Monday, October 10, 2011

Wellness Coaching - The Dangers of Soy

The soybean is one of the most recent additions to the human diet. Less than .01% of its 200,000-year-old history has been soy-free. And along with this new addition to our diet has come a long list of physical ailments, allergies, and sensitivities to it. The ancients considered it as completely unfit for human consumption, but modern processing methods resulting from multibillion-dollar corporate interests have allowed soy products such as tofu, protein powder, soy milk, and soy burger to be marketed as a “health food.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

Numerous independent studies have revealed the truth about soy products that contradict the health claims promoted by the soy industry. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, high levels of phytic acid in soy reduce the assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc in the body, contributing to growth problems in children. Vitamin B12 in soy is not absorbed into the body and because of soy, more Vitamin D is required.  Soy contains a high level of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys. Recent studies suggest a link between soy consumption and kidney stones.

Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women. Soy phytoestrogens have been shown to cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. Soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease in infants. The processing of soy protein results in toxins and carcinogens such as lysinoalanine and nitrosamines.

And here’s something that you may find shocking: Soy has never been given the “Generally Recognized as Safe” status by the Food and Drug Administration. In fact,  it has been shown to disrupt and inhibit thyroid peroxidase, a necessary enzyme for the synthesis of the thyroid’s T3 and T4 hormones. Effects include hypothyroidism symptoms such as obesity, dry skin and hair, low blood pressure, slow pulse rate, depressed muscular activity, intolerance to cold, goiter, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Because of the high estrogen levels in soy, it increases the risk of breast cancer in women. A study in 1997 showed that genistein, a soy isoflavone, caused breast cancer cells to become malignant, as well as contributing to hormonal dysregulation. Babies on soy infant formula have estradiol levels 13,000 to 22,000 times greater than babies on milk-based formula. In 1998, C.H. Irvine reported that “Infants exclusively fed soy infant formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills a day.”

Now, as if that wasn’t all bad enough, here’s more: Soybeans contain hemagglutinin which causes red blood cells to clump. Under the guise of “natural flavors” added, MSG, a neurotoxin, is added to soy in the protein powder processing stage. And probably the worst thing about soy: All soybeans are soaked in vats of hexane to assist in the extraction of protein and oils. An independent lab found hexane residue in soy-based foods, but the FDA still does not require any testing for hexane, even in baby foods! The soy industry uses it because it’s cheap and, of course, because they can get away with it. The soy industry spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year on lobbying, marketing, and promoting their “health benefits” to high level officials. The Environmental Protection Agency lists hexane as hazardous waste product and in studies it has shown to have “neurotoxic effects,” causing central nervous system symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and headaches in humans.

Now for the good news: The Japanese understand that soy must be fermented before it can be consumed. The fermentation process neutralizes trypsin inhibitors and phytic acid. Only fermented soy such as miso, natto, and tempeh, are okay to eat. Soy sauce that is organic, sugar-free, and gluten-free is also okay. But the rest of it should be avoided like the plague.

Jason Lincoln Jeffers is a spiritual counselor and personal life coach. His online life coaching program incorporates pain-body counseling, wellness coaching, law of attraction coaching, relationship coaching, and astrology readings. As a result, his spiritual counseling sessions will enlighten, inspire, and empower you to realize your physical, mental, and spiritual potential.

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