Why No Soy?

[mbf]

My sister asked me this question and I was struggling with an answer. I told her probably because it is not raw, the soy beans have been cooked and processed, but I recall reading about then negative affects of soy on the body but don't know what book.

Anybody?

Thanks!

[Spectatrix]

Most soy products are cooked. The only one that's not (to my knowledge) is natto, fermented soybeans.

Many people also have concerns about the effect of phytoestrogens on the body. I personally don't think its a concern if soy is consumed in moderation, but many vegans drink tons of soymilk, use miso and tofu frequently in meals, etc. Many raw foodists do still use unpasteurized miso. It's not a raw food, but it is "live".

[pookafey]

Also, for people with Thryoid disorders or diseases like hypothyroidism (like myself) soy is a goitrogen which suppresses thyroid function. I use to love soy products but since finding this out I cannot have them. Plus, I guess with me being raw I shouldn't anyways.

[Lay-Lay]

I may be mistaken, but I remember reading somewhere that soy is actually addictive. I know my husband seems to be very addictive to it and he also is allergic to it, but it doesn't seem to slow down his consumption of it.

[dreamrawalwz]

I may be mistaken, but I remember reading somewhere that soy is actually addictive. I know my husband seems to be very addictive to it and he also is allergic to it, but it doesn't seem to slow down his consumption of it.

Being addicted to a symtpom may be connect with an intolerance and/or allergy to a food or chemical. Same thing happend to me with corn,wheat, soy, nuts, all the other things i'm intolerant too. Now it's with carrots, oranges, and tomatoes, which I react to.

[Lay-Lay]

most true Dream....hubby...what to do....LOL!

[Brianna]

Also, the body is unable to digest soy.

[juliebove]

Also, for people with Thryoid disorders or diseases like hypothyroidism (like myself) soy is a goitrogen which suppresses thyroid function. I use to love soy products but since finding this out I cannot have them. Plus, I guess with me being raw I shouldn't anyways.

Yep. I stopped the soy and am no longer on thyroid meds.

[juliebove]

Being addicted to a symtpom may be connect with an intolerance and/or allergy to a food or chemical. Same thing happend to me with corn,wheat, soy, nuts, all the other things i'm intolerant too. Now it's with carrots, oranges, and tomatoes, which I react to.

My mom is very addicted to the foods she is allergic to. So much so that she can't seem to stop eating them and will even make excuses for why she is eating them.

My daughter and I have the opposite reaction. We get ill at the sight or aroma of our allergens.

Perhaps it is because my daughter and I totally avoided the allergens and got it all out of our system. We know how much better we feel. My mom never did this. In fact the last time (I was with her) and she ate something containing dairy she acted like she couldn't figure out why her stomach hurt. Said it just *couldn't* be the dairy because it never did that to her before.

[mbf]

Thanks everyone,

Brianna, do you know why soy is hard to digest? My sister is an RD and will lookng for more of an explanation!

Thanks again!

[Sharon in Colorado]

Soy products tend to give people gas. Whenever I'd make some soy crumble recipes for my family, it would back-fire so to speak on me!

[Rmiller]

Hi,

I used to think that all soy was bad too. I have major digestive trouble and could not digest any protein food. Most food upset my stomach. That's when i found a raw soy protein powder that is helping me immensly. Please read the following article that states which soy protein foods are a problem and why. I hope this article helps:

What You Need to Know About Soy
by Dr. Richard Brouse

Here are some Common Concerns About Soy:

Do soybeans cause cancer?

It is true that "overcooked" soy does contain "carcinogenic" compounds. When soy is extruded through high temperature, high-pressure steam nozzles to form what is called "textured vegetable protein - TVP for short", this form of processing renders the soy "meat substitute" carcinogenic or cancer causing. TVP is what is used in soy dogs and soy burgers, and should be avoided.

What about roasted soybeans?

Whole soybeans are high in plant fat. If soybeans are roasted to eat as soy nuts, the heat alters the fat and makes it a trans-fatty acid, which causes both cancer and heart disease. As roasted soy nuts sit on the shelf or in the cupboard in storage, the oils are becoming more and more rancid and carcinogenic. AVOID roasted soybeans.

But I've heard that soy protein is hard on the kidneys!

