the dark side of soya

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

Jenny Smith, a secretary and receptionist, could not explain what was
happening to her. She began to make mistakes in her work and suffer
from memory lapses. She would type a word backwards without even
realizing it and proofread right over her mistakes. Her speech was
slurring and when she answered the phone. . . she didn't know what to
say. One day she found herself walking across a busy intersection
against the lights and didn't know how she got there.

Leslie Blumenberg went to pick up her mother at the airport and got
lost coming home. Although she had lived in the area for years, she
became completely disoriented. It took her two hours to find her way
back to her house. She was also suffering from cognitive problems, her
words would jumble when she tried to speak coherent sentences, and she
forgot how to spell.
Leslie had been eating soy foods, lots of them, for three years. When
she went off soy, her problems cleared up, her mind returned to
normal. But Jenny Smith did not eat soy. Her problems cleared up only
when she went on a diet and stopped eating bread. She discovered that
she could eat homemade bread without any problem. But supermarket
bread gave her brain fog.

Jenny had a thyroid problem and had been taking thyroxine for years.
When her office connected with the internet, she went online to a
thyroid site. There she learned that soy was a potent thyroid
depressant and should not be consumed by anyone with thyroid troubles.
Next trip to the grocery store, she began to read labels and
discovered that every loaf of bread in the supermarket contained soy
flour.

"Thyroid enlargement in rats and humans, especially children and
women, fed with soyabeans has been known for half a century,"
according to Theodore Kay at Kyoto University in Japan. His 1988 study
attempted to determine the amount of iodine required to prevent goitre
in populations consuming soy foods. He found that small amounts of
iodine could indeed prevent noticeable thyroid enlargement, but even
large amounts did not prevent pathological changes to the thyroid
gland. He also determined that the most potent goitrogens in soy
cannot be removed by cooking.

Although scientists have known for many years that soy is goitrogenic,
it was only recently that they were able to pinpoint the actual
thyroid-depressing compounds. Researchers at the US Toxicological
Laboratory in Arkansas found that the thyroid-depressing substances
are isoflavones, the estrogen-like compounds found plentifully in the
soybean.

This discovery came as a shock to the soy industry, which has heavily
promoted these phytoestrogens as beneficial. It is the phytoestrogens
or isoflavones in soy that are supposed to protect us from heart
disease, cancer, osteoporosis and the discomforts of menopause. Yet in
normal women consuming sufficient iodine, just 30g of roasted soybeans
daily, containing about 38mg isoflavones, were found to depress
thyroid function--less than the amount in two glasses of soy milk, two
servings of tofu, or a handful of roasted soy nuts. In sensitive
individuals, such as Jenny Smith, even small amounts of soy were able
to provoke the mental confusion indicative of disrupted thyroid
function.

ISOFLAVONES IN OUR FOOD

Bread with added soy flour, 2 slices 4 mg
Meatless chicken nuggets, 1/2 cup 15 mg
Soy hot dog 15 mg
Soymilk, 8-ounce glass 20 mg
Green soybeans, raw, 1/2 cup 20 mg
Miso, 1/4 cup 21 mg
Tofu, 1/2 cup 28 mg
Soy cheese, 1/2 cup 31 mg
Soymilk skin or film , cooked, 1/2 cup 51 mg
Tempeh, cooked, 1/2 cup 53 mg
Soybean chips , 1/2 cup 54 mg
Mature soybeans, cooked, 1/2 cup 55 mg
Dry roasted soybeans , 1/2 cup 128 mg
Revival soy-based meal replacement, 1 serving 160 mg

Further confirmation of soy's adverse effects on the mind comes from a
recent study of Japanese Americans living in Hawaii. Professor Lon
White found a significant statistical relationship between two or more
servings of tofu per week and "accelerated brain aging." Those
participants who consumed tofu in mid-life had lower cognitive
function in late life and a greater incidence of Alzheimer's and
dementia. What's more," said Dr. White, "those who ate a lot of tofu,
by the time they were 75 or 80, looked five years older."

According to Jennifer A. Phillips, writing for Cambridge Scientific
Abstracts, estrogens (including the phytoestrogens in soy) can block
the efficiency of thyroid hormones. This is why women need more
thyroid hormones than men and are more prone to thyroid troubles.
Since thyroid hormone acts as a neurotransmitter, low levels can mimic
psychiatric disease. Severe hypothyroidism can cause symptoms similar
to Alzheimer's disease, including memory loss, confusion, slowness,
paranoid depression and even hallucinations. Other symptoms of low
thyroid function include fatigue, loss of hair, difficulties at
menopause, digestive problems, constipation, infertility and brittle
bones.

Individuals with low thyroid function are also prone to heart disease.
Soy proponents claim that soy helps the heart because it lowers
cholesterol. Yet in 1992, researchers at the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute looked at every study that had been published about
the risk of having high or low cholesterol and concluded that
mortality was greater in women with low cholesterol than with high
cholesterol. And a new study, published in the Lancet, suggests that
high cholesterol levels are protective even for men. In any case, no
study has ever offered direct proof that soy can prevent heart disease
and in most of the major studies in which cholesterol levels were
lowered through either diet or drugs, a greater number of deaths
occurred in the treatment groups than in controls, deaths from stroke,
cancer, intestinal disorders, accidents and suicide.
Scientists looking at the correlation of soy foods and "brain aging"
have focussed on isoflavones, but there are a number of components in
soy foods that can contribute to reduced mental function. One is
phytic acid which blocks zinc absorption. Zinc is essential for proper
functioning of the brain. Modern processed soy foods contain high
levels of MSG, fluoride and aluminum, all of which are toxic to the
nervous system. Furthermore, during processing, at least two
categories of carcinogens are formed, lysinealanines and nitrosamines.

Other substances in soy can contribute to the digestive problems so
common in individuals with thyroid troubles, including potent enzyme
inhibitors that block the breakdown of protein, and lectins that are
highly irritating to the digestive tract. These compounds tend to
occur in higher amounts in genetically engineered soybeans.

When soy protein isolate was fed to rats, the animals required higher
than normal levels of vitamins E, K, D and B12 and developed
deficiency symptoms of calcium, magnesium, zinc and many other
minerals.

Soy proponents claim that soy is a staple in Asia. A "staple" is
defined as a major commodity, one that provides a large portion of
calories in the diet, such as rice and fish in Japan, or rice and pork
in China. The Japanese consume 150 pounds of fish per person per year,
or almost one-half pound per person per day and a 1977 dietary survey
in China determined that 65 percent of calories came from pork,
including the pork fat used in cooking. By contrast, overall
consumption of soy in Asia is surprisingly low. The average soy
consumption in China is about 10 grams or 2 teaspoons per day. Levels
are somewhat higher in Japan, averaging about 50 grams or 1/4 cup per
day. In both countries, soy is used as a condiment or flavoring, and
not as a substitute for animal foods. Seafood and seaweed in the
Japanese diet provide sufficient iodine to counteract the negative
effects of the isoflavones in soy.

In Asia, soy is mostly consumed in fermented form, but it is not
considered an appropriate food for babies. When a mother is unable to
nurse and a wet nurse is unavailable, her infant is given milk from
cows or water buffalo. In the US, however, an estimated 750,000 babies
per year receive infant formula made from processed soybeans. Parents
use soy formula in the belief that is it healthier than formula based
on cows' milk. In fact, when soy infant formula first became
commercially available, manufacturers promised that soy formula was
"better than breast milk."

Naomi Baumslag, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Georgetown
University Medical College and an expert on breast feeding, cites many
reasons for parents to avoid soy formula. "There is a great deal of
scientific evidence that soy formula can be damaging to newborns," she
says, citing high levels of phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, lectins,
manganese and phytoestrogens. High levels of manganese are toxic to
babies because they lack the blood-brain barrier that develops later
in childhood. Manganese overdose is associated with brain damage
leading to violent behavior. Furthermore, soy lacks many factors that
are essential to normal brain development including essential fatty
acids, DHA-brain growth factor and cholesterol.

The most serious problem with soy formula is high levels of
isoflavones. In Japan, soy foods contribute about 25-28 mg of
isoflavones per day, or just less that one-half mg per kilogram of
body weight. In American women, 45 mg of isoflavones or three-quarters
mg per kilogram of body weight per day caused endocrine disruption
after just one month. Babies fed exclusively on soy-based formula
receive a dose that is four to eleven times higher, based on body
weight. A recent study found that babies fed soy-based formula had
13,000 to 22,000 times more isoflavones in their blood than babies fed
milk-based formula. Dr. Mike Fitzpatrick, a New Zealand toxicologist
estimates that an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the
estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day.

