perhaps I need a big dose of Weston A Price love to cure my cynicism. I could get a treatment from the Secretary (and Sally Fallon’s husband) Geoffrey Morrell. “He has developed his own unique “Clendinning Technique.” The procedure clears the aura of negativity, pinpoints the region of disharmony in the physical and then works to balance the human system” (source: http://www.totalhealthshow.com/showInfo/speakerDetails.cfm?Speaker=172)
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[...] writing lately. Today, I read this post on why soy isn’t as good for us as we think: Why I don’t Drink Soy Milk. (Edit: I find the comments on this post really interesting as well. They’re worth a [...]
I am East Asian. My grandmother lived healthily and passed away of a natural death at age 93 drinking soy milk and eating tofu all her life. My other grand-aunts are in their late 90s and very healthy. If an entire cuisine can incorporate soy products– UNFERMENTED soy products at that– and have longer lifespans and healthier lifestyles, well.. I don’t know what else to say. I know East Asians who drink soy milk for breakfast and eat tofu for dinner… every single day.
I find this article to be very polarized and biased, and more importantly, extreme. Soy might not work for some people, but others still thrive on it.
Which makes me wonder if it’s part of our genetic make-up (based on ethnicity) that some people thrive on soy and others do not…
Dr. Mercola is an incredibly sketchy source, and his track record has shown he makes very polarized, extreme remarks. He says people shouldn’t eat quinoa, or amaranth– both natural, unprocessed grains. So what?
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November 1st, 2010 at 7:21 pm
Some information I have read suggests you are correct in saying that culture plays a factor – some Asian countries have a much lower incident of celiac disease, for example, than countries like Italy, Australia and the USA. Not necessarily because they consume less wheat/barley/rye, but because it has always been in their diet in moderation. Western countries seem to be consuming massive excesses of certain foods since the industrial era, gluten being one of them, so it could be a factor with soy too. Who knows? I would love to see more on this.
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Our grandmothers ate organic foods.
I change my mind all the time when new study come out, what else can we do?
I drink raw milk and if I don’t have any, I don’t eat cereal, I eat organic bread with a chunk of
pastured butter. And I avoid GMO’s I hope you all do that too!
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October 29th, 2010 at 11:32 am
And I eat organic food (tofu/soy) too.
Consider the fact that we are in a position of PRIVILEGE because we don’t NEED gmos. There are countries that NEED gmos because they need higher crop yield because they have starving populations that need large amounts of food.
Yes, many gmo companies are corrupt and I don’t buy gmos either, but think about that fact & how privileged you are to even be able to buy non-gmo food without thinking about how the rest of your country is starving.
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October 30th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Nobody NEED’s GMO’s especially not the starving populations, we can not make them our Guinea pigs.
Or can we????
Learn more about GMO’s on the seeds of deception site: http://www.seedsofdeception.com/Public/Home/index.cfm
Here in the USA I can only avoid GMO’s if I can afford to buy organic, all other shoppers get it without a choice because there is no label law in the US.
I want a choice for all people!
A very small excerpt from:
http://responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers/health-risks
GM plants, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed, and canola, have had foreign genes forced into their DNA. The inserted genes come from species, such as bacteria and viruses, which have never been in the human food supply.
Genetic engineering transfers genes across natural species barriers. It uses imprecise laboratory techniques that bear no resemblance to natural breeding, and is based on outdated concepts of how genes and cells work.4 Gene insertion is done either by shooting genes from a “gene gun” into a plate of cells or by using bacteria to invade the cell with foreign DNA. The altered cell is then cloned into a plant.
Widespread, unpredictable changes
The genetic engineering process creates massive collateral damage, causing mutations in hundreds or thousands of locations throughout the plant’s DNA.5 Natural genes can be deleted or permanently turned on or off, and hundreds may change their behavior.6 Even the inserted gene can be damaged or rearranged,7 and may create proteins that can trigger allergies or promote disease.
GM foods on the market
There are eight GM food crops. The five major varieties—soy, corn, canola, cotton, and sugar beets—have bacterial genes inserted, which allow the plants to survive an otherwise deadly dose of weed killer. Farmers use considerably more herbicides on these GM crops and so the food has higher herbicide residues. About 68% of GM crops are herbicide tolerant.
The second GM trait is a built-in pesticide, found in GM corn and cotton. A gene from the soil bacterium called Bt (for Bacillus thuringiensis) is inserted into the plant’s DNA, where it secretes the insect-killing Bt-toxin in every cell. About 19% of GM crops produce their own pesticide. Another 13% produce a pesticide and are herbicide tolerant.