Animal protein is much harder to digest than vegetable protein. Since many people have digestive difficulties, protein that is not thoroughly digested is very challenging to the kidneys. Powdered protein is in a predigested state, and the BEST protein source to choose! Protein is not the enemy - it is essential for life. It is true, however, that EXCESSIVE protein is hard on the kidneys, so if a person consumes more than 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily, AND does not consume adequate carbohydrates with it, this could cause kidney damage.

I have breast cancer, and I've been told I cannot have soy!

It is true that soy is a "phyto-estrogen" food, which means it contains substances that have hormone-like components. However, their estrogen strength is 1/1000th that of the body's own stronger estrogens. Therefore, you want to load your digestive system with quality controlled raw soy powder, because these weaker estrogens will block the estrogen receptor sites from receiving your body's own stronger estrogens and therefore be very protective against estrogen fed cancer.


Essential Seven Checklists for a Quality Soy Product:

1) Were the soybeans ORGANICALLY GROWN?

Studies have shown decreased levels of food nutrients and increased levels of nitrates in chemically fertilized crops, when compared with their organic counterparts. There is a connection between the ingestion of nitrates & CANCER! Therefore, it is important to know that pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides have not been used during the growing process. In particular, with soybeans, since they are such a hardy plant, a powerful and DEADLY weed spray called Round up is usually used. For your safety, you must know that your soy products are organically grown.

2) Were the soybeans GENETICALLY ENGINEERED?

Genetically engineered soybeans are much cheaper to purchase, and most companies producing soy products look for ways to save money.

3) Does your soybean powder contain ALL of the nine essential amino acids?

One of the most valuable features of the soybean is that it is a complete protein and provides ALL nine of the essential amino acids. The body requires these daily to produce hormones, digestive juices, antibodies, and enzymes. HOWEVER, not all soybeans are created equal. Quality and amino acid content will vary based on soil conditions, and variable growing and harvest conditions. If one essential amino acid is missing, the immune system can be depressed 30%, and many important body functions are delayed or stopped. Therefore, it is essential that each batch of soybeans be checked for amino acid content if we want to depend on the soy isolate to provide a GUARANTEED supply of the nine essential amino acids.

4) Were the crushed soy flakes washed in alcohol or water?

Alcohol washing destroys isoflavones content up to 88%! It is the isoflavones that reduce the risk of breast, prostate, lung and bowel cancer! As well, it is the isoflavones that are so beneficial in hormone balancing and increasing bone mass.

5) Was the "anti-thyroid", "anti-growth" substance in the raw soy removed?

Orientals, who have consumed large amounts of soy for years, have known that RAW soy contains an "anti-growth", "anti-tyrosine" substance. Tyrosine deficiency will cause low blood pressure, low body temperature, and restless leg syndrome. Therefore, Orientals always lightly cook their soy foods to deactivate the "anti-tyrosine/anti-growth" substance. Shaklee has designed an extracting process that removes this substance, yet keeps the soy in a raw form in order to maintain the HIGHEST LEVEL OF AMINO ACIDS and ISOFLAVONES, which are very sensitive to heat.

6) Is your soybean food RAW or heated?

Amino acids are very sensitive to heat. In some studies, cooking protein has been shown to destroy up to 50% of some ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS. If an individual consistently consumes a diet that is lacking in all of the essential amino acids, inadequate brain development and hormones, or other body tissue development can be the result.

7) Has CALCIUM been added to your soy powder?

Some negative reports about soy say that soy powders are VERY ACIDIC and cause bone loss because it causes calcium to be drawn from the bones!!!! The raw soy bean is a NEUTRAL food--neither acidic or alkaline. However, the removal of the soybean oil (which is essential so the soy powder will not go rancid very quickly), makes the powder very acidic. Therefore, adequate calcium (which is very alkaline) must be added to cause the powder to be neutral again, or it can cause the above stated problem. Many protein powder manufacturers do not add any or enough calcium.

About the Author:

Dr. Brouse is a widely recognized authority in the fields of nutrition and prevention of chronic degenerative diseases. Dr. Brouse has a Master’s in Biochemistry and is a Doctor of Chiropractic. He was an Associate Professor of Clinical Nutrition for 14 years and found the renowned Sunnyside Health Center in Clackamas Oregon in 1977. Since that time many people throughout the world have regained a greater measure of health while following the recommendations of the clinic’s health professionals

[spicyfull]

Thanks for shareing Rmiller,, And MBF for the Thread..........