PHYTOESTROGENS IN DIETS OF INFANTS AND ADULTS

Average
Isoflavones
Intake Isoflavone
per Kg of
Body Weight*
Japan (1996 survey) 10 mg 0.17 mg
Japan (1998 survey) 25 mg 0.42 mg
Japan (2000 survey) 28 mg 0.47 mg
In Japanese women, causing thyroid suppression 38 mg 0.60 mg
In American women, causing hormonal changes after 1 month 45 mg 0.75
mg
FDA recommended amount for adults 75 mg 1.25 mg
In children receiving soy formula 38 mg 6.25 mg

* Assumed 60 kg for adults, 6 kg for infants

Fitzpatrick believes that soy feeding accounts for the alarming levels
of premature maturation in girls. This was the same conclusion reached
in 1986 by investigators in Puerto Rico, where early maturation is
commonplace. The researchers expected to find a correlation with
consumption of milk and meat and were surprised to discover that the
strongest correlation was with soy infant feeding. Girls who had
consumed large amounts of cow's milk as children actually had lower
rates of early development.

In the US, one percent of all girls now show signs of puberty, such as
breast development or pubic hair, before the age of three; by age
eight, almost 15 percent of white girls and just under half of African-
American girls have one or both of these characteristics, according to
a recent study reported in the journal Pediatrics. Fitzpatrick
believes that soy infant feeding disrupts hormonal development in the
same way as environmental estrogens such as PCBs and DDE (a breakdown
product of DDT), or the synthetic estrogen DES. The use of soy formula
in the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program, which supplies free
formula to low income mothers, may explain the astronomical rates of
early development in African American girls.

The consequences are tragic. Young girls with mature bodies must cope
with feelings and urges that most children are not well-equipped to
handle. And early maturation in girls is frequently a harbinger for
problems with the reproductive system later in life, including failure
to menstruate, infertility and breast cancer.

What are the effects of soy products on the hormonal development of
boys? 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, the infant is programmed to express
male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of his
sexual organs and other masculine physical traits, but also in setting
patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior. In monkeys,
deficiency of male hormones impairs learning and the ability to
perform visual discrimination tasks--such as would be required for
reading--and retards the development of spatial perception, which is
normally more acute in men than in women.
Learning disabilities, especially in male children, have reached
epidemic proportions. Soy infant feeding--which floods the bloodstream
with female hormones that could inhibit the effects of male hormones--
cannot be ignored as a possible cause for these tragic developments.

Other problems that have been anecdotally associated with children of
both sexes who were fed soy-based formula include extreme emotional
behavior, depression, asthma, immune system problems, pituitary
insufficiency, thyroid disorders and irritable bowel syndrome.

Why have parents not been alerted to the potential dangers of soy
formula? The formula industry is large and powerful, able to influence
the outcome of scientific research and wage successful publicity
campaigns. A good example is a recent University of Iowa study, funded
by the formula industry and published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, comparing the reproductive health of adults who
had been fed soy- or milk-based formula as infants. The survey found
that the soy group had higher levels or reproductive disorders, asthma
and allergies. Females of the soy group were more likely to be
sedentary and to have taken weight loss medications. Yet the authors
omitted these findings in their abstract and concluded that ". . . the
findings of the current study are reassuring about the safety of soy
infant formula." The University of Iowa study was widely reported in
the press as a vindication of soy formula.

The JAMA study follows a June 1, 2001 report published in Cancer
Research which found that genistein, one of the isoflavones in soy,
was more carcinogenic than the synthetic estrogen DES when exposure
occurred during "critical periods of differentiation," such as during
infancy. Medical professionals insisted that DES was safe for pregnant
women until they discovered that women whose mothers took DES suffered
from very high rates of cervical cancer. The authors of the Cancer
Research study concluded that ". . . the use of soy-based infant
formulas in the absence of medical necessity and the marketing of soy
products designed to appeal to children should be closely examined."

Concerns about the dangers of soy have prompted consumer groups in New
Zealand and Canada to call for a ban on the sale of soy infant
formula. The law firm of Johnston Lawrence in New Zealand is collating
a list of victims in preparation for a class action lawsuit in New
Zealand, with follow-on legal action in the US. If you believe your
child has been damaged by soy infant formula, or if you have suffered
thyroid problems as a result of soy consumption, send your
confidential information to PO Box 1213, DX SP 20004, Wellington, New
Zealand or .

On Mar 13, 11:20*am, Tunderbar wrote:
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD


More scare tactics from those with an agenda and using select
websites. You can find the exact same nonsense from people claiming
all kinds of serious side effects from various other foods that are
widely consumed. Peanuts, for example, can kill some people. Others
are lactose intolerant and can't drink milk. Does that mean they are
some kind of evil food and should be avoided by all? Give us a break!






Jenny Smith, a secretary and receptionist, could not explain what was
happening to her. She began to make mistakes in her work and suffer
from memory lapses. She would type a word backwards without even
realizing it and proofread right over her mistakes. Her speech was
slurring and when she answered the phone. . . she didn't know what to
say. One day she found herself walking across a busy intersection
against the lights and didn't know how she got there.

Leslie Blumenberg went to pick up her mother at the airport and got
lost coming home. Although she had lived in the area for years, she
became completely disoriented. It took her two hours to find her way
back to her house. She was also suffering from cognitive problems, her
words would jumble when she tried to speak coherent sentences, and she
forgot how to spell.
Leslie had been eating soy foods, lots of them, for three years. When
she went off soy, her problems cleared up, her mind returned to
normal. But Jenny Smith did not eat soy. Her problems cleared up only
when she went on a diet and stopped eating bread. She discovered that
she could eat homemade bread without any problem. But supermarket
bread gave her brain fog.

Jenny had a thyroid problem and had been taking thyroxine for years.
When her office connected with the internet, she went online to a
thyroid site. There she learned that soy was a potent thyroid
depressant and should not be consumed by anyone with thyroid troubles.
Next trip to the grocery store, she began to read labels and
discovered that every loaf of bread in the supermarket contained soy
flour.

"Thyroid enlargement in rats and humans, especially children and
women, fed with soyabeans has been known for half a century,"
according to Theodore Kay at Kyoto University in Japan. His 1988 study
attempted to determine the amount of iodine required to prevent goitre
in populations consuming soy foods. He found that small amounts of
iodine could indeed prevent noticeable thyroid enlargement, but even
large amounts did not prevent pathological changes to the thyroid
gland. He also determined that the most potent goitrogens in soy
cannot be removed by cooking.

Although scientists have known for many years that soy is goitrogenic,
it was only recently that they were able to pinpoint the actual
thyroid-depressing compounds. Researchers at the US Toxicological
Laboratory in Arkansas found that the thyroid-depressing substances
are isoflavones, the estrogen-like compounds found plentifully in the
soybean.

This discovery came as a shock to the soy industry, which has heavily
promoted these phytoestrogens as beneficial. It is the phytoestrogens
or isoflavones in soy that are supposed to protect us from heart
disease, cancer, osteoporosis and the discomforts of menopause. Yet in
normal women consuming sufficient iodine, just 30g of roasted soybeans
daily, containing about 38mg isoflavones, were found to depress
thyroid function--less than the amount in two glasses of soy milk, two
servings of tofu, or a handful of roasted soy nuts. In sensitive
individuals, such as Jenny Smith, even small amounts of soy were able
to provoke the mental confusion indicative of disrupted thyroid
function.

ISOFLAVONES IN OUR FOOD

Bread with added soy flour, 2 slices *4 mg
Meatless chicken nuggets, 1/2 cup *15 mg
Soy hot dog *15 mg
Soymilk, 8-ounce glass *20 mg
Green soybeans, raw, 1/2 cup *20 mg
Miso, 1/4 cup *21 mg
Tofu, 1/2 cup *28 mg
Soy cheese, 1/2 cup *31 mg
Soymilk skin or film , cooked, 1/2 cup *51 mg
Tempeh, cooked, 1/2 cup *53 mg
Soybean chips , 1/2 cup *54 mg
Mature soybeans, cooked, 1/2 cup *55 mg
Dry roasted soybeans , 1/2 cup *128 mg
Revival soy-based meal replacement, 1 serving *160 mg

Further confirmation of soy's adverse effects on the mind comes from a
recent study of Japanese Americans living in Hawaii. Professor Lon
White found a significant statistical relationship between two or more
servings of tofu per week and "accelerated brain aging." Those
participants who consumed tofu in mid-life had lower cognitive
function in late life and a greater incidence of Alzheimer's and
dementia. What's more," said Dr. White, "those who ate a lot of tofu,
by the time they were 75 or 80, looked five years older."

According to Jennifer A. Phillips, writing for Cambridge Scientific
Abstracts, estrogens (including the phytoestrogens in soy) can block
the efficiency of thyroid hormones. This is why women need more
thyroid hormones than men and are more prone to thyroid troubles.
Since thyroid hormone acts as a neurotransmitter, low levels can mimic
psychiatric disease. Severe hypothyroidism can cause symptoms similar
to Alzheimer's disease, including memory loss, confusion, slowness,
paranoid depression and even hallucinations. Other symptoms of low
thyroid function include fatigue, loss of hair, difficulties at
menopause, digestive problems, constipation, infertility and brittle
bones.