There is also Hawaiian papaya and a small amount of zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, which are engineered to resist a plant virus.
Growing evidence of harm from GMOs
GM soy and allergic reactions
* Soy allergies skyrocketed by 50% in the UK, soon after GM soy was introduced.8
* A skin prick allergy test shows that some people react to GM soy, but not to wild natural soy.9
* Cooked GM soy contains as much as 7-times the amount of a known soy allergen.10
* GM soy also contains a new unexpected allergen, not found in wild natural soy.11
Bt corn and cotton linked to allergies
The biotech industry claims that Bt-toxin is harmless to humans and mammals because the natural bacteria version has been used as a spray by farmers for years. In reality, hundreds of people exposed to Bt spray had allergic-type symptoms,12 and mice fed Bt had powerful immune responses13 and damaged intestines.14 Moreover, the Bt in GM crops is designed to be more toxic than the natural spray and is thousands of times more concentrated.
Farm workers throughout India are getting the same allergic reactions from handling Bt cotton15 as those who reacted to Bt spray.16 Mice17 and rats18 fed Bt corn also showed immune responses.
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I’ll start drinking milk again when the farmer/supermarket supply chain starts treating the dairy calves they throw away more humanely.
I wouldn’t personally take a new born calf from it’s mother and shove the bewildered little thing onto the abbatoir truck in order to sell the mother’s milk, so I’m not cool with paying somebody else to do it while I sip my latte basking in my well-being either.
Soy in moderation is fine. Frankly I wonder if the soy-scare studies are planted by the meat/dairy industry – they’re behind plenty of other ‘eat meat’ ‘studies’.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/top-10-ways-to-avoid-gmos_b_769556.html
Article from Maria Rodale Huffington Post
10 ways to avoid GMO’s
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[...] has waged war on soy. Soy is the enemy!” LOL! Why do I not eat soy? Just read this article here. I had a bad personal experience — I drank at least two glasses of soy milk daily, plus one or [...]
[...] went through a fermentation process, it’s no longer harmful, you can read some more about it in this article by Sarah Wilson. So far I really like it, especially as an extra flavorful addition to some of my [...]
I have heard this before and I’m quite sure everything you say here is the truth Sarah. I really enjoyed this post. It’s funny how you lose your taste for things; I gave up milk after going on a detox and it completely repulses me now. I have just swapped soy milk for rice milk, but tofu rocks my world – the concept of giving that up is a whole other issue. :/
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I was drinking 99.5% fat free sanitarium soy milk for about 2 or 3 weeks instead of eating lunch (sandwich e.t.c) with my fruit. And then a friend told me about the enzym that caused thyroid issues and made you more prone to absorbing fats… so i went to rice milk,
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I was drinking 99.5% fat free sanitarium soy milk for about 2 or 3 weeks instead of eating lunch (sandwich e.t.c) with my fruit. And then a friend told me about the enzym that caused thyroid issues and made you more prone to absorbing fats… so i went to rice milk, only because my uncle is a nutritionist and thats what he drank. there’s all this talk going around about almond milk too. but due to the fat content i was reluctant to try it because i would be drinking it regularly, i didn’t want to clog my arteries, or create problems. i would really like a low GI drink that is low in kj, cals, sugars, high in vitmins and minerals and moderate proteins… if you have too much it’s not good for digestion. Please help, i depend off milk.
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So what do the vegetarians eat then? I drink Soy and eat tofu…. what can you suggest as alternatives?
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[...] lattés at cafés. I also hate soy milk, for reasons that I will not describe here (check out Sarah Wilson‘s post about it if you are curious). What I will point out, however, is that I can’t [...]
I switched to soy about 3months ago for “health “benefits.
Since then ive been experiencing anxiety like symptoms.
The past week theyve escalated so much i sought medical advice. Symptoms also point to Thyroid like issues. The only change in my lifestyle is soy, so Ive backed off and had none for 3 days. Today I actually feel more human. Coincidence? Im not sure.
Will be interesting to see what blood tests show.
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What never gets mentioned is that soy is used extensively to feed livestock- the animals we consume. In the U.S 98% of soy crops are fed to livestock. Not sure about the figures here but I know it’s not far off. The genetically modified soy our ‘food’ consumes has a trickle down effect on our bodies. I don’t have time to go searching for articles but if you do some googling you can see for yourself.
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Shame on you for quoting Joseph Mercola. My respect for you has gone. Just cashing in on the ‘no sugar’ fad.
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