[alex]

For quite a while now, based on my reading, I was pretty much convinced that soy was not a good thing to eat. Many articles on the internet and the book: The Whole Soy Story by Kaayla T. Daniel, support this, that soy is harmful to health.

A couple of days ago I listened to the interview with John Robbins on www.rawveganradio.com, and then went to his website for his new book. I have read all of John's books and have a great deal of respect for what he says. On the website is an article about soy - I have not read the whole thing yet but it appears that John is of the opinion that soy is a healthy food. Although he concentrates on tearing down only one article about soy, he does touch on most of the bad things that soy food has, however,

I am enclosing the link for your consideration:

http://www.healthyat100.org/display.asp?catid=3&pageid=12


alex

[Sunshine9]

Two letters

G

M

[pinkglttr]

Two letters

G

M

Speaking as someone who drinks soymilk, I know that SILK does not use GM beans.

[kingham]

Hi, I'm getting started with live foods by reading Alissa's book. IF you could answer a couple of questions, I would really appreciate it. Although soymilk isn't listed in the "foods not to eat", but I think the soybeans have to be cooked to be processed into soymilk, is that right? Or is it a like a nutmilk that can be ground up raw?

Also, it says ALL bottled juices (including health food store variety) are pasteurized and therefore not raw. Is it really all of them? :confused:

[JEN]

70% of US soy is GE
Gabriel Cousens, Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine

[Ildikob]

MBF,

you may want to search the database of Nexus magazine online, they had a lot of articles on soy. (www.nexusmagazine.com ?)

From what I read about it is that soy is not such a healhty thing after all. It is highly processed and hard to digest in the quantities we eat it in the west.

Try to find some articles as I mentioned.

Ildiko

[VeryBerry]

I totally argee that soy is bad the body. There are plety of sources online to confirm that. Here is my personal experience.

A few years ago I was eating a lot of soy products, soy hot dogs, tofu, soy cream cheese, soy souce and soy milk. In fact I could not live one day without the soy milk.
After a few years of that I strarted to have severe pms that lasted about 2 weeks each month. I had many different pms symptoms, but the worse was lumpy painful breast and mood swings. I thought I was eating really healthy at the time so it took me a long time to figure out that soy was causing the problem. As soon as I stopped eating soy product my pms was down to 2 days, instead of 2 weeks. When I am 100% raw or even high raw I have no pms at all.
I noticed that even if I have just a little bit of soy sauce some of the symptoms return. So now I avoid soy completely.

I hope that helps.

[The_Breatharian_One]

Myth: Soy foods contain estrogen compounds that may cause hormonal disturbances.

The isoflavones found in soy foods are sometimes called phytoestrogens (plant-estrogens) because they have a chemical structure similar to the hormone estrogen. Also, isoflavones can bind to estrogen receptors and exert some estrogen-like effects in cells.18, 19

That said, isoflavones are actually quite different from estrogen. Estrogen-like effects are rarely observed in clinical studies measuring the ingestion of soy foods or isoflavones.20-22

This is not surprising since receptor binding – a common in vitro measure of estrogenicity – is a poor predictor of in vivo activity.23

Compounds that bind to estrogen receptors often have different, and sometimes opposite, physiological effects depending upon how the isoflavone and receptor interact within different cells.24-26

Clinical studies do show that neither soy foods nor isoflavones affect serum levels of testosterone or estrogen.27-39 In fact, several studies have found no effects on testosterone despite ingestion of isoflavones at levels that were 20- to 30-times higher than the typical Japanese intake.40, 41

No hormone-related abnormalities, such as thelarche or precocious puberty, have been ascribed to soy formula use in infants.



Myth: Fermented soy foods are better for you than nonfermented soy foods since traditional Asian cuisine uses fermented soy products.

It’s true that many traditional Asian soy foods (miso, natto and tempeh) undergo fermentation while tofu and soy milk do not. It’s also true that fermented and non-fermented soy foods have some nutritional differences.

In fermented soy foods, microbial hydrolysis causes a greater proportion of the isoflavones to occur as aglycones (without an attached sugar molecule), while the isoflavones of unprocessed soy beans appear as glycosides (with the sugar molecule attached).1 However, due to in vivo hydrolysis there is little difference in overall bioavailability between isoflavone aglycones and glycosides.2, 3

Fermentation reduces the phytate content of soy foods and, therefore improves mineral absorption somewhat, but the extent of this effect in unclear.4-16 Some research suggests that the allergenicity of soy protein may be reduced by fermentation.17



Myth: Soy foods cause thyroid problems.