Individuals with low thyroid function are also prone to heart disease.
Soy proponents claim that soy helps the heart because it lowers
cholesterol. Yet in 1992, researchers at the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute looked at every study that had been published about
the risk of having high or low cholesterol and concluded that
mortality was greater in women with low cholesterol than with high
cholesterol. And a new study, published in the Lancet, suggests that
high cholesterol levels are protective even for men. In any case, no
study has ever offered direct proof that soy can prevent heart disease
and in most of the major studies in which cholesterol levels were
lowered through either diet or drugs, a greater number of deaths
occurred in the treatment groups than in controls, deaths from stroke,
cancer, intestinal disorders, accidents and suicide.
Scientists looking at the correlation of soy foods and "brain aging"
have focussed on isoflavones, but there are a number of components in
soy foods that can contribute to reduced mental function. One is
phytic acid which blocks zinc absorption. Zinc is essential for proper
functioning of the brain. Modern processed soy foods contain high
levels of MSG, fluoride and aluminum, all of which are toxic to the
nervous system. Furthermore, during processing, at least two
categories of carcinogens are formed, lysinealanines and nitrosamines.

Other substances in soy can contribute to the digestive problems so
common in individuals with thyroid troubles, including potent enzyme
inhibitors that block the breakdown of protein, and lectins that are
highly irritating to the digestive tract. These compounds tend to
occur in higher amounts in genetically engineered soybeans.

When soy protein isolate was fed to rats, the animals required higher
than normal levels of vitamins E, K, D and B12 and developed
deficiency symptoms of calcium, magnesium, zinc and many other
minerals.

Soy proponents claim that soy is a staple in Asia. A "staple" is
defined as a major commodity, one that provides a large portion of
calories in the diet, such as rice and fish in Japan, or rice and pork
in China. The Japanese consume 150 pounds of fish per person per year,
or almost one-half pound per person per day and a 1977 dietary survey
in China determined that 65 percent of calories came from pork,
including the pork fat used in cooking. By contrast, overall
consumption of soy in Asia is surprisingly low. The average soy
consumption in China is about 10 grams or 2 teaspoons per day. Levels
are somewhat higher in Japan, averaging about 50 grams or 1/4 cup per
day. In both countries, soy is used as a condiment or flavoring, and
not as a substitute for animal foods. Seafood and seaweed in the
Japanese diet provide sufficient iodine to counteract the negative
effects of the isoflavones in soy.

In Asia, soy is mostly consumed in fermented form, but it is not
considered an appropriate food for babies. When a mother is unable to
nurse and a wet nurse is unavailable, her infant is given milk from
cows or water buffalo. In the US, however, an estimated 750,000 babies
per year receive infant formula made from processed soybeans. Parents
use soy formula in the belief that is it healthier than formula based
on cows' milk. In fact, when soy infant formula first became
commercially available, manufacturers promised that soy formula was
"better than breast milk."

Naomi Baumslag, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Georgetown
University Medical College and an expert on breast feeding, cites many
reasons for parents to avoid soy formula. "There is a great deal of
scientific evidence that soy formula can be damaging to newborns," she
says, citing high levels of phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, lectins,
manganese and phytoestrogens. High levels of manganese are toxic to
babies because they lack the blood-brain barrier that develops later
in childhood. Manganese overdose is associated with brain damage
leading to violent behavior. Furthermore, soy lacks many factors that
are essential to normal brain development including essential fatty
acids, DHA-brain growth factor and cholesterol.

The most serious problem with soy formula is high levels of
isoflavones. In Japan, soy foods contribute about 25-28 mg of
isoflavones per day, or just less that one-half mg per kilogram of
body weight. In American women, 45 mg of isoflavones or three-quarters
mg per kilogram of body weight per day caused endocrine disruption
after just one month. Babies fed exclusively on soy-based formula
receive a dose that is four to eleven times higher, based on body
weight. A recent study found that babies fed soy-based formula had
13,000 to 22,000 times more isoflavones in their blood than babies fed
milk-based formula. Dr. Mike Fitzpatrick, a New Zealand toxicologist
estimates that an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the
estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day.

PHYTOESTROGENS IN DIETS OF INFANTS AND ADULTS

* Average
Isoflavones
Intake *Isoflavone
per Kg of
Body Weight*
Japan (1996 survey) 10 mg 0.17 mg
Japan (1998 survey) *25 mg 0.42 mg
Japan (2000 survey) 28 mg 0.47 mg
In Japanese women, causing thyroid suppression *38 mg 0.60 mg
In American women, causing hormonal changes after 1 month 45 mg 0.75
mg
FDA recommended amount for adults 75 mg 1.25 mg
In children receiving soy formula *38 mg *6.25 mg

* Assumed 60 kg for adults, 6 kg for infants

Fitzpatrick believes that soy feeding accounts for the alarming levels
of premature maturation in girls. This was the same conclusion reached
in 1986 by investigators in Puerto Rico, where early maturation is
commonplace. The researchers expected to find a correlation with
consumption of milk and meat and were surprised to discover that the
strongest correlation was with soy infant feeding. Girls who had
consumed large amounts of cow's milk as children actually had lower
rates of early development.

In the US, one percent of all girls now show signs of puberty, such as
breast development or pubic hair, before the age of three; by age
eight, almost 15 percent of white girls and just under half of African-
American girls have one or both of these characteristics, according to
a recent study reported in the journal Pediatrics. Fitzpatrick
believes that soy infant feeding disrupts hormonal development in the
same way as environmental estrogens such as PCBs and DDE (a breakdown
product of DDT), or the synthetic estrogen DES. The use of soy formula
in the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program, which supplies free
formula to low income mothers, may explain the astronomical rates of
early development in African American girls.

The consequences are tragic. Young girls with mature bodies must cope
with feelings and urges that most children are not well-equipped to
handle. And early maturation in girls is frequently a harbinger for
problems with the reproductive system later in life, including failure
to menstruate, infertility and breast cancer.

What are the effects of soy products on the hormonal development of
boys? 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, the infant is programmed to express
male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of his
sexual organs and other masculine physical traits, but also in setting
patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior. In monkeys,
deficiency of male hormones impairs learning and the ability to
perform visual discrimination tasks--such as would be required for
reading--and retards the development of spatial perception, which is
normally more acute in men than in women.
Learning disabilities, especially in male children, have reached
epidemic proportions. Soy infant feeding--which floods the bloodstream
with female hormones that could inhibit the effects of male hormones--
cannot be ignored as a possible cause for these tragic developments.

Other problems that have been anecdotally associated with children of
both sexes who were fed soy-based formula include extreme emotional
behavior, depression, asthma, immune system problems, pituitary
insufficiency, thyroid disorders and irritable bowel syndrome.

Why have parents not been alerted to the potential dangers of soy
formula? The formula industry is large and powerful, able to influence
the outcome of scientific research and wage successful publicity
campaigns. A good example is a recent University of Iowa study, funded
by the formula industry and published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, comparing the reproductive health of adults who
had been fed soy- or milk-based formula as infants. The survey found
that the soy group had higher levels or reproductive disorders, asthma
and allergies. Females of the soy group were more likely to be
sedentary and to have taken weight loss medications. Yet the authors
omitted these findings in their abstract and concluded that ". . . the
findings of the current study are reassuring about the safety of soy
infant formula." The University of Iowa study was widely reported in
the press as a vindication of soy formula.

The JAMA study follows a June 1, 2001 report published in Cancer
Research which found that genistein, one of the isoflavones in soy,
was more carcinogenic than the synthetic estrogen DES when exposure
occurred during "critical periods of differentiation," such as during
infancy. Medical professionals insisted that DES was safe for pregnant
women until they discovered that women whose mothers took DES suffered
from very high rates of cervical cancer. The authors of the Cancer
Research study concluded that ". . . the use of soy-based infant
formulas in the absence of medical necessity and the marketing of soy
products designed to appeal to children should be closely examined."

Concerns about the dangers of soy have prompted consumer groups in New
Zealand and Canada to call for a ban on the sale of soy infant
formula. The law firm of Johnston Lawrence in New Zealand is collating
a list of victims in preparation for a class action lawsuit in New
Zealand, with follow-on legal action in the US. If you believe your
child has been damaged by soy infant formula, or if you have suffered
thyroid problems as a result of soy consumption, send your
confidential information to PO Box 1213, DX SP 20004, Wellington, New
Zealand or .

On Mar 13, 3:44*pm, "
wrote:
On Mar 13, 11:20*am, Tunderbar wrote:

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

More scare tactics from those with an agenda and using select
websites. * You can find the exact same nonsense from people claiming
all kinds of serious side effects from various other foods that are
widely consumed. * Peanuts, for example, can kill some people. *Others
are lactose intolerant and can't drink milk. *Does that mean they are
some kind of evil food and should be avoided by all? *Give us a break!

