Information You May Not Know About Soy

Do you consume soy regularly? If so, you should be aware that in 2002, two U.S. senior government scientists, Drs. Daniel Doerge and Daniel Sheehan, discovered that chemicals in soy could increase the risk of breast cancer in women, brain damage in both men and women, and abnormalities in infants. Here are the findings and outcomes from their research:

• The scientists chose to go against FDA colleagues and oppose its decision to approve a health claim that soy lowered the risk of heart disease.

• They wrote an internal protest letter warning of 28 studies revealing toxic effects of soy, mostly focusing on chemicals in soy known as isoflavones, which have effects similar to the female hormone estrogen.

• These doctors discovered research which clearly reveals a connection between soy and the ability to cause health problems in human beings.

• Soy can cause health issues in animals including the changing of sexual development of fetuses and causing thyroid issues.

• Some studies reveal that chemicals in soy can cause a rise in the development of estrogen-dependent breast cancer.

According to the letter they wrote:

• 'There is abundant evidence that some of the isoflavones found in soy demonstrate toxicity in estrogen sensitive tissues and in the thyroid.'

• 'During pregnancy in humans, isoflavones per se could be a risk factor for abnormal brain and reproductive tract development.'

According to one of the scientists, parents who allow their children to drink soy milk or formulas "are exposing their children to chemicals which we know have adverse effects in animals. It's like doing a large uncontrolled and unmonitored experiment on infants.'

The soy industry maintains that these findings shown in animals have no application to the health of human beings. Remember that the amounts of soy consumed by people in Asian countries is much less than those levels in the United States and other developed countries. It is also important to note that the type of soy consumed in Asia is generally from the whole soybean, whereas the soy we are consuming in the U.S. is more often than not a processed soy such as in soy cheese, soy milk, tofu, veggie burgers, and similar food products. Another consideration is the amount of soy consumed by cattle for feed in factory farm environments, which are slaughtered for food and is consumed by human beings.

For more information about soy and the dangers of its use, visit Soy Online Service.