Soy Based Foods

Although many web sites and books will tell you that soy based foods are good for you and a great source of plant protein, that's pretty much not true.

The dangers of soy, even if it is organic, can be quite serious. Foods made from processed soy have a pretty alarming list of side effects that can cause major health problems.

The dangers of processed soy (including organic products) in a nutshell:

• Soy contains loads of Trypsin inhibitors - Trypsin is an enzyme that helps the body break down proteins, so processed soy actually blocks protein absorption!
• Soy is loaded with goitrogens - Goitrogens prevent thyroid hormone production, which can lead to all kinds of other health problems.
• Soy based foods contain phytates - Phytates suck up minerals like a sponge, making those minerals unavailable to the body.
• Soy has high concentrations of manganese - Manganese is good in small amounts, but the amounts in soy are toxic, especially to infants. Infants fed soy formula can have up to 200 times more manganese in their systems than those who have been fed breast milk. In addition soy infant formula can cause terrible constipation and digestive problems.
• Soy protein isolate, a soy derivative is toxic - Soy protein isolates are found in many processed foods. They are created by crushing soybeans with hexane, a petroleum derivative.

The GMO Issue

As if the inherent problems in soy based foods were not enough, most of the soybeans now being produced have been altered!

Monsanto, a chemical company that has manufactured such winners as Agent Orange and DDT in the past, now manufactures the pesticide marketed as "Roundup".

Monsanto developed a genetically modified (GMO) soybean that is resistant to Roundup. That means they can grow lots of soybeans and spray them with lots of their chemicals and make lots of money doing it.

In fact, Monsanto owns the GMO soybean patent and has a nice monopoly going on soybean production in the United States. Derivatives of their soybeans appear on the ingredient labels of tons of processed foods.

So as you can see, even without the side effects of regular soy, the production of soybeans, particularly in the United States, has corrupted it beyond redemption.

Fermented Soy

There are four types of soy that are okay to eat: Tempeh, miso, Natto, and Nama Shoyu. These are all products made from fermented soy.

Only when soy is fermented can its nutrients be released and available for proper absorption by the body. Even in these forms though, soy should be consumed sparingly.

Actually one of the best uses for soy is in clothing. Click here to find out more about soy fabric.

Now this may all seem like dismal news for vegans and vegetarians who rely on soy as their primary source of protein. One of the biggest points made about soy is that it is the only complete plant-based protein. Not true!

Actually, hemp is a much better source of plant-based protein! This superfood has loads of wonderful qualities and is a much better protein source than soy! Click here to learn more about hemp!

Click here to return to the Busy-Vegan homepage.

Click here to return to the top of the Soy Based Foods page.