You know.... if it is true than it is not a "scare tactic", it is the
truth. And you've preseneted nothing to indicate otherwise.

On Mar 13, 5:13*pm, Tunderbar wrote:
On Mar 13, 3:44*pm, "
wrote:

On Mar 13, 11:20*am, Tunderbar wrote:

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

More scare tactics from those with an agenda and using select
websites. * You can find the exact same nonsense from people claiming
all kinds of serious side effects from various other foods that are
widely consumed. * Peanuts, for example, can kill some people. *Others
are lactose intolerant and can't drink milk. *Does that mean they are
some kind of evil food and should be avoided by all? *Give us a break!

You know.... if it is true than it is not a "scare tactic", it is the
truth. And you've preseneted nothing to indicate otherwise.


Since your web browser is apparently frozen on the Weston Price
website, I took the liberty of providing an assortment of sources
below that do indicate otherwise.

Now, to be fair, just like with many other foods, there is more
research going on to address the issue of the isoflavones contained in
soybeans. That's because like the research into many food benefit/
harm issues, the studies have been inconclusive. Just because one
study showed that rats fed extremely high doses of extracted
isoflavone doesn't mean consuming reasonable amounts of soy in a
balanced human diet is going to have the same effect. However, the
alarmists like to take any such study finding, blow it all out of
proportion and run with it. If you follow that approach, then you
should give up on LC too, because surely there are far more studies
that show the high level of fat in a typical LC diet is going to kill
you, rather than soybeans.

In other words, you need some balance.

Here are many links that say soy is OK. I could easily come up with
dozens more. People can reach their own conclusions.


http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soymessina
Should You Eat Soy?

"Based on the bulk of the evidence soy appears to be perfectly safe
for nearly all healthy individuals when it is consumed in reasonable
amounts. We would say that a reasonable amount of soy is two to three
servings per day. Women who have had estrogen-positive breast cancer
may want to be somewhat more restrictive in their soy intake but, if
they are already eating and enjoying soyfoods, there is not enough
evidence of any harmful effects to suggest that they need to avoid all
soy. "

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/canc...ed-cancers.htm

Summing It All Up

"The bottom line is that the research tells us that soy food can be a
healthy part of a cancer fighting diet, even for women with a history
of breast or other hormone related cancer."

http://www.drgreene.com/21_536.html

"Is Soy Formula Safe?
Parents frequently ask me about the safety of soy formula for infants.
The August 15, 2001 issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) contains the results of a study of 811 adults, some
of who drank soy formula as children and others who drank milk-based
formulas. No statistically significant differences were observed
between the groups in either women or men. They followed more than 30
different measures of general health or reproductive health. Breast
milk is clearly the ideal food for babies, but this study is quite
reassuring that soy formulas are a safe alternative. "

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyou...y_and_kids.htm
"Answer: Soy has been used as a replacement for cows' milk for many
years. In the past few years there has been some concern that the
isoflavones in soy may have estrogenic effects on infants who are fed
soy formulas.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that soy formulas are safe
and effective for infants, and research shows no hormonal effects in
long-term feeding of soy formulas.

For older children like your daughter, soy beverages have been shown
to have positive effects on cholesterol levels in overweight children.
Consumption of soy beverges may also improve lung function in children
and adults who have asthma. Using soy on your daughter's cereal is
safe, and soy can be fortified with calcium and vitamin D."

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400308/is-soy-milk-safe

"I've seen many articles warning that soy foods in general, including
soy milk, aren't healthy and contain hidden substances that are
dangerous. Critics of soy allege that it is bad for the thyroid, can
cause cancer, Alzheimer's disease and mineral deficiencies. None of
these sensational claims has ever been proven.

Remember, for centuries Asians have been eating lots of soy foods, and
the supposed terrible consequences of soy consumption haven't
materialized among them. In fact some traditional soy-rich Asian diets
are associated with lower risks of breast and prostate cancer than
western diets.

Based on the weight of available evidence, I remain convinced that soy
is safe and nutritious when eaten in relatively whole and unrefined
forms in reasonable amounts. I recommend one to two daily servings,
which can include a cup of soy milk, a half cup of tofu, tempeh or
green soybeans (edamame) or roasted soy nuts. "

http://sci.tech-archive.net/Archive/...4-12/1098.html
" Do they eat a lot of soy in okinawa?

Yes, they do. "Okinawans [...] probably eat more tofu than any other
group in the world. Our studies confirm that they consume, on
average, an impressive 3 ounces of soy products a day, mostly as tofu
and miso (soy paste), but also in a few intriguing creations of their
own." (Source: Willcox BJ, Willcox DC and Suzuki M, The Okinawa
Program. Clarkson Potter Publishers, NY 2001, p. 158)

Okinawan elders, who eat a lot of soy, have a low prevalence of
dementia and Azheimer's disease. "

http://www.soyfoods.org/health/soy-safety/
Health experts, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (1)
and the American Cancer Society (2) have all weighed in on the safety
of soy foods, such as tofu and soymilk, as well as meat and dairy free
products such as veggie burgers and soy cheeses. The conclusion: soy
foods are low in fat, high in protein, fiber and iron, they contain
essential omega-3 fatty acids and are absolutely safe to eat. Here are
the facts you need to know:



http://www.upenn.edu/researchatpenn/article.php?250&hlt
"Penn researchers take a long-term look at the safety of soy-based
infant formula.

August 14, 2001

To understand whether hormone-like chemicals in soy products may
influence sexual development in children, researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have revisited a study
on soy-based infant formula begun over thirty years ago.

Their results, published in this week's Journal of the American
Medical Association, reaffirm the safety of soy infant formula and
offer evidence against the harmful effects of soy that have been
presented in the popular media. According to their findings, soy
formula does not appear to lead to any more health or reproductive
problems than cow milk formula."

Scientists agree that foods rich in soy protein can have considerable
value to heart health, a fact backed by dozens of controlled clinical
studies. A yearlong review of the available human studies in 1999
prompted FDA to allow a health claim on food labels stating that a
daily diet containing 25 grams of soy protein, also low in saturated
fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."

On Mar 14, 9:05*am, "
wrote:
On Mar 13, 5:13*pm, Tunderbar wrote:





On Mar 13, 3:44*pm, "
wrote:

On Mar 13, 11:20*am, Tunderbar wrote:

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

More scare tactics from those with an agenda and using select
websites. * You can find the exact same nonsense from people claiming
all kinds of serious side effects from various other foods that are
widely consumed. * Peanuts, for example, can kill some people. *Others
are lactose intolerant and can't drink milk. *Does that mean they are
some kind of evil food and should be avoided by all? *Give us a break!

You know.... if it is true than it is not a "scare tactic", it is the
truth. And you've preseneted nothing to indicate otherwise.

Since your web browser is apparently frozen on the Weston Price
website, I took the liberty of providing an assortment of sources
below that do indicate otherwise.

Now, to be fair, just like with many other foods, there is more
research going on to address the issue of the isoflavones contained in
soybeans. * That's because like the research into many food benefit/
harm issues, the studies have been inconclusive. *Just because one
study showed that rats fed extremely high doses of extracted
isoflavone doesn't mean consuming reasonable amounts of soy in a
balanced human diet is going to have the same effect. * However, the
alarmists like to take any such study finding, blow it all out of
proportion and run with it. *If you follow that approach, then you
should give up on LC too, because surely there are far more studies
that show the high level of fat in a typical LC diet is going to kill
you, rather than soybeans.

In other words, you need some balance.

Here are many links that say soy is OK. * I could easily come up with
dozens more. *People can reach their own conclusions.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soymessina
Should You Eat Soy?

"Based on the bulk of the evidence soy appears to be perfectly safe
for nearly all healthy individuals when it is consumed in reasonable
amounts. We would say that a reasonable amount of soy is two to three
servings per day. Women who have had estrogen-positive breast cancer
may want to be somewhat more restrictive in their soy intake but, if
they are already eating and enjoying soyfoods, there is not enough
evidence of any harmful effects to suggest that they need to avoid all
soy. "

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/canc...ons/soy-and-ho...

Summing It All Up

"The bottom line is that the research tells us that soy food can be a
healthy part of a cancer fighting diet, even for women with a history
of breast or other hormone related cancer."

http://www.drgreene.com/21_536.html

"Is Soy Formula Safe?
Parents frequently ask me about the safety of soy formula for infants.
The August 15, 2001 issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) contains the results of a study of 811 adults, some
of who drank soy formula as children and others who drank milk-based
formulas. No statistically significant differences were observed
between the groups in either women or men. They followed more than 30
different measures of general health or reproductive health. Breast
milk is clearly the ideal food for babies, but this study is quite
reassuring that soy formulas are a safe alternative. "

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyou...y_and_kids.htm
"Answer: Soy has been used as a replacement for cows' milk for many
years. In the past few years there has been some concern that the
isoflavones in soy may have estrogenic effects on infants who are fed
soy formulas.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that soy formulas are safe
and effective for infants, and research shows no hormonal effects in
long-term feeding of soy formulas.

