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Soy Concerns
History of Soybeans
Soybeans come to us from the Orient. During the Chou Dynasty (1134-246 BC) the soybean was designated one of the
five sacred grains, along with barley, wheat, millet and rice. However, the pictograph for the soybean, which dates from
earlier times, indicates that it was not first used as a food; for whereas the pictographs for the other four grains show the
seed and stem structure of the plant, the pictograph for the soybean emphasizes the root structure. Agricultural literature
of the period speaks frequently of the soybean and its use in crop rotation. Apparently the soy plant was initially used as
a method of fixing nitrogen. The soybean did not serve as
a food until the discovery of fermentation techniques, sometime during the Chou Dynasty. Thus the first soy foods were
fermented products like tempeh, natto, miso and shogu (soy or tamari sauce).
At a later date, possibly in the 2nd century B.C., Chinese scientists discovered that a puree of cooked soybeans could be
precipitated with calcium sulfate or magnesium sulfate (plaster of Paris or Epsom salts) to make a smooth pale curd -tofu
or bean curd. The use of fermented and precipitated soy products soon spread to other parts of the Orient, notably
Japan and Indonesia. Although the highly flavored fermented products have elicited greater interest among scientists and
epicures, it is the bland precipitated products that are most frequently used, accounting for approximately 90% of the
processed soybeans consumed in Asia today. The increased reliance on bean curd as a source of protein, which
occurred between 700 A. D. and the present time, has not necessarily been a beneficial change for the populations of the
Orient and Southeast Asia.
Fit for Human Consumption?
The Chinese, did not eat the soybean as they did other pulses (legumes) such as the lentil, because the soybean contains
large quantities of a number of harmful a substances. First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors which block the
action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion.
These "antinutrients" are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking and can produce serious gastric distress,
reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors
cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer. The soybean also contains
hemagglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and
hemagglutinin have been rightly labeled growth depressant substances. Fortunately they are deactivated during the
process of fermentation. However, in precipitated products, enzyme inhibitors concentrate in the soaking liquid rather
than in the curd. Thus in tofu and
bean curd, these enzyme inhibitors are reduced in quantity, but not completely eliminated.
Soybeans are also high in phytic acid or phytates. This is an organic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds, which
blocks the uptake of essential
minerals-calcium, magnesium, iron and especially zinc-in the intestinal tract.
Although not a household word, phytates have been extensively studied. Scientists are in general agreement that grain and
legume based diets high in phytates contribute to widespread mineral deficiencies in third world countries.
Analysis shows that calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant
foods eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of soy and rice based diets prevents their absorption. The
soybean has a higher phytate content than any other grain or legume that has been studied. Furthermore, it seems to be
highly resistant to many phytate reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking. Only a long period of fermentation will
significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans. Thus fermented products such as tempeh and miso provide
nourishment that is easily assimilated, but the nutritional value of tofu and bean curd, both high in
phytates, is questionable.
When precipitated soy products are consumed with meat, the mineral blocking effects of the phytates are reduced. The
Japanese traditionally eat tofu as part of a mineral-rich fish broth. Vegetarians who consume tofu and bean curd as a
substitute for meat and dairy products risk severe mineral deficiencies. The results of calcium, magnesium and iron
deficiency are well known, those of zinc are less so. Zinc is called the intelligence mineral because it is needed for optimal
development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. It plays a role in protein synthesis and collagen formation, it
Is involved in the blood sugar control mechanism and thus protects against diabetes; it is needed for a healthy
reproductive system.
Zinc is a key component in numerous vital enzymes and plays a role in the immune system. Phytates found in soy
products interfere with zinc absorption more completely than with other minerals. Literature extolling soy products tends
to minimize the role of zinc in human physiology, and to gloss over the deleterious effect of diets high in phytic acid.
Milk drinking is given as the reason second generation Japanese in America grow taller than their native ancestors. Some
investigators postulate that the reduced phytate content of the American diet-whatever maybe its other deficiencies-is the
true explanation, pointing out that Asian and Oriental children who do not get enough meat and fish products to
counteract the effects of a high phytate diet, frequently suffer rickets, stunting and other growth problems.
Marketing the Soybean
The truth is, however, that most Americans are unlikely to adopt traditional soy products as their principle food. Tofu,
bean curd and tempeh have disagreeable texture and are too bland for the Western palate; pungent and tasty miso and
natto lose out in taste; only soy sauce enjoys widespread popularity as a condiment. The soy industry has therefore
looked for other ways to market the superabundance of soybeans now grown in the United States.
Large scale cultivation of the soybean in the United States began only after the Second World War, and quickly rose to
140 billion pounds per year. Most of the crop is made into animal feed, soy oil for hydrogenated fats margarine and
shortening. During the past 20 years, the industry has concentrated on finding markets for the byproducts of soy oil
manufacture, including soy "lecithin", made from the oil sludge, and soy protein products, made from defatted soy flakes,
a challenge that has involved overcoming consumer resistance to soy products, generally considered tasteless "poverty"
foods.
The quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society," said a soy industry spokesman, " ... is to have
the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society."" Hence the proliferation of soy products resembling
traditional American foods-soy milk for cows milk, soy baby formula, soy yogurt, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soy flour
for baking and textured soy protein as meat substitutes, usually promoted as high protein, low-fat, no cholesterol "health
foods" to the upscale consumer increasingly concerned about his health. The growth of vegetarianism among the more
affluent classes has greatly accelerated the acceptability and use of these artificial products. Unfortunately they pose
numerous dangers.
Processing Denatures and Dangers Remain
The production of soy milk is relatively simple. In order to remove as much of the trypsin inhibitor content as possible, the
beans are first soaked in an alkaline solution. The pureed solution is then heated to about 115 degrees Centigrade in a
pressure cooker. This method destroys most (but not all) of the anti-nutrients but has the unhappy side effect of so
denaturing the proteins that they become very difficult to digest and much reduced in effectiveness. The phytate content
remains in soy milk to block the uptake of essential minerals. In addition, the alkaline soaking solution produces a
carcinogen, lysinealine, and reduces the cystine content, which is already low in the soybean. Lacking
cystine, the entire
protein complex of the soybean becomes useless unless the diet is fortified with
cystine-rich meat, eggs, or dairy
products.
Most soy products that imitate traditional American food items, including baby formulas and some brands of soy milk,
are made with soy protein isolate, that is the soy protein isolated from the carbohydrate and fatty acid components that
naturally occur in the bean. Soy beans are first ground and subjected to high-temperature and solvent extraction
processes to remove the oils. The resultant defatted meal is then mixed with an alkaline solution and sugars in a
separation process to remove fiber. Then it is precipitated and separated using an acid wash. Finally the resultant curds
are neutralized in an alkaline solution and spray dried at high temperatures to produce high protein powder.
This is a highly refined product in which both vitamin and protein quality are
compromised-but some trypsin inhibitors remain, even after such extreme refining. Trypsin inhibitor content of soy
protein isolate can vary as much as 5-fold. In rats, even low level trypsin inhibitor soy protein isolate feeding results in
reduced weight gain compared to controls. Soy product producers are not required to state trypsin inhibitor content on
labels, nor even to meet minimum standards, and the public, trained to avoid dietary cholesterol, a substance vital for
normal growth and metabolism, has never heard of the potent anti-nutrients found in cholesterol-free soy products.
Soy Formula Is Not the Answer
Soy protein isolate is the main ingredient of soy-based infant formulas. Along with trypsin inhibitors, these formulas have a
high phytate content. Use of soy formula has caused zinc deficiency in infants. Aluminum content of soy formula is 10
times greater than milk based formula, and 100 times greater than unprocessed milk. Aluminum has a toxic effect on the
kidneys of infants, and has been implicated as cause in Alzheimer's in adults.
Soy milk formulas are often given to babies with milk allergy; but allergies to soy are almost as common as those to milk.
Soy formulas lack cholesterol which is absolutely essential for the development of the brain and nervous system; they also
lack lactose and galactose, which play an equally important role in the development of the nervous system. I would
strongly discourage the use of soy formulas.
Nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens, are often found in soy protein foods, and are greatly increased during the
high temperature drying process. Not surprisingly, animal feeding studies show a lower weight gain for rats on soy
formula than those on whole milk, high-lactose formula; similar results have been observed in children on macrobiotic
diets which include the use of soy milk and large amounts of whole grains. Children brought up on
high-phytate diets tend
to be thin and scrawny.
Fabricated Soy Foods
A final indignity to the original soy bean is high-temperature, high-pressure
extrusion processing of soy protein isolate to product textured vegetable protein
(TVP). Numerous artificial flavorings,
particularly MSG, are added to TVP products to mask their strong "beany" taste, and impart the flavor of meat. Soy
protein isolate and textured vegetable protein are used extensively in school lunch programs, commercial baked goods,
diet beverages and fast food products. They are heavily promoted in third world countries and form the basis of many
food give-away programs. These soy products greatly inhibit zinc and iron absorption; in test animals they cause enlarged
organs, particularly the pancreas and thyroid gland, and increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver.
Human feeding tests to determine the cholesterol lowering properties of soy
protein isolate have not shown them to be effective. Nevertheless, they are often promoted as having beneficial effects on
cholesterol levels.
Cancer Preventing or Cancer Causing?
The food industry also touts soy products for their cancer preventing properties. Isoflavone aglycones are
anticarcinogenic substances found in traditionally fermented soybean products. However, in non-fermented soy products
such as tofu and soy milk, these isoflavones are present in an altered form as beta-glycoside conjugates, which have no
anti-carcinogenic effect. Some researchers believe the rapid increase in liver and pancreatic cancer in Africa is due to the
introduction of soy products there.
The fatty acid profile of the soybean includes large amounts of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids compared to other pulses
legumes); but these omega-3 fatty acids are particularly susceptible to rancidity when subjected to high pressures and
temperatures. This is exactly what is required to remove oil from the bean, as soybean oil is particularly difficult to
extract. hexane or other solvents are always used to extract oil from soybeans, and traces remain in the commercial
product.
