Fact or Myth: Is Soy Bad For You?
This is a FACT.
Advertising dollars have turned soy products into a multi-billion dollar industry, but is soy bad for you? Soy is touted as a “miracle food” and the general public has fallen for the claims completely.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 90% of soy grown in the United States has been genetically altered. Various studies have proven that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) increase your risk of developing allergies and strengthen your resistance to antibiotics. All this before taking into account the harmful chemicals – such as aluminum – that food manufacturers use to process soy.
Fermented Soy vs. Unfermented Soy
The Asian culture uses fermented soy products such as miso, natto, tamari, tempeh, Kombucha tea and soy sauce in their regular diets. The health benefits of eating fermented foods such as these have been proven time and again in multiple research studies.
Unfermented soy – such as that found in soy milk, cheese and burgers – tells a totally different story. Food manufacturers plaster “made with soy” on their labels and we automatically believe that product is healthy for us. The only real “miracle” is how successfully products containing unfermented soy have capitalized on the advertising dollar, spawning a growing multi-billion dollar industry.
Unfermented soy not only lacks the health benefits advertised…it is soy bad for you and also dangerous.
We bought the soy hype. We buy the soy goods. We consume the soy products. And now our bodies – and our children’s bodies – are paying for it.
“The Whole Soy Story,” written by Kaayla Daniel, references thousands of valid studies that link unfermented soy to:
- Malnutrition
- Digestive Disorders
- Immune Deficiency
- Thyroid Malfunction
- Declining Brain Function
- Infertility & Early-Onset Puberty in Children
- Increased Cancer Risk
- Increased Risk of Heart Disease
Keep in mind that a study praising the health benefits of soy is typically lumping fermented and unfermented soy products together. The study is not telling revealing the dangers of unfermented soy. Don’t be tricked into believing that all “soy” will protect you from disease.
That is a misconception that could make you very sick.
Even with the emergence of overwhelming scientific evidence, people are still not convinced, probably because the soy advertising campaign is relentless. After all, soy is a huge cash cow.
A Mayo clinic study summed up soy in the most unbiased manner yet: Out of 34 supposed “benefits” of soy, only 3 could be proved. Soy is a valid source of protein, lowers cholesterol, and suppresses diarrhea in infants who are intolerant to regular formula).
Every other “benefit” is backed by insufficient evidence, and researchers at Mayo repeatedly stated that results were inconclusive and further research was required. Most of these unproven benefits have been part of the ongoing hype regurgitated by the soy growers in their 20-year advertising blitz.
Top 3 Reasons to Avoid Unfermented Soy
- Phytoestrogens: Soy is higher in these plant-based estrogen’s than any other source. They mimic true estrogen. Too much estrogen in the body can lead to breast cancer, infertility, decreased sexual libido and uterine fibroids. If your infant is on soy formula – the Phytoestrogens they are consuming are equal to 4 birth controls each and every day. Early-onset puberty has shot up in the past two decades…is it any wonder?
- Goitrogen: Soy has been shown to suppress normal thyroid functioning. Your thyroid regulates your metabolism. An Isoflavone called Genistein, a Phytoestrogen found in soy, blocks your thyroid’s natural production of hormones and its ability to absorb nutrients. A damaged thyroid may cause weight gain, fatigue, disruption of your menstruation and loss of cognitive function. If you take thyroid medication, soy interferes with its effectiveness – increasing your risk of thyroid complications.
- Phytic Acid: Unfermented soy is high in phytic acid. Unfermented soy blocks your digestive system’s ability to absorb nutrients – which is why many studies have linked soy to malnutrition. Only fermented soy is digestible by the human body. In fact, ancient Asian cultures did not consider soy edible until they learned to ferment it. The typical Asian diet includes only 2 teaspoons of soy each day – and it is fermented. It is also consumed with nutrient-dense foods such as fish.
When soy is fermented, it destroys these “anti-nutrients” and is safe to eat in moderation.
Don’t believe the hype. Unfermented soy is dangerous, and as more long-term studies are conducted, the more evident these far-reaching effects the massive influx of soy has had on the Western diet will become.
In the meantime, nourish your body with fermented soy only. Only the soy producers stand behind soy consumption without reservation – why take that risk with your health?
Source:Underground Health Reporter