For older children like your daughter, soy beverages have been shown
to have positive effects on cholesterol levels in overweight children.
Consumption of soy beverges may also improve lung function in children
and adults who have asthma. Using soy on your daughter's cereal is
safe, and soy can be fortified with calcium and vitamin D."

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400308/is-soy-milk-safe

"I've seen many articles warning that soy foods in general, including
soy milk, aren't healthy and contain hidden substances that are
dangerous. Critics of soy allege that it is bad for the thyroid, can
cause cancer, Alzheimer's disease and mineral deficiencies. *None of
these sensational claims has ever been proven.

Remember, for centuries Asians have been eating lots of soy foods, and
the supposed terrible consequences of soy consumption haven't
materialized among them. In fact some traditional soy-rich Asian diets
are associated with lower risks of breast and prostate cancer than
western diets.

Based on the weight of available evidence, I remain convinced that soy
is safe and nutritious when eaten in relatively whole and unrefined
forms in reasonable amounts. I recommend one to two daily servings,
which can include a cup of soy milk, a half cup of tofu, tempeh or
green soybeans (edamame) or roasted soy nuts. "

http://sci.tech-archive.net/Archive/...4-12/1098.html
" Do they eat a lot of soy in okinawa?



Yes, they do. "Okinawans [...] probably eat more tofu than any other
group in the world. Our studies confirm that they consume, on
average, an impressive 3 ounces of soy products a day, mostly as tofu
and miso (soy paste), but also in a few intriguing creations of their
own." (Source: Willcox BJ, Willcox DC and Suzuki M, The Okinawa
Program. Clarkson Potter Publishers, NY 2001, p. 158)

Okinawan elders, who eat a lot of soy, have a low prevalence of

dementia and Azheimer's disease. "

http://www.soyfoods.org/health/soy-safety/
Health experts, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (1)
and the American Cancer Society (2) have all weighed in on the safety
of soy foods, such as tofu and soymilk, as well as meat and dairy free
products such as veggie burgers and soy cheeses. The conclusion: soy
foods are low in fat, high in protein, fiber and iron, they contain
essential omega-3 fatty acids and are absolutely safe to eat. Here are
the facts you need to know:

http://www.upenn.edu/researchatpenn/article.php?250&hlt
"Penn researchers take a long-term look at the safety of soy-based
infant formula.

*August 14, 2001

*To understand whether hormone-like chemicals in soy products may
influence sexual development in children, researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have revisited a study
on soy-based infant formula begun over thirty years ago.

Their results, published in this week's Journal of the American
Medical Association, reaffirm the safety of soy infant formula and
offer evidence against the harmful effects of soy that have been
presented in the popular media. According to their findings, soy
formula does not appear to lead to any more health or reproductive
problems than cow milk formula."

Scientists agree that foods rich in soy protein can have considerable
value to heart health, a fact backed by dozens of controlled clinical
studies. A yearlong review of the available human studies in 1999
prompted FDA to allow a health claim on food labels stating that a
daily diet containing 25 grams of soy protein, also low in saturated
fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I hate to say this, but you've been had. Vegans also believe that you
can get enough vitamin B12 by not cleaning the dirt off of carrots and
eating it.

Go ahead, eat your soy. Just don't try to tell other people that it is
a healthy food. It most definitely is not.

On Mar 14, 9:05*am, "
wrote:
On Mar 13, 5:13*pm, Tunderbar wrote:





On Mar 13, 3:44*pm, "
wrote:

On Mar 13, 11:20*am, Tunderbar wrote:

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

More scare tactics from those with an agenda and using select
websites. * You can find the exact same nonsense from people claiming
all kinds of serious side effects from various other foods that are
widely consumed. * Peanuts, for example, can kill some people. *Others
are lactose intolerant and can't drink milk. *Does that mean they are
some kind of evil food and should be avoided by all? *Give us a break!

You know.... if it is true than it is not a "scare tactic", it is the
truth. And you've preseneted nothing to indicate otherwise.

Since your web browser is apparently frozen on the Weston Price
website, I took the liberty of providing an assortment of sources
below that do indicate otherwise.

Now, to be fair, just like with many other foods, there is more
research going on to address the issue of the isoflavones contained in
soybeans. * That's because like the research into many food benefit/
harm issues, the studies have been inconclusive. *Just because one
study showed that rats fed extremely high doses of extracted
isoflavone doesn't mean consuming reasonable amounts of soy in a
balanced human diet is going to have the same effect. * However, the
alarmists like to take any such study finding, blow it all out of
proportion and run with it. *If you follow that approach, then you
should give up on LC too, because surely there are far more studies
that show the high level of fat in a typical LC diet is going to kill
you, rather than soybeans.

In other words, you need some balance.

Here are many links that say soy is OK. * I could easily come up with
dozens more. *People can reach their own conclusions.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soymessina
Should You Eat Soy?

"Based on the bulk of the evidence soy appears to be perfectly safe
for nearly all healthy individuals when it is consumed in reasonable
amounts. We would say that a reasonable amount of soy is two to three
servings per day. Women who have had estrogen-positive breast cancer
may want to be somewhat more restrictive in their soy intake but, if
they are already eating and enjoying soyfoods, there is not enough
evidence of any harmful effects to suggest that they need to avoid all
soy. "

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/canc...ons/soy-and-ho...

Summing It All Up

"The bottom line is that the research tells us that soy food can be a
healthy part of a cancer fighting diet, even for women with a history
of breast or other hormone related cancer."

http://www.drgreene.com/21_536.html

"Is Soy Formula Safe?
Parents frequently ask me about the safety of soy formula for infants.
The August 15, 2001 issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) contains the results of a study of 811 adults, some
of who drank soy formula as children and others who drank milk-based
formulas. No statistically significant differences were observed
between the groups in either women or men. They followed more than 30
different measures of general health or reproductive health. Breast
milk is clearly the ideal food for babies, but this study is quite
reassuring that soy formulas are a safe alternative. "

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyou...y_and_kids.htm
"Answer: Soy has been used as a replacement for cows' milk for many
years. In the past few years there has been some concern that the
isoflavones in soy may have estrogenic effects on infants who are fed
soy formulas.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that soy formulas are safe
and effective for infants, and research shows no hormonal effects in
long-term feeding of soy formulas.

For older children like your daughter, soy beverages have been shown
to have positive effects on cholesterol levels in overweight children.
Consumption of soy beverges may also improve lung function in children
and adults who have asthma. Using soy on your daughter's cereal is
safe, and soy can be fortified with calcium and vitamin D."

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400308/is-soy-milk-safe

"I've seen many articles warning that soy foods in general, including
soy milk, aren't healthy and contain hidden substances that are
dangerous. Critics of soy allege that it is bad for the thyroid, can
cause cancer, Alzheimer's disease and mineral deficiencies. *None of
these sensational claims has ever been proven.

Remember, for centuries Asians have been eating lots of soy foods, and
the supposed terrible consequences of soy consumption haven't
materialized among them. In fact some traditional soy-rich Asian diets
are associated with lower risks of breast and prostate cancer than
western diets.

Based on the weight of available evidence, I remain convinced that soy
is safe and nutritious when eaten in relatively whole and unrefined
forms in reasonable amounts. I recommend one to two daily servings,
which can include a cup of soy milk, a half cup of tofu, tempeh or
green soybeans (edamame) or roasted soy nuts. "

http://sci.tech-archive.net/Archive/...4-12/1098.html
" Do they eat a lot of soy in okinawa?



Yes, they do. "Okinawans [...] probably eat more tofu than any other
group in the world. Our studies confirm that they consume, on
average, an impressive 3 ounces of soy products a day, mostly as tofu
and miso (soy paste), but also in a few intriguing creations of their
own." (Source: Willcox BJ, Willcox DC and Suzuki M, The Okinawa
Program. Clarkson Potter Publishers, NY 2001, p. 158)

Okinawan elders, who eat a lot of soy, have a low prevalence of

dementia and Azheimer's disease. "

http://www.soyfoods.org/health/soy-safety/
Health experts, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (1)
and the American Cancer Society (2) have all weighed in on the safety
of soy foods, such as tofu and soymilk, as well as meat and dairy free
products such as veggie burgers and soy cheeses. The conclusion: soy
foods are low in fat, high in protein, fiber and iron, they contain
essential omega-3 fatty acids and are absolutely safe to eat. Here are
the facts you need to know:

http://www.upenn.edu/researchatpenn/article.php?250&hlt
"Penn researchers take a long-term look at the safety of soy-based
infant formula.

*August 14, 2001

*To understand whether hormone-like chemicals in soy products may
influence sexual development in children, researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have revisited a study
on soy-based infant formula begun over thirty years ago.

Their results, published in this week's Journal of the American
Medical Association, reaffirm the safety of soy infant formula and
offer evidence against the harmful effects of soy that have been
presented in the popular media. According to their findings, soy
formula does not appear to lead to any more health or reproductive
problems than cow milk formula."

