With the increased awareness of food sensitivities, many alternatives are noticeably becoming mainstream food and drink in our households. One of these alternatives is soy. Soy consumption has exploded partly due to the want, or need, to avoid dairy and also because of excellent marketing. Options include soy milk, soy cheese, and soy butter. However, soy is also used in many other processed products that are consumed daily, probably without knowing that it is being eaten. So what’s the big deal?
The big deal is that soy, while well marketed, is not a product that should be eaten, by us or our animals, unless organic AND fermented. Non-fermented soy contains phytic acid which binds with nutrients in our bodies and depletes us of these essential minerals. These minerals include Calcium, Magnesium, Copper, Iron, and Zinc. All of these minerals are absolutely necessary for our brain and body to run efficiently and effectively. Calcium is used to make our bones strong and contract our muscles. Magnesium is used to make the neurotransmitters serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine and help our muscles relax. Copper is used to make red blood cells, bone and the neurotransmitters melatonin and epinephrine (adrenaline). Iron is an important part of producing tyrosine to feed the thyroid and dopamine for the brain. It also has the important part of carrying oxygen in the blood. Zinc helps produce the neurotransmitters serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine along with boosting the immune system. By consuming soy, we are unknowingly depleting our body of these nutrients and their benefits.
Along with phytic acid, non-fermented soy also contains goitrogens which block the production of thyroid hormones by interfering with the thyroid’s ability to use iodine. In addition, soy contains phytoestrogens which mimic or block estrogen and are known to disrupt the hormone systems causing infertility and possibly contributing to breast cancer. In most soy products, there are toxic levels of aluminum and manganese, especially in soy formula for infants. This is very disturbing, knowing that aluminum is neurotoxic and the infant stage of life is when our neurology (brain and nervous system) is developing the most.
Most soy in the United States, about 91% of it, is genetically modified to be resistant to Round-Up a commonly used weed killer. Interestingly enough, the company that makes Round-Up, Monsanto, also produces the genetically modified soy, which can live through a treatment of Round-Up. However, it has been found that the DNA from this soy transfers to our digestive tract and continues to function. What might be the future repercussions of having non-human, weed killer resistant, DNA in our digestive tract? We don’t know, but my guess is that if it was supposed to be there, it would be already.
Soy is also noted to contain large amounts of pesticides, which are also known to be endocrine disruptors, possibly causing fibroid tumors and early puberty which increases the risk of breast cancer, uterine cancer, eating disorders, and depression.
Organic fermented soy, however, is a healthy food. The health claims made in soy marketing are based on fermented soy. Although the marketing is promoting both fermented and non-fermented as providing the same benefits; this is not true. Fermented soy includes natto, tempeh, and soy sauce that is made traditionally by fermenting. Many soy sauces today are made chemically and therefore do not have the health benefits. Nattokinase, from natto, is used successfully to dissolve blood clots and is a safer form of aspirin. Fermenting soy creates probiotics and stops the effects of phytic acid. Organic soy will not have the pesticide load or have the genetic modifications, because they are not necessary, and therefore is much healthier.
While avoiding foods because of allergies or sensitivities is a great way to improve your health, the substitutes may be just as bad as the originals. While soy has a great marketing team, their product is not nearly as good as they would have you think.