Soy: The Myth and The Truth

Soy: The Myth and The Truth
I was talking to my mother the other day and I was very surprised to find out that soy is not quite as good for you as the dieting and health trends would have you believe. Soy has many negative affects that should be taken seriously before including it in your daily life or diet.

Soy vs. Weight Loss
Soy is often toted as the golden boy of weight loss and healthy drinking. But in reality, soy can act as an thyroid & endocrine blocker, in laymen’s terms, that means it can slow your metabolism and actually make you gain weight. I have read of many cases where people have removed soy from their diet, whether vegetarian or dieting or just trying to eat healthier and they’ve recognized a noticeable affect in their body chemistry. One woman with a thyroid disease worked very hard to stay healthy by exercising and adopting what she thought was a healthy diet of soy products like soy milk, soy sausage, soy cheese etc. and she couldn’t figure out why she was gaining weight. The truth was the soy was actually 1.)making her thyroid condition worse and 2.) was making her gain upwards of 100 lbs. regardless of what she did. So she did what anyone faced with this fact would do, she threw out all those products and lost upwards of 40 lbs in a short time period.

The dangerous thing about soy when it comes to the growing health & diet culture is it is hyped. It comes in a variety of products like milk, cheese, sausage, bread, etc. and its seen as a weight loss inducing, green, healthy alternative. Don’t believe the hype. Reading up on the a site promoting soy they said that soy is good for you, saying that Asians have included it in their diets for centuries. But the fact to face here is this, the food industry that we support changes and alters our foods in so many ways. They add chemicals and unnatural substances to the growing and processing portions of the product that often change a normal, healthy product into an unhealthy one.

Hidden sources of soy:
* Oil used to fry packaged chips and crackers
* Commercial nut or hemp milks
* Packaged organic meals

Good Soy vs. Bad Soy
There is good soy and there is bad soy. Yes, its not all evil, you weren’t completely deceived. Nutritionists and doctors familiar with soy all recommend fermented soy.

According to the Donna Gates, a body ecology expert:
“To take your healthy lifestyle to the next level it is important that fermented foods and health benefits from a supplement diet are fully incorporated into your daily regimen. Some people underestimate the importance of fermented foods and health benefits that you can experience include lower cholesterol, efficient digestive functioning and a stronger immune system.”

The fact of the matter is soy isn’t bad for you. But once its processed and additives are put in it makes it a danger for our body chemistry. Unfermented soy is the form most commonly used and the type that is the cheapest. This is why it is so prevalent in any health or diet related forum. It’s high in protein and contains less carbs but its what they don’t tell you that can hurt you in the long run.

Important!
Never eat raw soy beans, they are very dangerous!

Advice Corner:
You want to know what you’re putting in your body. Read labels, educate yourself on those technical words like isoflavones, know the difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fats etc. You are your last line of defense.

Soy vs. Men
I was actually in shock to hear that soy has certain affects on men and the chemical balance in our bodies. I wanted to know more of course, I love Silk Milk, and this is what I found.

Apparently the isoflavones in soy products can create the effects of estrogen on the body. It can, in larger doses, create breast enlargement, testosterone reduction and also in a Harvard study, it was found that it reduces sperm count.

Once again, take steps in your soy intake, soy has been found to reduce the chances of prostate cancer and be preventive against heart disease. You must make sure you are consuming fermented soy products.

Conclusion
In researching as a consumer I have found so many mixed reviews about this product. Much has been done to cover up the less inviting effects of soy by publicizing the positive effects. I caution you to do your research. Feel free to check the sources and I hope that you will stay healthy.

LifeMed
A way of Life. A way of Living.

Sources:
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/no-joy.html
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/complaints.html
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/weightloss/12/soy-and-weight-loss-hype-or-hope/
http://www.skrewtips.com/2008/02/08/oh-soy-bad-how-we-are-mislead-about-the-benefits-of-soy/
http://www.bodyecology.com/fermented-foods-health-benefits.php
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/soy-consumption-effects-on-men.html
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-dangers-of-soy-for-men.htm