A review of clinical data provides no evidence that soy foods or isoflavones adversely affect thyroid function.

The idea that soy and isoflavones exert anti-thyroid effects is based primarily on several cases of goiter found in infants ingesting soy formula in the early 1960s and more recent research in rodents.42, 43

Due to those early cases of goiter, iodine was added to soy infant formula and the formulation of these products was changed in the mid-1960s, replacing soy flour with isolated soy protein.

Since that time, no cases of goiter have been reported among the millions of infants using soy formula.44, 45 Even in the rat, an animal sensitive to anti-thyroid effects,46 normal thyroid function is maintained in response to the consumption of isoflavones.42

A recent review of 14 clinical trials found that with only one exception (a study published in Japanese that was poorly designed47), either no effects or only modest changes in healthy thyroid function were noted.48 In the only trial that specifically examined isoflavone (90 mg/d) supplements in postmenopausal women, no changes were seen in levels of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone over a 6-month period.49

Some evidence indicates that soy foods may reduce absorption of medication in hypothyroid patients.50-53 Such an effect is common with many herbs, medications and even fiber supplements.54-62 In any event, hypothyroid adults can still enjoy the heart healthy benefits of soy foods by working with their doctor to adjust their dosage if necessary.

[mbf]

Well thanks for al the great responses and resources! Unfortunately my sister tried going raw for a day or 2 and hated it, she is in stage 4 breast and bone cancer and refuses to believe in the power of raw foods. I tried...

Thanks again.

Mara

www.rawfoodandfitness.com

[Cherrypit]

Something I came across while reading about wheatgrass:

Soy (http://www.wheat-grass.com/951Oral.html)

[trinity082482]

Can you add soy into a raw diet with soy nuts? They are good on salads.. I duno if they are raw though. :confused:

[auroral]

From the research I've seen, the effect of soy is a very controversial issue that still hasn't been resolved.

[Linda1970]

I thought that 'organic' means that it can't be genetically modified? :confused:

If that's true, and I sprout raw, organic soy beans, wouldn't that be very healthy? :confused:

[lissomllama]

Soy is a phytoestrogen, it can cause estrogenic cancers, it worsens thyroid issues etc.

Soy can be very dangerous and personally it always made me feel a bit ill. That was my body telling me that I'm not meant to eat it.

[alex]

This article was just posted yesterday.



Soy Milk is Unhealthy

I urge you to read this interesting piece from Dr. Kaayla Daniel, which describes how soybeans are "milked" to make soy milk, and transmogrified into health-harming products nobody needs.

After presoaking beans in an alkaline solution, the resulting paste is cooked in a pressure cooker, eliminating key nutrients and producing low levels of the toxin lysinoalanine.

After that, the production process becomes a matter of cleaning up the undesirable, beany taste of soy milk, either by presoaking beans beforehand with baking soda or "deodorizing" them using a process similar to refining oil. Sweeteners (raw cane crystals, barley malt or brown rice syrup) and flavorings mask any remaining "beaniness."

Sales of soy milk came to $1 billion in 2005. But soy milk drinkers might be surprised to learn that soy milk was originally considered nothing more than a step in the process of making tofu. Soy milk consumption didn't pick up until the late 1970s, when advertisers began promoting it as an energy drink.
The soy industry has long concentrated on taste rather than health, however. And since soy milk doesn't exist naturally in nature, it is, and always has been, a processed food.

Weston A. Price Foundation

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Still on the fence about the value of soy products, even after health claims have been hugely debunked? If there's any lingering doubt in your mind, you should read this piece, written by the author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food Revealed.

Modern soy protein foods in no way resemble the traditional Asian soy foods, and may contain carcinogens like nitrates and lysinoalanine. Non-fermented soy products like tofu, soy milk and meatless foods made from textured vegetable protein also contain phytic acid, one of many anti-nutrients it's wise to avoid at all costs. And all of the purported "health benefits" of these products are simply untrue:

Soy isoflavones don't prevent various forms of cancer (prostate, breast or uterine).

Neither soy protein nor soy isoflavones are useful in limiting menopause-related symptoms.

