The Dangers of Soy

 

 By Eeka King (BA.H.ScAcu)

Many people believe they are doing a good thing for their health when they turn to Soy over Cow’s milk or as a protein option in a vegetarian/vegan diet. What you may not be aware of is that choosing to consume Soy may slowly be killing you. You may think…it's just a bean from a plant, right? So how bad could it really be? If you take the time to look into the actual science, then the answer is devastating. Thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility- even cancer and heart disease.

Soy in very small and occasional doses it is not going to do you too much damage, but once you start ingesting an excessive amount of it, soy's evil side manifests. And it’s easy to overdose on soy and not even realise it. The more processed foods you’ve got in your pantry, the more soy you are eating. “Soy is a cheap source of protein for many packaged and processed foods, so if you are eating protein bars, cereals, bottled dressings, mayonnaise, vegan meat substitutes, and fast foods, you are probably consuming soy,” says Vance. You’d be surprised by how many different forms that it can come in — you'll be able to identify it on a label as soy oil, soy protein isolates, soy protein, soy lecithin, and textured vegetable protein (TVP), among others.

There is a widespread misconception that soy was consumed for many years by Asian cultures and because they are considered among the ‘most healthy’ race of people, if we consume soy now, we should all be fine. While this is true, there is a glaring difference between how ancient Asia prepared soy and how we do today. That key difference: fermenting the soy.

Un-fermented soybeans, what we mainly eat today, contain large quantities of natural toxins or “anti-nutrients”. Some of the most important to avoid are potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. These inhibitors are tightly folded proteins that do not deactivate during the cooking process. Without being deactivated, they have the ability to produce serious gastric distress, reduce protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. Several tests were done on animals that showed diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer.

The un-fermented consumption of soy creates an environment in the body that is unable to properly digest and break the protein in soy. This means the soy can become toxic within the body and create a series of adverse challenges. The Asian cultures consuming soy in the past knew that soy needed to first be fermented and so they did not consume it unless it was (Martino, 2013)

Another one of the primary reasons it would be wise for you to avoid soy is that more than 90% of soybeans grown in the US are genetically modified (GM). Since the introduction of genetically engineered foods in 1996, we've had an upsurge in low birth weight babies, infertility, and other problems in the States, and animal studies have shown devastating effects from genetically engineered soy including allergies, sterility, birth defects, and offspring death rates up to five times higher than normal. Soybean crops are also heavily sprayed with chemical herbicides, such glyphosate which a French team of researchers have found to be carcinogenic.

Here is a list of 10 dangers (compiled by the Western A. Price foundation) that comes with consuming un-fermented soy;

Soy Dangers Summarized 

1. High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
2. Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
3. Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
4. Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer.
5. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
6. Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12
Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
7. Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
8. Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
9. Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
10. Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Some facts on Soy Infant Formula: Birth Control Pills for Babies

Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more oestrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula. Infants exclusively fed soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least four birth control pills per day.
Male infants undergo a testosterone surge during the first few months of life, when testosterone levels may be as high as those of an adult male. During this period, baby boys are programmed to express male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of their sexual organs and other masculinity traits, but also in setting patterns in the brain characteristic of male behaviour.
In animals, studies indicate that phytoestrogens in soy are powerful endocrine disrupters. Soy infant feeding, which floods the bloodstream with female hormones that inhibit testosterone, cannot be ignored as a possible cause of disrupted development patterns in boys, including learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder.
Male children exposed to DES, a synthetic oestrogen, had testes smaller than normal on maturation and infant marmoset monkeys fed soy isoflavones had a reduction in testosterone levels up to 70 % compared to milk-fed controls.
Almost 15% of white girls and 50% of African-Americans girls show signs of puberty, such as breast development and pubic hair, before the age of eight. Some girls are showing sexual development before the age of three. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula and exposure to environmental oestrogen-mimickers such as PCBs and DDE.
Intake of phytoestrogens even at moderate levels during pregnancy can have adverse affects on the developing foetus and the timing of puberty later in life.

So what Soy products are good for you?

The only soy with health benefits is organic soy that has been properly fermented, and these are the only soy products I ever recommend consuming.

After a long fermentation process, the phytate and "anti-nutrient" levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system.

The primary fermented soy products that can be consumed moderately are:

* Tempeh- a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavour.

* Miso- a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).

* Natto- fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavour.

* Soy sauce- traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes. Be wary because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process, so please check!

Please note that tofu is NOT on the list. Tofu is not fermented. Also BONSOY milk is the only soya milk made from fermented soybeans, however, I am not sure if I can recommend it as it was recoiled some years back due to excessive iodine levels (due to an ingredient- kombu) that caused thyroid problems in hundreds of people. It may be fine now? One big nature providing clue, which makes it very clear to me that soy, is not really meant for humans to eat, is the fact that soybeans are horrid on the palate. No normal person could eat them. That’s why all soymilks on the market are loaded with fillers, oils and other ingredients so you can get it down!