Scientists agree that foods rich in soy protein can have considerable
value to heart health, a fact backed by dozens of controlled clinical
studies. A yearlong review of the available human studies in 1999
prompted FDA to allow a health claim on food labels stating that a
daily diet containing 25 grams of soy protein, also low in saturated
fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here are a few more references since you seem to think that I only get
my information from the Weston Price site.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...of+soy&spell=1

But you only really need one source if the source is CORRECT in the
first place. But since you doubt Weston Price, check out the link for
other references and knock yourself out.

SOY IS NOT REAL FOOD.

On Mar 14, 9:05*am, "
wrote:
On Mar 13, 5:13*pm, Tunderbar wrote:





On Mar 13, 3:44*pm, "
wrote:

On Mar 13, 11:20*am, Tunderbar wrote:

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

More scare tactics from those with an agenda and using select
websites. * You can find the exact same nonsense from people claiming
all kinds of serious side effects from various other foods that are
widely consumed. * Peanuts, for example, can kill some people. *Others
are lactose intolerant and can't drink milk. *Does that mean they are
some kind of evil food and should be avoided by all? *Give us a break!

You know.... if it is true than it is not a "scare tactic", it is the
truth. And you've preseneted nothing to indicate otherwise.

Since your web browser is apparently frozen on the Weston Price
website, I took the liberty of providing an assortment of sources
below that do indicate otherwise.

Now, to be fair, just like with many other foods, there is more
research going on to address the issue of the isoflavones contained in
soybeans. * That's because like the research into many food benefit/
harm issues, the studies have been inconclusive. *Just because one
study showed that rats fed extremely high doses of extracted
isoflavone doesn't mean consuming reasonable amounts of soy in a
balanced human diet is going to have the same effect. * However, the
alarmists like to take any such study finding, blow it all out of
proportion and run with it. *If you follow that approach, then you
should give up on LC too, because surely there are far more studies
that show the high level of fat in a typical LC diet is going to kill
you, rather than soybeans.

In other words, you need some balance.

Here are many links that say soy is OK. * I could easily come up with
dozens more. *People can reach their own conclusions.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soymessina
Should You Eat Soy?

"Based on the bulk of the evidence soy appears to be perfectly safe
for nearly all healthy individuals when it is consumed in reasonable
amounts. We would say that a reasonable amount of soy is two to three
servings per day. Women who have had estrogen-positive breast cancer
may want to be somewhat more restrictive in their soy intake but, if
they are already eating and enjoying soyfoods, there is not enough
evidence of any harmful effects to suggest that they need to avoid all
soy. "

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/canc...ons/soy-and-ho...

Summing It All Up

"The bottom line is that the research tells us that soy food can be a
healthy part of a cancer fighting diet, even for women with a history
of breast or other hormone related cancer."

http://www.drgreene.com/21_536.html

"Is Soy Formula Safe?
Parents frequently ask me about the safety of soy formula for infants.
The August 15, 2001 issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) contains the results of a study of 811 adults, some
of who drank soy formula as children and others who drank milk-based
formulas. No statistically significant differences were observed
between the groups in either women or men. They followed more than 30
different measures of general health or reproductive health. Breast
milk is clearly the ideal food for babies, but this study is quite
reassuring that soy formulas are a safe alternative. "

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyou...y_and_kids.htm
"Answer: Soy has been used as a replacement for cows' milk for many
years. In the past few years there has been some concern that the
isoflavones in soy may have estrogenic effects on infants who are fed
soy formulas.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that soy formulas are safe
and effective for infants, and research shows no hormonal effects in
long-term feeding of soy formulas.

For older children like your daughter, soy beverages have been shown
to have positive effects on cholesterol levels in overweight children.
Consumption of soy beverges may also improve lung function in children
and adults who have asthma. Using soy on your daughter's cereal is
safe, and soy can be fortified with calcium and vitamin D."

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400308/is-soy-milk-safe

"I've seen many articles warning that soy foods in general, including
soy milk, aren't healthy and contain hidden substances that are
dangerous. Critics of soy allege that it is bad for the thyroid, can
cause cancer, Alzheimer's disease and mineral deficiencies. *None of
these sensational claims has ever been proven.

Remember, for centuries Asians have been eating lots of soy foods, and
the supposed terrible consequences of soy consumption haven't
materialized among them. In fact some traditional soy-rich Asian diets
are associated with lower risks of breast and prostate cancer than
western diets.

Based on the weight of available evidence, I remain convinced that soy
is safe and nutritious when eaten in relatively whole and unrefined
forms in reasonable amounts. I recommend one to two daily servings,
which can include a cup of soy milk, a half cup of tofu, tempeh or
green soybeans (edamame) or roasted soy nuts. "

http://sci.tech-archive.net/Archive/...4-12/1098.html
" Do they eat a lot of soy in okinawa?



Yes, they do. "Okinawans [...] probably eat more tofu than any other
group in the world. Our studies confirm that they consume, on
average, an impressive 3 ounces of soy products a day, mostly as tofu
and miso (soy paste), but also in a few intriguing creations of their
own." (Source: Willcox BJ, Willcox DC and Suzuki M, The Okinawa
Program. Clarkson Potter Publishers, NY 2001, p. 158)

Okinawan elders, who eat a lot of soy, have a low prevalence of

dementia and Azheimer's disease. "

http://www.soyfoods.org/health/soy-safety/
Health experts, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (1)
and the American Cancer Society (2) have all weighed in on the safety
of soy foods, such as tofu and soymilk, as well as meat and dairy free
products such as veggie burgers and soy cheeses. The conclusion: soy
foods are low in fat, high in protein, fiber and iron, they contain
essential omega-3 fatty acids and are absolutely safe to eat. Here are
the facts you need to know:

http://www.upenn.edu/researchatpenn/article.php?250&hlt
"Penn researchers take a long-term look at the safety of soy-based
infant formula.

*August 14, 2001

*To understand whether hormone-like chemicals in soy products may
influence sexual development in children, researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have revisited a study
on soy-based infant formula begun over thirty years ago.

Their results, published in this week's Journal of the American
Medical Association, reaffirm the safety of soy infant formula and
offer evidence against the harmful effects of soy that have been
presented in the popular media. According to their findings, soy
formula does not appear to lead to any more health or reproductive
problems than cow milk formula."

Scientists agree that foods rich in soy protein can have considerable
value to heart health, a fact backed by dozens of controlled clinical
studies. A yearlong review of the available human studies in 1999
prompted FDA to allow a health claim on food labels stating that a
daily diet containing 25 grams of soy protein, also low in saturated
fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Here are a couple of facts that should, in and of itself, scare you.

More than 60% of all soy beans grown are genetically modified, and by
now I expect that to be a higher percentage.

It is illegal for a food processor or packager to indicate whether or
not the soy product is made or no made with gmo soy beans.

You have no way of knowing if any given soy product is 0% gmo or 100%
gmo.

On Mar 14, 9:05*am, "
wrote:
On Mar 13, 5:13*pm, Tunderbar wrote:





On Mar 13, 3:44*pm, "
wrote:

On Mar 13, 11:20*am, Tunderbar wrote:

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

More scare tactics from those with an agenda and using select
websites. * You can find the exact same nonsense from people claiming
all kinds of serious side effects from various other foods that are
widely consumed. * Peanuts, for example, can kill some people. *Others
are lactose intolerant and can't drink milk. *Does that mean they are
some kind of evil food and should be avoided by all? *Give us a break!

You know.... if it is true than it is not a "scare tactic", it is the
truth. And you've preseneted nothing to indicate otherwise.

Since your web browser is apparently frozen on the Weston Price
website, I took the liberty of providing an assortment of sources
below that do indicate otherwise.

Now, to be fair, just like with many other foods, there is more
research going on to address the issue of the isoflavones contained in
soybeans. * That's because like the research into many food benefit/
harm issues, the studies have been inconclusive. *Just because one
study showed that rats fed extremely high doses of extracted
isoflavone doesn't mean consuming reasonable amounts of soy in a
balanced human diet is going to have the same effect. * However, the
alarmists like to take any such study finding, blow it all out of
proportion and run with it. *If you follow that approach, then you
should give up on LC too, because surely there are far more studies
that show the high level of fat in a typical LC diet is going to kill
you, rather than soybeans.

In other words, you need some balance.

Here are many links that say soy is OK. * I could easily come up with
dozens more. *People can reach their own conclusions.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/soymessina
Should You Eat Soy?

"Based on the bulk of the evidence soy appears to be perfectly safe
for nearly all healthy individuals when it is consumed in reasonable
amounts. We would say that a reasonable amount of soy is two to three
servings per day. Women who have had estrogen-positive breast cancer
may want to be somewhat more restrictive in their soy intake but, if
they are already eating and enjoying soyfoods, there is not enough
evidence of any harmful effects to suggest that they need to avoid all
soy. "

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/canc...ons/soy-and-ho...