While fermented soy products contain protein, vitamins, anti-carcinogenic
substances and important fatty acids, they can under no circumstances be called nutritionally complete. Like all pulses,
the soybean lacks vital sulfur-containing amino acids cystine and methionine. These are usually supplied by rice and other
grains in areas where the soybean is traditionally consumed. Soy should never be considered as a substitute for animal
products like meat or milk. Claims that fermented soy products like tempeh can be relied on as a source of vitamin B12,
necessary for healthy blood and nervous system, have not been supported by scientific research.,' Finally, soybeans do
not supply all-important fat soluble vitamins D and preformed A (retinol) which act as catalysts for the proper absorption
and utilization of all minerals and water soluble vitamins in the diet.
These "fat soluble activators" are found only in certain animal foods such as organ meats, butter, eggs, fish and shellfish.
Carotenes from plant foods and exposure to sunlight are not sufficient to supply the body's requirements for vitamins A
and D. Soy products often replace animal products in third world countries where intake of B12 and fat soluble A and
D are already low. Soy products actually increase requirements for vitamins B12 and D.
Are soy products easy to digest, as claimed? Fermented soy products probably are; but
unfermented products with their cargo of phytates, enzyme inhibitors, rancid fatty acids and altered proteins most certainly are not. Pet food
manufacturers promote soy free dog and cat food as "highly digestible"
Only Fermented Soy Products Are Safe
To summarize, traditional fermented soy products such as miso, natto and
tempeh, which are usually made with
organically grown soybeans, have a long history of use that is generally beneficial when combined with other elements of
the Oriental diet including rice, sea foods, fish broth, organ meats and fermented vegetables. The value of precipitated
soybean products is problematical, especially when they form the major source of protein in the diet. Modern soy
products including soy milks and artificial meat and dairy products made from soy protein isolate and textured vegetable
protein are new to the diet and pose a number of serious problems.
The above information was abstracted from an article written by Sally Fallon and Mary
Enig, Ph.D. (an
international expert renown in the field of lipid chemistry) for Health Freedom News in September of 1995.
Heart-Soy Risk for Men - Heart conditions became worse in male mice carrying a genetic mutation for heart disease when they were fed a soy diet, a study published on Wednesday showed.
Male mice carrying the mutation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or HCM, were severely affected by the soy diet, showing enlarged heart muscles and eventual heart failure, according to the University of Colorado at Boulder study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
HCM is the leading cause of death in young athletes and affects about one in 500 people. Eighteen genes associated with the disease have been identified, according to University of Colorado professor Leslie Leinwand.
Soy foods and diet supplements are perceived to be a huge health benefit to humans. Consumers spent an estimated $4.7 billion on them in 2005.
"We were shocked by the results," said Leinwand, noting that when the mice in the study were switched to a diet of a milk protein their condition improved markedly.
Female mice carrying the mutation for HCM were relatively unaffected by the soy diet, according to the study. That led the Colorado research team to believe that heart deterioration in male mice was due at least in part to plant-based estrogens in the soy food diet.
"To our knowledge this is the first report of significant differences in cardiac muscle adaptation due to dietary manipulation," researchers wrote.
Leinwand said: "I don't think normal, healthy people should be alarmed by the results of this study.
"But we are seeing more cautionary reactions from the medical community in recent years regarding the ingestion of huge quantities of dietary supplements, including soy phytoestrogens."
Protein Needs for Blood Type A People
Blood type A people should be nearly vegetarians. The above information should make it clear that you should avoid
most soy products unless they are fermented (tempeh and miso). You should not have soy protein or tofu. To obtain
optimal protein though you will need to eat about a dozen organic eggs per week, unless you are allergic to them. Try not
to eat them on consecutive days. You should also soak your seeds and nuts overnight to deactivate the enzyme inhibitors
and phytates. It would be even better if you could continue the process until they sprout which is usually from 2-5 days
depending on the temperature and the seeds. You will have to rinse the seeds every 12 hours and let them drain. This
will completely deactivate the antinutrients and increase the live enzyme content of the seeds and nuts. The nutritional
value will probably increase by 2-300%.
Generally you will need 20 to 35 grams of protein at EACH meal. The following is a list of how many grams of protein
there are in one cup of:
pecans 9.9; walnuts 14.8; cashews 24.1; almonds 26.4; pistachio 26; sunflower 34.8; peanuts 37.7; pumpkin seeds
40.6;
Spirulina has incredible health benefits and is probably one of the main reasons why fish are so healthy for you. It is highly
likely you can obtain even more benefits from the Spirulina with none of the complications of heavy metal or pesticide
contamination present in nearly all fish. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is nearly two-thirds protein. It also has
large amounts of chlorophyll and is very valuable to help detoxify the body from heavy metals and radiation. It is also
loaded with GLA, which is the main essential fatty acid present in evening primrose or borage oil.
Six tablets contain 2 grams of protein, so you will need approximately 50 tablets if you were to use them as a protein
supplement for one meal. I strongly recommend this as a substitute for soy protein. I would try to have at least 4-6
servings per week for anyone who is struggling with chronic illness or looking to optimize their health, especially if they
are blood type A.