The jury remains out on any soy-related benefits in treating osteoporosis.
Vital Votes reader Roseann from Califon, New Jersey, says:

"Wow! And to think, I've stopped drinking cow's milk because of my inability to obtain it RAW here in New Jersey, so I've switched to SILK Organic Unsweetened Soy Milk thinking it was healthier. Having had both thyroid and breast cancer, I thought I'd be getting the Isoflavones that are supposed to prevent cancer in hopes of preventing the cancer from returning.

"I figured since it's organic and doesn't contain any GMO's, and it wasn't sweetened with any high fructose corn syrup or cane juice, that it was safe and healthier to drink. Oh well, guess I was wrong about that one. Thank you for providing this very interesting and informative article. It seems the FDA is out to kill us all eventually. They want to make us sick with the food they promote so that we will have to buy the drugs they promote.

"I am now in the process of obtaining a permit to have a barn built on my 5.5 acre property so that I can house the two Jersey cows I plan to purchase. My neighbors have already expressed concern about us having livestock here. One neighbor said she finds the deer fence that surrounds my organic vegetable garden unsightly. Ask me if I care! Once I have my own cows, I can have raw milk and cream and can make my own cheese."

Another reader, Pamela from Wilbraham, Massachusetts, comments:

"I have read Dr. Daniel's book and have found it to be an excellent resource. When I realized that soy that has been force-fed to cattle for years will not only cause them to gain large amounts of weight, but cut their life-span in half, I made an effort to give up all forms of soy. Not easy, as it is in nearly everything at the conventional supermarket.

"Out of curiosity I asked my friends who consumed tofu and soy milk and was surprised to find that they all had some form of thyroid disease, including Graves Disease, Hashimoto's Disease, and some were taking large amounts of thyroid medication. Soy also causes a big problem with flatulence, which makes me wonder why so many people think it is such a good thing.
"It is my belief that the problem with soy is only going to worsen with the new ... soybean oil, 'Vistive' produced by Monsanto. Most restaurants wanting to lower their trans fats will be found to be using this. It is genetically modified and in my opinion will cause great harm to the consumer."

And reader, Pat, weighs in from Fujinomiya, Japan:

"In Japan, soy has been promoted intensively for the past ten years, far beyond its traditional levels. To avoid osteoporosis, the TV said to eat a full serving of soy three times a day, so I was doing that. (By the way, there is a myth that Japanese women don't suffer from osteoporosis. I've never seen a place with so many old women bent over nearly double with it. So, naturally, I was terrified of suffering the same fate.)

"Well, the more soy I ate, the more symptoms of menopause I had, so then I ate even more soy. I mentioned my 'early menopause' to about five doctors before one of them tested my hormones and found a severe imbalance. He told me it was stress (meaning a hard time at work).

"I came to a different conclusion, and told the doctor. He huffed and denied that soy could be the cause. Well, a lot of problems disappeared when I stopped eating soy. Menopause is nowhere in sight.

"Recently I've heard rumors of Japan's government warning about excessive soy consumption, but the TV still promotes it. These days, I'll have some natto on occasion, but I avoid all other soy. I think GMO soy is particularly dangerous. After eating a large amount of it three years ago, I felt sick and developed water retention, which has not gone away."



alex

[sukey2858]

Ok.........I don't see where anyone has mentioned fresh soybeans here, or as they are often refered to an Endame. I was going to add them to my planting list for next year, but now I am not so sure! :confused:

Susan
"We don't own the earth, we borrow it from our children"

[Veganforlife]

Here is a link to some information:
http://www.google.com/custom?domains=Mercola.com&q=soy&sa=Search&client=pub-5036891189517018&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&safe=active&hl=en&sitesearch=Mercola.com&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3B VLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3 AFFFFFF%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000% 3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BLH%3A112%3BLW%3A 778%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.mercola.com%2Fimages%2F mercolabannersearch.gif%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.mer cola.com%3BFORID%3A1%3B

scroll down to see the various articles.

[SwishTN]

I am sooo glad you brought this up, b/c this subject has been one of so much debate for me!

Right now, I am abstaining, or having very very little...

I used to drink soy soy soy soy soy. Soy mocha, soy milk on cereal, soy soy soy.....(okay, none of this is raw, but, it ties into the debate).

I still struggle with the concept of people saying that particular raw foods are bad for you...... so, meaning, even soy in it's natural state isn't right?

ARGH!!!!!!

: )