Summing It All Up

"The bottom line is that the research tells us that soy food can be a
healthy part of a cancer fighting diet, even for women with a history
of breast or other hormone related cancer."

http://www.drgreene.com/21_536.html

"Is Soy Formula Safe?
Parents frequently ask me about the safety of soy formula for infants.
The August 15, 2001 issue of The Journal of the American Medical
Association (JAMA) contains the results of a study of 811 adults, some
of who drank soy formula as children and others who drank milk-based
formulas. No statistically significant differences were observed
between the groups in either women or men. They followed more than 30
different measures of general health or reproductive health. Breast
milk is clearly the ideal food for babies, but this study is quite
reassuring that soy formulas are a safe alternative. "

http://nutrition.about.com/od/askyou...y_and_kids.htm
"Answer: Soy has been used as a replacement for cows' milk for many
years. In the past few years there has been some concern that the
isoflavones in soy may have estrogenic effects on infants who are fed
soy formulas.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that soy formulas are safe
and effective for infants, and research shows no hormonal effects in
long-term feeding of soy formulas.

For older children like your daughter, soy beverages have been shown
to have positive effects on cholesterol levels in overweight children.
Consumption of soy beverges may also improve lung function in children
and adults who have asthma. Using soy on your daughter's cereal is
safe, and soy can be fortified with calcium and vitamin D."

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400308/is-soy-milk-safe

"I've seen many articles warning that soy foods in general, including
soy milk, aren't healthy and contain hidden substances that are
dangerous. Critics of soy allege that it is bad for the thyroid, can
cause cancer, Alzheimer's disease and mineral deficiencies. *None of
these sensational claims has ever been proven.

Remember, for centuries Asians have been eating lots of soy foods, and
the supposed terrible consequences of soy consumption haven't
materialized among them. In fact some traditional soy-rich Asian diets
are associated with lower risks of breast and prostate cancer than
western diets.

Based on the weight of available evidence, I remain convinced that soy
is safe and nutritious when eaten in relatively whole and unrefined
forms in reasonable amounts. I recommend one to two daily servings,
which can include a cup of soy milk, a half cup of tofu, tempeh or
green soybeans (edamame) or roasted soy nuts. "

http://sci.tech-archive.net/Archive/...4-12/1098.html
" Do they eat a lot of soy in okinawa?



Yes, they do. "Okinawans [...] probably eat more tofu than any other
group in the world. Our studies confirm that they consume, on
average, an impressive 3 ounces of soy products a day, mostly as tofu
and miso (soy paste), but also in a few intriguing creations of their
own." (Source: Willcox BJ, Willcox DC and Suzuki M, The Okinawa
Program. Clarkson Potter Publishers, NY 2001, p. 158)

Okinawan elders, who eat a lot of soy, have a low prevalence of

dementia and Azheimer's disease. "

http://www.soyfoods.org/health/soy-safety/
Health experts, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (1)
and the American Cancer Society (2) have all weighed in on the safety
of soy foods, such as tofu and soymilk, as well as meat and dairy free
products such as veggie burgers and soy cheeses. The conclusion: soy
foods are low in fat, high in protein, fiber and iron, they contain
essential omega-3 fatty acids and are absolutely safe to eat. Here are
the facts you need to know:

http://www.upenn.edu/researchatpenn/article.php?250&hlt
"Penn researchers take a long-term look at the safety of soy-based
infant formula.

*August 14, 2001

*To understand whether hormone-like chemicals in soy products may
influence sexual development in children, researchers at the
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have revisited a study
on soy-based infant formula begun over thirty years ago.

Their results, published in this week's Journal of the American
Medical Association, reaffirm the safety of soy infant formula and
offer evidence against the harmful effects of soy that have been
presented in the popular media. According to their findings, soy
formula does not appear to lead to any more health or reproductive
problems than cow milk formula."

Scientists agree that foods rich in soy protein can have considerable
value to heart health, a fact backed by dozens of controlled clinical
studies. A yearlong review of the available human studies in 1999
prompted FDA to allow a health claim on food labels stating that a
daily diet containing 25 grams of soy protein, also low in saturated
fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

More on genetically modified soy:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...ed+soy&spell=1

Tunderbar wrote:

It is illegal for a food processor or packager to indicate whether or
not the soy product is made or no made with gmo soy beans.

You have no way of knowing if any given soy product is 0% gmo or 100%
gmo.

You can buy products that say GMO free on them including soy.
Nevertheless, I avoid the lot.

--

Pramesh Rutaji

- remove tongue to reply

There is an interesting article on soy beans at International Online recipe
site where readers share their thoughts on food and diet.

This particular article also points out the negative .

I try to read all I can and make up my mind. Posted here for info only

http://www.internationalrecipes.net/recipes/

Joan





"Tunderbar" wrote in message
...
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

Soy: The Dark Side of America's
Favorite "Health" Food
by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD

Jenny Smith, a secretary and receptionist, could not explain what was
happening to her. She began to make mistakes in her work and suffer
from memory lapses. She would type a word backwards without even
realizing it and proofread right over her mistakes. Her speech was
slurring and when she answered the phone. . . she didn't know what to
say. One day she found herself walking across a busy intersection
against the lights and didn't know how she got there.

Leslie Blumenberg went to pick up her mother at the airport and got
lost coming home. Although she had lived in the area for years, she
became completely disoriented. It took her two hours to find her way
back to her house. She was also suffering from cognitive problems, her
words would jumble when she tried to speak coherent sentences, and she
forgot how to spell.
Leslie had been eating soy foods, lots of them, for three years. When
she went off soy, her problems cleared up, her mind returned to
normal. But Jenny Smith did not eat soy. Her problems cleared up only
when she went on a diet and stopped eating bread. She discovered that
she could eat homemade bread without any problem. But supermarket
bread gave her brain fog.

Jenny had a thyroid problem and had been taking thyroxine for years.
When her office connected with the internet, she went online to a
thyroid site. There she learned that soy was a potent thyroid
depressant and should not be consumed by anyone with thyroid troubles.
Next trip to the grocery store, she began to read labels and
discovered that every loaf of bread in the supermarket contained soy
flour.

"Thyroid enlargement in rats and humans, especially children and
women, fed with soyabeans has been known for half a century,"
according to Theodore Kay at Kyoto University in Japan. His 1988 study
attempted to determine the amount of iodine required to prevent goitre
in populations consuming soy foods. He found that small amounts of
iodine could indeed prevent noticeable thyroid enlargement, but even
large amounts did not prevent pathological changes to the thyroid
gland. He also determined that the most potent goitrogens in soy
cannot be removed by cooking.

Although scientists have known for many years that soy is goitrogenic,
it was only recently that they were able to pinpoint the actual
thyroid-depressing compounds. Researchers at the US Toxicological
Laboratory in Arkansas found that the thyroid-depressing substances
are isoflavones, the estrogen-like compounds found plentifully in the
soybean.

This discovery came as a shock to the soy industry, which has heavily
promoted these phytoestrogens as beneficial. It is the phytoestrogens
or isoflavones in soy that are supposed to protect us from heart
disease, cancer, osteoporosis and the discomforts of menopause. Yet in
normal women consuming sufficient iodine, just 30g of roasted soybeans
daily, containing about 38mg isoflavones, were found to depress
thyroid function--less than the amount in two glasses of soy milk, two
servings of tofu, or a handful of roasted soy nuts. In sensitive
individuals, such as Jenny Smith, even small amounts of soy were able
to provoke the mental confusion indicative of disrupted thyroid
function.

ISOFLAVONES IN OUR FOOD

Bread with added soy flour, 2 slices 4 mg
Meatless chicken nuggets, 1/2 cup 15 mg
Soy hot dog 15 mg
Soymilk, 8-ounce glass 20 mg
Green soybeans, raw, 1/2 cup 20 mg
Miso, 1/4 cup 21 mg
Tofu, 1/2 cup 28 mg
Soy cheese, 1/2 cup 31 mg
Soymilk skin or film , cooked, 1/2 cup 51 mg
Tempeh, cooked, 1/2 cup 53 mg
Soybean chips , 1/2 cup 54 mg
Mature soybeans, cooked, 1/2 cup 55 mg
Dry roasted soybeans , 1/2 cup 128 mg
Revival soy-based meal replacement, 1 serving 160 mg

Further confirmation of soy's adverse effects on the mind comes from a
recent study of Japanese Americans living in Hawaii. Professor Lon
White found a significant statistical relationship between two or more
servings of tofu per week and "accelerated brain aging." Those
participants who consumed tofu in mid-life had lower cognitive
function in late life and a greater incidence of Alzheimer's and
dementia. What's more," said Dr. White, "those who ate a lot of tofu,
by the time they were 75 or 80, looked five years older."

