Soy: Good, Bad or Somewhere In Between?
Jun. 30th, 2007 11:03 amFirst, I want to thank a couple people for bringing this to my intention, and probably with a bit of divine providence thrown in there, too. Thanks to ![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nepenthe01 for posting about this article in her LJ and thanks to pyrbennu for forgetting her copy of the Utne Reader July/August 2007 issue in our living room.
For those who want to read the article "The Dark Side of Soy" you can find it online here:
http://www.utne.com/issues/2007_142/features/12607-1.html
I would also recommend reading in the same issue "How Much Is Too Much?," "Whole New Diet," and "Biofuel's Big Bean" as they give good tips on how to consume soy responsibly, how to eat an overall healthy, whole foods diet and explore the dangers of mass-produced soy on the environment and South America.
What makes soy particularly dangerous, especially in America, is that like corn it has become so ubiquitous and over-processed. It is in practically everything (it's even in my shave gel!) and often in such a processed form that it loses much of its health benefit and its hazardous qualities are amplified.
Let me state that I don't advocate complete abandonment of soy. It seems fermented soy in moderation is not necessarily bad for you. Soy also has isoflavones that benefit women going through menopause, again in small amounts and from as close to primary sources as you can get. The danger comes in processed foods that have as much as 20 grams of soy per serving and in vitamins and dietary supplements that use soy products. Also another aspect that makes soy potentially dangerous is a lack of variety in one's diet, much as is prevalent in modern American diets. The article points out that feeding soy formula to infants is especially dangerous because it's all they're eating and it's too much soy.
What I feel I enjoyed most from the articles is that it pointed out that there are benefits and hazards to soy consumption. They point out there is a need for self-education, avoiding processed food and taking all things in moderation. There are tips for how much soy to consume and how to tell if your getting too much. There are tips on how to avoid processed foods.
Please read the articles and lets discuss. I'm curious what others think of this.
nepenthe01 for posting about this article in her LJ and thanks to pyrbennu for forgetting her copy of the Utne Reader July/August 2007 issue in our living room.For those who want to read the article "The Dark Side of Soy" you can find it online here:
http://www.utne.com/issues/2007_142/features/12607-1.html
I would also recommend reading in the same issue "How Much Is Too Much?," "Whole New Diet," and "Biofuel's Big Bean" as they give good tips on how to consume soy responsibly, how to eat an overall healthy, whole foods diet and explore the dangers of mass-produced soy on the environment and South America.
What makes soy particularly dangerous, especially in America, is that like corn it has become so ubiquitous and over-processed. It is in practically everything (it's even in my shave gel!) and often in such a processed form that it loses much of its health benefit and its hazardous qualities are amplified.
Let me state that I don't advocate complete abandonment of soy. It seems fermented soy in moderation is not necessarily bad for you. Soy also has isoflavones that benefit women going through menopause, again in small amounts and from as close to primary sources as you can get. The danger comes in processed foods that have as much as 20 grams of soy per serving and in vitamins and dietary supplements that use soy products. Also another aspect that makes soy potentially dangerous is a lack of variety in one's diet, much as is prevalent in modern American diets. The article points out that feeding soy formula to infants is especially dangerous because it's all they're eating and it's too much soy.
What I feel I enjoyed most from the articles is that it pointed out that there are benefits and hazards to soy consumption. They point out there is a need for self-education, avoiding processed food and taking all things in moderation. There are tips for how much soy to consume and how to tell if your getting too much. There are tips on how to avoid processed foods.
Please read the articles and lets discuss. I'm curious what others think of this.