References

Daniel (2012) The whole soy story: the dark side of America’s favourite health food

Western A Price foundation- http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/not-so-soy-healthy-for-the-heart

Dr Joseph Mercola- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/soy-health_b_1822466.html

Martino, 2013- http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/02/21/confused-about-soy-soy-dangers-summarized/

Organic Farmshare-Why Everybody Needs to Own a Local Organic Farm

Current conventional farming methods employ a host of practices and synthetic chemicals to produce our food at the cost of destroying the very source of that food: our soil and waterways. The impacts on our health from the long-term consumption of nutritionally depleted, chemically grown and processed food are also becoming increasingly evident.

Our soils are being propped up with fertilisers produced from fossil fuels. The food that is grown in these depleted and chemically laden soils comes nowhere near to providing the nutrients that we need for health, reproduction and longevity.

A massive 60% of our food costs goes directly into distribution and handling. In other words, $60 out of every $100 you spend on food goes on getting that food from the farm to your plate.

Organic Farm Share is a local food system that utilises regenerative and integrated farming practices, which return necessary nutrients back into the soil. This is achieved through organic farming, polyculture planting, the use of beneficial bacteria, animal integration, and localised compost systems.

Through Organic Farm Share’s unique and localised distribution system, food-miles and packaging are significantly reduced. Your food is brought directly to you from the farm ensuring fresher healthier food, a substantial financial saving, and regeneration of the environment.

Our farm is situated in Northern NSW 14km south of the Queensland border. Our organic farm will service owner-members in the Byron Bay, Gold Coast and Brisbane areas with our unique organic food delivery system.

Organic Farm Share blends a unique form of enterprise with the values of a co-operative. Taking back the control of our food supply and establishing regional food security can only be truly achieved through participation, or more specifically, ownership. If we own the business that owns the land where our food comes from, we are directly connected to our food supply, and many of the existing barriers to establishing a successful local food system are eliminated.

Participation and its benefits

We currently (1 August 2011) have 148 owner-members and as membership is limited we will close the first stage of our offer on 20 October this year.

Organic Farm Share, the first of its kind, is a publicly owned farm project with
the aim of ensuring food security for our community, the regeneration of land,
and positive financial returns to our owner-members.

Whilst there are numerous environmental, health and social benefits to
participating in Organic Farm Share there are also a number of personal ones.

By joining Organic Farm Share, you gain :

·         pride in ownership of a regenerative enterprise

·         partnership in an enterprise that contributes to the local economy and employment

·         a place you can visit, stay and enjoy with your family and other owners

·         a share that can appreciate in value

·         the convenience of buying your groceries from one place (one stop shopping)

·         a 5% - 7% rebate of all purchases annually & profit share

·         supply of a comprehensive variety of organic food at the best prices.

Where to from here

If you would like to know more, come along to one of our Kitchen Table
Talks. A list of them can be found on our website at :

www.organicfarmshare.com/whats-happening.html

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us in any of the following ways :

Telephone : 07 5630 3891 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            07 5630 3891      end_of_the_skype_highlighting Email : hello@organicfarmshare.com

Chinese Dietary Therapy and the Dao of Nutrition

Written by Eeka Berghofer 

The wise ancient Chinese were very much in tune with their bodies and their environment. They lived by the principle of being in harmony with nature and maintained balance in every aspect of their lives, especially diet. Their knowledge and experiences were preserved through generations and further refined into what we now know today as Chinese nutrition or dietary therapy. This is both a healing system and a disease prevention system. The advantage of Chinese nutrition lies in its flexibility in adapting to every individuals need in the prevention against disease, and the treatment of the whole person.

Chinese nutrition uniquely differs from western nutrition in that it determines the energies and therapeutic properties of, foods instead of the analysing the chemical constituents of them, for example:

*Celery, by being cool, sweet and slightly bitter can reduce high blood pressure when eaten regularly and 3 cups of lightly boiled celery juice is consumed daily.

*Potato, a stomach harmoniser, can relieve stomach ulcer by taking 2 tablespoons of potato juice on an empty stomach.

*Walnut, a kidney tonic, can treat impotence when 20 walnuts are eaten per day for a month.

*incorporating millet as a staple can help morning sickness and vomiting, through its soothing quality.

Furthermore, Chinese nutrition takes into consideration such factors as method of preparation, body type, season and one’s geographical location in determining the appropriate diet.

Here is a body type example; the latest ‘super food’ fad the Goji berry, also known as Wolfberry fruit or lycium fruit is a Chinese medicinal herb that has a long history of use over thousands of years. The lyceum fruit was discovered by the west and put under the microscope and marketed for having high vitamin C content and its antioxidant and cancer fighting constituents. It is recommended that everyone consume them also to boost the immune. In Chinese Medicine the goji berry is used to strengthen (tonify) the liver and kidney yin or fluids. It is beneficial for those who are often thin and dry and have symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, soreness of the lower back and knees.  A very plump woman friend of mine was consuming them and could not understand why she felt so heavy and lethargic and she experienced greater bouts of diarrhea and bloating. She was already a heavy damp person and the goji berry kept on building her dampness and fluids.

The following information will give you an understanding on how Chinese medicine has classified and interprets the nature of food and how it interacts within our bodies.