According to Jennifer A. Phillips, writing for Cambridge Scientific
Abstracts, estrogens (including the phytoestrogens in soy) can block
the efficiency of thyroid hormones. This is why women need more
thyroid hormones than men and are more prone to thyroid troubles.
Since thyroid hormone acts as a neurotransmitter, low levels can mimic
psychiatric disease. Severe hypothyroidism can cause symptoms similar
to Alzheimer's disease, including memory loss, confusion, slowness,
paranoid depression and even hallucinations. Other symptoms of low
thyroid function include fatigue, loss of hair, difficulties at
menopause, digestive problems, constipation, infertility and brittle
bones.

Individuals with low thyroid function are also prone to heart disease.
Soy proponents claim that soy helps the heart because it lowers
cholesterol. Yet in 1992, researchers at the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute looked at every study that had been published about
the risk of having high or low cholesterol and concluded that
mortality was greater in women with low cholesterol than with high
cholesterol. And a new study, published in the Lancet, suggests that
high cholesterol levels are protective even for men. In any case, no
study has ever offered direct proof that soy can prevent heart disease
and in most of the major studies in which cholesterol levels were
lowered through either diet or drugs, a greater number of deaths
occurred in the treatment groups than in controls, deaths from stroke,
cancer, intestinal disorders, accidents and suicide.
Scientists looking at the correlation of soy foods and "brain aging"
have focussed on isoflavones, but there are a number of components in
soy foods that can contribute to reduced mental function. One is
phytic acid which blocks zinc absorption. Zinc is essential for proper
functioning of the brain. Modern processed soy foods contain high
levels of MSG, fluoride and aluminum, all of which are toxic to the
nervous system. Furthermore, during processing, at least two
categories of carcinogens are formed, lysinealanines and nitrosamines.

Other substances in soy can contribute to the digestive problems so
common in individuals with thyroid troubles, including potent enzyme
inhibitors that block the breakdown of protein, and lectins that are
highly irritating to the digestive tract. These compounds tend to
occur in higher amounts in genetically engineered soybeans.

When soy protein isolate was fed to rats, the animals required higher
than normal levels of vitamins E, K, D and B12 and developed
deficiency symptoms of calcium, magnesium, zinc and many other
minerals.

Soy proponents claim that soy is a staple in Asia. A "staple" is
defined as a major commodity, one that provides a large portion of
calories in the diet, such as rice and fish in Japan, or rice and pork
in China. The Japanese consume 150 pounds of fish per person per year,
or almost one-half pound per person per day and a 1977 dietary survey
in China determined that 65 percent of calories came from pork,
including the pork fat used in cooking. By contrast, overall
consumption of soy in Asia is surprisingly low. The average soy
consumption in China is about 10 grams or 2 teaspoons per day. Levels
are somewhat higher in Japan, averaging about 50 grams or 1/4 cup per
day. In both countries, soy is used as a condiment or flavoring, and
not as a substitute for animal foods. Seafood and seaweed in the
Japanese diet provide sufficient iodine to counteract the negative
effects of the isoflavones in soy.

In Asia, soy is mostly consumed in fermented form, but it is not
considered an appropriate food for babies. When a mother is unable to
nurse and a wet nurse is unavailable, her infant is given milk from
cows or water buffalo. In the US, however, an estimated 750,000 babies
per year receive infant formula made from processed soybeans. Parents
use soy formula in the belief that is it healthier than formula based
on cows' milk. In fact, when soy infant formula first became
commercially available, manufacturers promised that soy formula was
"better than breast milk."

Naomi Baumslag, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Georgetown
University Medical College and an expert on breast feeding, cites many
reasons for parents to avoid soy formula. "There is a great deal of
scientific evidence that soy formula can be damaging to newborns," she
says, citing high levels of phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, lectins,
manganese and phytoestrogens. High levels of manganese are toxic to
babies because they lack the blood-brain barrier that develops later
in childhood. Manganese overdose is associated with brain damage
leading to violent behavior. Furthermore, soy lacks many factors that
are essential to normal brain development including essential fatty
acids, DHA-brain growth factor and cholesterol.

The most serious problem with soy formula is high levels of
isoflavones. In Japan, soy foods contribute about 25-28 mg of
isoflavones per day, or just less that one-half mg per kilogram of
body weight. In American women, 45 mg of isoflavones or three-quarters
mg per kilogram of body weight per day caused endocrine disruption
after just one month. Babies fed exclusively on soy-based formula
receive a dose that is four to eleven times higher, based on body
weight. A recent study found that babies fed soy-based formula had
13,000 to 22,000 times more isoflavones in their blood than babies fed
milk-based formula. Dr. Mike Fitzpatrick, a New Zealand toxicologist
estimates that an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the
estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day.

PHYTOESTROGENS IN DIETS OF INFANTS AND ADULTS

Average
Isoflavones
Intake Isoflavone
per Kg of
Body Weight*
Japan (1996 survey) 10 mg 0.17 mg
Japan (1998 survey) 25 mg 0.42 mg
Japan (2000 survey) 28 mg 0.47 mg
In Japanese women, causing thyroid suppression 38 mg 0.60 mg
In American women, causing hormonal changes after 1 month 45 mg 0.75
mg
FDA recommended amount for adults 75 mg 1.25 mg
In children receiving soy formula 38 mg 6.25 mg

* Assumed 60 kg for adults, 6 kg for infants

Fitzpatrick believes that soy feeding accounts for the alarming levels
of premature maturation in girls. This was the same conclusion reached
in 1986 by investigators in Puerto Rico, where early maturation is
commonplace. The researchers expected to find a correlation with
consumption of milk and meat and were surprised to discover that the
strongest correlation was with soy infant feeding. Girls who had
consumed large amounts of cow's milk as children actually had lower
rates of early development.

In the US, one percent of all girls now show signs of puberty, such as
breast development or pubic hair, before the age of three; by age
eight, almost 15 percent of white girls and just under half of African-
American girls have one or both of these characteristics, according to
a recent study reported in the journal Pediatrics. Fitzpatrick
believes that soy infant feeding disrupts hormonal development in the
same way as environmental estrogens such as PCBs and DDE (a breakdown
product of DDT), or the synthetic estrogen DES. The use of soy formula
in the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program, which supplies free
formula to low income mothers, may explain the astronomical rates of
early development in African American girls.

The consequences are tragic. Young girls with mature bodies must cope
with feelings and urges that most children are not well-equipped to
handle. And early maturation in girls is frequently a harbinger for
problems with the reproductive system later in life, including failure
to menstruate, infertility and breast cancer.

What are the effects of soy products on the hormonal development of
boys? 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, the infant is programmed to express
male characteristics after puberty, not only in the development of his
sexual organs and other masculine physical traits, but also in setting
patterns in the brain characteristic of male behavior. In monkeys,
deficiency of male hormones impairs learning and the ability to
perform visual discrimination tasks--such as would be required for
reading--and retards the development of spatial perception, which is
normally more acute in men than in women.
Learning disabilities, especially in male children, have reached
epidemic proportions. Soy infant feeding--which floods the bloodstream
with female hormones that could inhibit the effects of male hormones--
cannot be ignored as a possible cause for these tragic developments.

Other problems that have been anecdotally associated with children of
both sexes who were fed soy-based formula include extreme emotional
behavior, depression, asthma, immune system problems, pituitary
insufficiency, thyroid disorders and irritable bowel syndrome.

Why have parents not been alerted to the potential dangers of soy
formula? The formula industry is large and powerful, able to influence
the outcome of scientific research and wage successful publicity
campaigns. A good example is a recent University of Iowa study, funded
by the formula industry and published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, comparing the reproductive health of adults who
had been fed soy- or milk-based formula as infants. The survey found
that the soy group had higher levels or reproductive disorders, asthma
and allergies. Females of the soy group were more likely to be
sedentary and to have taken weight loss medications. Yet the authors
omitted these findings in their abstract and concluded that ". . . the
findings of the current study are reassuring about the safety of soy
infant formula." The University of Iowa study was widely reported in
the press as a vindication of soy formula.

The JAMA study follows a June 1, 2001 report published in Cancer
Research which found that genistein, one of the isoflavones in soy,
was more carcinogenic than the synthetic estrogen DES when exposure
occurred during "critical periods of differentiation," such as during
infancy. Medical professionals insisted that DES was safe for pregnant
women until they discovered that women whose mothers took DES suffered
from very high rates of cervical cancer. The authors of the Cancer
Research study concluded that ". . . the use of soy-based infant
formulas in the absence of medical necessity and the marketing of soy
products designed to appeal to children should be closely examined."

Concerns about the dangers of soy have prompted consumer groups in New
Zealand and Canada to call for a ban on the sale of soy infant
formula. The law firm of Johnston Lawrence in New Zealand is collating
a list of victims in preparation for a class action lawsuit in New
Zealand, with follow-on legal action in the US. If you believe your
child has been damaged by soy infant formula, or if you have suffered
thyroid problems as a result of soy consumption, send your
confidential information to PO Box 1213, DX SP 20004, Wellington, New
Zealand or .