Doctors warned dangers of soy

Although soybeans have been consumed in Asian countries for thousands of years, they did not pique the interest of Europe until the 17th century, and at a snail’s pace, they made it to America during the early 20th century. Americans have the boll weevil to thank for the popularity of soybeans, because they destroyed the supply of cottonseeds that were used to make cooking oil. To the dismay of the cooking oil industry, processing cooking oil was halted until it was discovered that soybeans would be a good substitute.




Fast forward almost 100 years later and soybeans are used to replace every food imaginable; and moreover, they are held in high ranks as one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Many health conscious women consume it daily to replace their milk, cheese, meat and even to replace the breast milk for their babies. With all of the loud praises being doled out about soy products, it’s not surprising that soy lovers can’t hear the steadily rising murmurs of those who think soy is a lot of things- except healthy.

While American women have been told that soy protects against breast cancer, heart disease, colon cancer, memory loss, and weight gain, etc… There are critics on the other side of the fence that say soy actually promotes the medical conditions that it is supposed to reduce.


Dr. Mercola of Mercola.com, states that soy based infant formula have high levels of manganese, which can lead to brain damage in babies and altered behavior in adolescents. Dr. Ruchi Mathur, a medical doctor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Canada, says that when babies have hypothyroidism at birth and require replacement therapy, they have to increase the amount of replacement therapy if the infant is fed a soy based formula. This could be an indication that soy inhibits the function of the goiter.


Furthermore, Dr. Mercola says that soy products such as tofu wreaks havoc on your brain and actually causes memory loss, and also puts women at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, thyroid damage, and kidney stones. Dr. Brent Ridge, Martha Stewart’s Vice President of Healthy Living, says that he asks his patients who are at a high risk for breast cancer to eliminate soy products from their diets. This recommendation is based on the fact that soy has a high concentration of phytoestrogen, which mimics estrogen in the body, and increased estrogen levels are linked to breast cancer.


So what should women do about eating soy or feeding soy based formulas to their infants? Like everything else, eat it in moderation if you are healthy, avoid it if you are at a high risk of developing breast cancer, and avoid giving it to your infant. Healthier alternatives to soy milk are rice and almond milk, and goat milk might be a better choice for babies who are allergic to cow’s milk. However, please note that goat milk lacks vitamin B12 and folic acid; therefore, you must fortify it with these two supplements . . . . ♥







References ↓

► Mathur, Richi. Thyroid Q & A. Medicinenet.com Retrieved on September 1, 2009 from http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=17011
► Mercola, Joseph. How Safe is Soy Infant Formula. Mercola.com. Retrieved on September 1, 2001 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/06/13/soy-formula-part-one.aspx
► Mercola, Joseph. (July 2008). Why Tofu Wrecks Your Brain. Mercola.com. Retrieved on September 1, 2009 from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/07/24/why-tofu-wrecks-your-brain.aspx
► Ridge, Brent. (January 2009). Is Too Much Soy Bad for Your? Care2.com. Retrieved on September 1, 2001 from http://www.care2.com/greenliving/is-too-much-soy-bad-for-you.html

———— Advertisement ————

——— Related ↔ Post ———