Food and the elements of climate
According to TCM; damp, heat, wind, cold and dry are the environmental elements that cycle with the seasons and create our weather. These same elements exist within the body at any time of year. What happens inside our bodies is influenced by the weather and the effects of the seasons, and also by our food intake, genetic makeup, body type and emotional and mental well-being. So to have a balanced diet we need to consider our body and the effects of the environment.

Energies of Food
Different foods have different natures or capacities to generate different temperatures within the body and these can affect our internal organs and their balance. Foods are selected according to their energetic qualities such as warming, cooling, drying and lubricating. Thus, Chinese nutrition would seek to warm the coldness, cool the heat, dry the dampness, and lubricate the dryness and so forth. The nature of food isn’t necessarily connected to the temperature of food at the time of consumption, and it is the foods nature that has a more lasting effect on our internal temperature. Warm and hot foods warm the body; cool and cold foods have the opposite effect.

 For example alcohol can be full of ice blocks, but still due to its nature will heat us internally.

Most people do best by consuming a predominately gentle, warming diet. Cold and hot foods have certain roles to fulfil within the body and should be used in moderation. While many vegetables, legumes are neutral, the cooking process tends to make them warming.

Here are some guidelines on how to guess whether a food may be warming or cooling.

*Plants that takes longer to grow, such as carrots, cabbage and parsnips, are often more warming. Lettuce and cucumbers are more cooling pants.

*Raw food is more cooling than the same food will be after cooking

*Foods cooked for a longer time tend to be more warming

Like the natures of food, our bodies can be hot, warm, cool or cold. Or even a mixture. A person can have heat signs in the upper body such as and cold in the lower body presenting as mild lower back pain, frequent urination and low libido.

Flavours and directions of food
All foods have a flavour. The five flavours of food are sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty. Many foods are a combination of more than one flavour. Eg. Grapes are sweet and sour. Bananas are cold and sweet. Honey is warm and moistening. Once in the body, each flavour enters a different organ. In small amounts these flavours benefit and strengthen their corresponding organs. The salty flavour affects the kidneys and bones and comes from foods such as salt, seaweed and crab. The sour flavour affects the liver and comes from foods such as lemons pears, plums and mangoes. The bitter flavour affects the heart and blood and comes from flavours such as alfalfa, rye and lettuce.

A Balanced diet that takes all five flavours into account does not mean an equal percentage of each flavour. A balanced diet is a diet is a diet dominated by ‘sweet’ foods and includes small amounts of each of the other flavours each day. Sweet refers to most grains, legumes, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit.

What determines the way food moves is a mixture between temperature and flavour. Hot and pungent foods move out, sweet and warm foods move up, cool and salty or sour foods move down and cold and bitter foods move in. So why does direction matter? Because seasons, body types and ailments all have particular directions. For example, hiccupping is considered an upward ailment and should be treated with a downward moving food such as an orange or tangerine.

An appropriate mix of the 5 tastes creates a diet that strengthens the bones, makes the tendons flexible, promotes the circulation of blood and qi, and keeps the skin and muscles in good condition.

Eating with the seasons
Each season has a corresponding organ that is more sensitive during this time.
A season for each organ;

Spring- Liver
Early summer -Heart
Late summer -Spleen
Autumn - Lungs
Winter - Kidneys

Each season is also balanced with the awareness of what came before it and what will come after. If you eat inappropriately in one season, you will suffer in that season and you will also increase your health risk in the next season as you will be badly prepared. By eating foods that move the energy down to the core of the body to regenerate and repair in winter, we take advantage of the strength of winter. In the warmer months of the year, we can eat foods that move energy up to support increased activity and elimination (such as perspiration and regular bowel movements) so energy and blood can circulate well.

Even within each season you can respond to specific weather patterns.

Guidelines for a balanced diet
Traditional Chinese medicine believes how we eat our food is also very important. It is very common these days to eat in our car on the way to work, eat at our desk while working or have the television on while eating, this weakens our digestive energy.

It is important to

• Sit down to eat
• Chew food well
• Pay attention to eating, turn off the television, get away from the work desk
• Eat organically and locally
• Eat seasonally
• Do not skip meals
• Stop eating before the ‘full’ point
• Never eat within 3 hours of going to sleep

The best ways of preparing foods are steaming, stir frying in water, stewing (boiling, as in soups), or baking. Steaming leaves the food in its most natural state, while baking creates more heat and would be the best method for cold conditions.

Traditional Chinese medicine views the stomach and spleen as a cooking pot that breaks down the food that is eaten and turns it into energy and blood for the body. The stomach is the cauldron and the spleen is the digestive fire that warms up the pot. The stomach cooks and breaks down the food, sending the pure part of the food to the spleen to be distributed to the rest of the body and eliminating the waste as faeces and urine. It is important to maintain this digestive fire and too many cold and raw foods can put out the digestive fire, weakening and slowing the digestive system and the assimilation of nutrients.

Follow us on our recipe page with food for the seasons.

Information from;
Medicinal Herbs, Geng Junying et al
Food for the Seasons- eat well stay healthy the traditional Chinese way, professor Lyn Wong
The tao of nutrition, Maoshing Ni, Ph.D