Realities Behind the "Soy Revolution"

Recently, as part of my on going efforts to eat healthy, I tried soy based ice-cream. Apart from tasting "rubbery" it didn't taste too good either. So, when I saw an article by Dr Al Sears on the dangers of soy, I thought I would share it with you.

In the January 2006 issue of the journal Circulation, the American Heart Association announced that soy has little effect on cholesterol and is unlikely to prevent heart disease.1

This doesn't mean that all types of soy are unhealthy. But it proves that soy isn't the "miracle food" the FDA and the food industry would have you believe.

Soy-based products are everywhere. And that's a problem. You may not realize it, but soy crops up in unexpected places. It's in your fridge and cupboard – from ice cream and yogurt to pasta and cereal. Not to mention the frying oil used in fast food.

How did this happen?

After FDA approval, the food industry jumped on the soy bandwagon in a big way. By 2004, 80 percent of all vegetables oils were derived from soy, and nearly all processed foods now contain some form of it.

Here are 3 surprising facts you may not know about soy:

1: Soy and Indigestion The problems start with the soybean itself. In raw form, it's poisonous to the human body. In fact, eating raw soy can cause stomachaches, nausea, cramping, and gas.

Other soy ingredients prevent the body from absorbing essential minerals. Ironically, soy also makes it more difficult for the body to digest protein, the very thing soy was supposed to provide as an alternative to meat protein.

2: Soy and Hormonal Imbalance Even more serious, soybeans contain substances called "isoflavones" that mimic estrogen, the female hormone. Eating enough soy can disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle. One researcher calculated that, based on body weight, feeding your baby exclusively on soy formula is like giving it five birth control pills a day!

3: Soy, Gout, and Thyroid Problems As if that weren't enough, there's a chemical in soy that can cause gout and thyroid enlargement. Eating as little as 45 grams of soy products a day can cause thyroid malfunction within 3 months in healthy adult men and women.

And there is more on Dr Al Sears website...