The Sobering Truth About Soy

In 2002, the booming U.S. soybean crop netted almost 18 billion dollars and was grown on a record 75 million acres. Domestically, soybeans provided 80 percent of the edible consumption of fats and oils in the United States alone, and the U.S. exports soybean products to more than 100 countries worldwide. For economic savings, a wide cross-section of the food industry uses soy in salad dressings, cooking oils, emulsifiers (lecithin), breads, crackers and cereals, prepared foods, non-dairy creamers and, commonly, as a primary protein feed for livestock, poultry and farm-raised fish. Generally our first exposure to soy comes by means of infant formula, followed by protein bars and drinks, milk substitutes, tofu, etc.

This so-call food giant has finally succumbed to scrutiny. Recent research discoveries now provide adequate research on long-term dietary consumption. Once considered a beneficial effect, soy’s high estrogen content is now understood to be, for the most part, a detriment to health. Adding insult to injury, there is no food more subjected to the dangerous onslaught of biotechnology than the soybean – 97 percent of North America’s crop has been genetically modified.

Although the soy bean, when analyzed in a laboratory, has a plethora of nutritional components, including the essential amino acids, it is virtually impossible to absorb these nutrients. This mishap is due to the millennia of hybridization of this legume. Mixing one bean with another time and time again has radically changed the soy bean’s molecular structure, making it almost impermeable for the digestive system. This is why there is growing evidence that most people suffer digestive problems associated with the ingestion of soy products. Even the isoflavanoids that are part of this bean cannot be captured by the human body, causing them to mutate into daidzein and genistein. These elements bind with zinc and interfere with the protein digestive enzyme trypsin and antagonize estrogen. It has also been found that soy harbors phytic acid, which interferes with the assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Processed soy foods contain high levels of MSG, fluoride and aluminium, all of which are toxic to the nervous system. When food manufacturers process soy, carcinogens such as lysinealanine and nitrosamine are created.

In genetically engineered soybeans, other substances can contribute to the digestive issues common in individuals with thyroid problems, including potent enzyme inhibitors that block the breakdown of proteins, and the creation of lectins, which are highly inflammatory in the digestive tract. We are just beginning to discover the health hazards of genetically modified crops. Currently, it is more difficult to evaluate the safety of these foods than the well-documented chemicals, drugs or food additives. This does not make GMO foods any less harmful.

When food crops are genetically modified, one or more genes are incorporated into the crop genome using a vector containing other genes. Sometimes the DNA does not always fully break down in the alimentary tract. Bacteria in the gut can take up genes and genetically modified plasmids, which can open up the spread of antibiotic resistance. Insertion of the genes can be unpredictable and lead to the development of unknown toxic allergenic effects. Current testing techniques are needed to screen for consequences on human health. Labelling is not required on products that have been genetically modified, so people are unaware that they are consuming experimental foods. In 1966, scientists discovered that soybeans engineered to include protein-rich genes from Brazil nuts also contained its allergenic properties. Pharmaceuticals producing antibiotics use markers in almost every genetically modified organism to show that the organism has been successfully engineered. This contributes to the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics against disease.

Many of the genetically engineered soybeans, such as “Roundup Ready,” were designed to allow farmers to spray heavier doses of pesticides on their land without endangering their soy crop. One of Britain’s leading safety experts, Malcolm Kanc, revealed that the pesticide residue on soy has increased 200-fold and could appear in a wide variety of food sources.

Millions of acres of genetically altered soybeans are planted each year and are on our grocery shelves without labelling. Scientists are still behind in studying the safety of these new foods. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have said for the past five years that they have intended to write rules to minimize the chances of gene-altered food having negative effects on the consumer. Wisely, the EU has been steadfastly against the purchase of genetically modified food. It is requiring long-term definitive studies before it will consider the purchase of such fabricated fare.

Worldwide, millions of babies receive infant formula from processed soy beans that most likely include genetically altered varieties. One shocking study pointed to soy formulas as a direct cause of male genital abnormality. Additionally, it has been discovered that soy formula lacks many factors that are necessary for normal brain development, including essential fatty acids, DHA and cholesterol.

There is a great deal of scientific evidence that soy formulas can be damaging to newborns because of the high levels of phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, manganese and phytoestrogens. High levels of manganese are toxic to infants because they impair the blood/brain barrier that greatly develops later in life. Dr. W.C. Douglass reported his findings exposing the fact that early onset puberty in girls (as young as age seven) and delayed puberty with confused sexual identity in boys is becoming more prevalent due to less breast-feeding and more soy formula. Douglass claims that babies on soy milk receive the equivalent of five birth-control pills per day as far as estrogen is concerned. The British, French, Israeli and New Zealand governments all discourage the consumption of soy milk. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology evaluated potential usage of soy products in foods and concluded that the only safe use was “as a cardboard package sealer.” In ancient China, soybeans were grown as a cover crop and plowed under between food crops to fertilize the soil. Initially the Chinese ate small quantities of fermented soy foods, but not the bean itself. All of the ills that have surfaced concerning soy consumption are greatly reduced when soy is fermented, rendering it digestible and changing the dense compounds to useable sub-nutrients. In most cases, occasional use of fermented soy can be part of a healthy diet.

In my practice, I discourage my patients from the use of soy and encourage all to scrutinize any such products. Long-held belief is often difficult to conquer, although knowledge is the greatest gift that God affords.

Dr. Monahan, B.S., D.C., N.M.D., graduated from Logan College of Chiropractic in 1975 with a Bachelors of Science and a Doctor of Chiropractic. He has been in practice in St. Augustine for 30 years and is the clinic director and owner of five clinics in northeast Florida. A wide array of diagnostics and treatments are available at these centers since they are multidisciplinary, offering natural holistic medical care by an M.D. internist along with natural mercury-free dentistry and more in addition to chiropractic services.

Dr. Monahan is a nationally known speaker on topics ranging from chiropractic to environmental poisons, heavy metal detoxification, nutrition, natural hormone replacement for men and women, and anti-aging breakthroughs. He received an additional doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine in March, 2005.

Sources:

SoyStats.com 2005 Purdue University.

The American Soybean Association, St. Louis, Missouri “Genetically Modified Foods-Are they a Risk to Human and Animal Health” by Arpad Pustar, June, 2001.

“The Dangers of Soy Protein” by Roy B. Kupsinel, M.D. Phillips, Jack, American Free Press, August 7, 2006.

Vol 26 Issue 4 Page 19