Can over-consumption of soy can upset your hormonal balance?

Some plants have thorns, a bitter taste, or even toxins to prevent predators from consuming it.  The soy plant, however, is very sneaky. "The soy plant develops a plant estrogen that, when repeatedly devoured by a pest, results in hormonal changes to the predator, interrupting its reproductive cycle!" Now...what happens when we eat soy?

Long ago, soy was not considered an edible crop. It was used in plant-rotation to replace nitrogen back into the soil. However, take into account that in 1980 we were more concerned about health and that in 2004 we were more concerned about money.  This helps explain the deceitful marketing strategies used to raise profits of the soy industry from $2 million in 1980 to over $300 million in 2004.

Soy is used by celibate monks in Asia to dampen their libido.  Japanese wives are said to slip their husbands extra tofu when their sexual appetites are getting to be too much.

Increased use of soy formula is suspected as a leading cause of premature sexual development.  Does it seem unusual to you that -- when you were a child -- a "late bloomer" was someone who had not shown signs of puberty by the age of 17. Now, if a young woman is not a 36B  by the age of 13, this is considered unusual.  A team of researchers at Lehigh University studied the effects of soy isoflavones on rodents, and they showed that the onset of puberty was "significantly accelerated."  The leader of the team, Professor Jill Schneider, commented that she and some investigators asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to not allow soy manufacturers to claim their products are good for health.

Soy infant formula provides 6-11 times more isoflavones per body weight than the dose needed to cause hormonal changes in adults. Children consuming soy formula have shown much greater tendencies toward developing autoimmune thyroid disease and diabetes.

The FDA has not approved Soy as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). Two senior scientists at the FDA stated, "Consumption of isoflavons during pregnancy could be a risk factor for normal brain and reproductive tract development."

Menopausal women are thought to derive some relief from hot flashes and other typical symptoms due to soy's ability to mimic estrogen. However, in October 2002, the British Government's Committee on Toxicity in Foods (COT) released their assessment of soy products. An expert noted, "As for claims that these products improve hormonal balance, prevent prostate cancers, prevent heart disease, stop osteoporosis and improve brain function, the COT found no proof of any of this."

Soy is also noted to depress thyroid function.  Suppression of the thyroid has been noted with as little as 2 tbsp. of soybeans per day. Research in Japan showed that 1 ounce (30 grams) of soybeans daily over the course of 3 months caused enlargement and suppression of the thyroid. Symptoms and functions returned to normal once the use of soy was discontinued.

Most soy that is consumed is unfermented soy. Unfermented Soy is very difficult to digest. It contains chemicals which interfere with digestion and may lead to pancreatic disorders. The Chinese learned that fermented soy was easier to digest.  In addition, it has anti-cancerous substances called aglycones. In today's unfermented soy products such as tofu and soy milk, the aglycones are present, but in a much different form, and they are NOT anti-cancerous.

Please remember it is only a myth that the Asian diet is soy-based. The soy that they do eat is fermented, and it is only used in small amounts (usually as condiments). In China, protein from pork and grains far outweighs that obtained from soy and all other legumes combined.

• TIP: Use fermented soy products like tempeh, tamari, miso, and natto. These may have anti-cancerous effects.

• Barbee, Michael. Politically Incorrect Nutrition: Finding Reality in the Mire of Food Industry Propaganda. Ridgefield, CT: Vital Health Publishing, 2004.

  AVOID: soy milk, soy energy bars, and regular consumption of tofu.