Lately I’ve been completely baffled by the fact that so many people are still eating soy.It seems nearly every day I’m having a conversation with someone who is still enjoying their daily soy latte, a morning smoothie loaded with soy protein, or a soy protein bar before they go to the gym – oblivious to the ample information showing that most soy products have a huge negative impact on our health.
Soy producers continue to bamboozle us into thinking that soy is some sort of health food when in actuality soy is made up of so many anti-nutrients that without a LOT of processing it is completely inedible for humans.
Did you know: before World War II the FDA didn’t even call it a food, it was on the fertilizer list used in crop rotations. Food for thought…
Ingredients such as soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, textured soy protein and hydrolyzed plant protein were unheard of until after WWII. These quintessentially western products are manufactured using high-tech, industrialized processes that compromise protein quality, reduce vitamin levels and leave toxic residues and carcinogens. Although the latest refining techniques yield blander, purer soy proteins than the ‘beany’, hard-to-disguise flavors of the past, the main reason the new soy foods taste and look better is the lavish use of sugar and other sweeteners, salt, artificial flavorings, colors and MSG. Not so naked…
Soy is now an ingredient in more than 60 percent of the foods sold in supermarkets and health food stores, with much of it in products where you would least expect to find it hiding, such as in fast-food burgers, breads, and canned tuna. (Those high-protein/low-carb tortillas? That’s the “magic” of adding soy.) This is a nightmare for the growing number of people who are allergic or sensitive to soy – a lot of people given that soy is now one of the top eight allergens, with many experts predicting its rise to the top four.
Soybeans are one of the largest Genetically Modified (GM) crops in the US, second only to corn. GM soybeans carry higher levels of anti-nutrients, which decrease digestion and absorption and increase vitamin and mineral needs, as well as more toxins than regular soybeans, jeopardizing human and animal health. They have also caused vast damage to the environment. Indeed, more of the Amazon Rainforest has been lost to GM soybean farming than to beef grown for fast-food franchises.
If I’ve not convinced you to dump that soy protein shake for some real food, here are four compelling reasons to omit it from your diet:
- Soy is a trypsin inhibitor– trypsin is a digestive enzyme produced in the pancreas. Inhibiting the action of this enzyme causes soy to make us feel gassy, bloated, pain and diarrhea. (Important note: if soy is fermented as in natto, tempeh, tamari, and miso, most of the trypsin inhibitors will be deactivated).
- Soy contains phytates – these bind with minerals in the digestive tract and render them inaccessible. The amount of phytates in soy is so high that even fermentation can’t break them down. We can’t get our minerals into our cells!
- Soy is goitrogenic – this means thyroid suppressing. In Japan where soy consumption is the absolute highest, thyroid disease is widespread. The auto- immune disease attacking the thyroid, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, was first detected in Japan and Japanese researchers are conducting massive studies to prove the negative effect of soy foods on the thyroid gland. In one study of healthy Japanese adults 30 grams of soy for 30 days brought about thyroid disruption. (Remember Oprah’s 4o pound weight gain due to a thyroid condition a few years back? Bob Greene, Oprah’s trainer and diet guru, promotes soy in his books…..think there might be a connection?)
- Soy causes infertility – it contains phytoestrogens, which are powerful endocrine disruptors. when we eat them they lock onto estrogen receptors in the body, blocking true estrogen and other hormones, and because of this our production of estrogen is disrupted – the body thinks it doesn’t need to make it! These Phytoestrogens – formononetin, biochanin A and geistein – have caused endometrial damage and cervical mucus changes associated with an inability to conceive. This impact isn’t limited to women – phytoestrogens affect men’s reproductive health as well. Studies on sheep and mice have shown lowered sperm counts, infertility, and nipple discharge. (Remember when Jeremy Piven came out against soy milk? He found out all the soy milk he had been drinking was linked to the new breasts he was growing!) Exposure to phytoestrogens rendered these animals incapable of fertilizing an egg and lowered testosterone levels, thus lowering libido.
What is perhaps most troubling is when we feed soy to babies. Those infants sustained on soy formula here in the US are ingesting concentrations of phytoestrogens six to eleven fold higher than those known to have hormonal affects in adults. These children may never recover from the endocrine damage that could occur.
Despite these and many other potential dangers, soy is still widely promoted as a health food – even as a ‘miracle food’ that can prevent and cure cancer. While a few studies suggest that soy protein – or its phytoestrogens more specifically – might help prevent cancer, far more studies show it to be ineffective or inconsistent. Some studies even show that soy can contribute to, promote, or even cause cancer.
Do you do soy? Did you give it up when you became more informed about its potential dangers? Did you notice a difference in your health? Did a specific issue clear up or resolve itself? I’d love to hear about your experience so please leave me a comment below.
If you’re interested in further reading on soy, check Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN’s excellent book The Whole Soy Story and Lierre Keith’s provocative book, The Vegetarian Myth.
What about soy products like Miso?
Fermented soy products are fine, like miso, tempeh, natto, tamari and shoyu.
Hi I went on Optavia weight-loss omgeee STAY AWAY FROM THAT CRAP…..Pure Soy Isolate processed foods i 1 week in flared up acid reflux and I had a severe food allergy after 3 weeks I still feel tingling sensation on tongue and the back of my throat
I have been using soy milk for just over a year , my hair had started to fall out in great clumps I have has sinusitis for about 6 months and bloating amd constipation and I feel swollen and sluggish , and my boobs were so so painful, I have never felt so unwell and low , soy milk was the only change I had made to my diet , I have stopped only for 7days but already my sinusitis feels a bit better and boobs are less painful , I have to go and check my thyroid because I have all the symptoms of a underactive thyroid , never ever again will I have soya milk and I’m trying to educate myself on what I am actually putting in to my body , X
Are there any safe soy products, i.e., that are not GM? I notice that Miso is promoted as a health food, but is it not soy (albeit fermented)? What about tamari? Thanks!
Most companies will label their products if they are non-gmo. It’s a selling point. Look for the non-gmo project labels on products to verify that the product is truly non-gmo.
Thanks for the post Lisa! I appreciate you noting specific research and using the big words. I get asked a lot, “but what about the Japanese?” – this is a great answer to that question. And yes, I’ve 99.9% removed it from our diets and recommend all my clients do as well. No matter how much my son wants tofu in his Pho (which is what we gave him before we knew better), I’d prefer the meat from an unknown origin occasionally than soy I know is GMO and ruining our health and environment.
Industrially produced GMO soy, though not recommended for human consumption, has weirdly been approved by The FDA (in Europe GMo soy is banned, we only get ecological produce non-GMO). However, animals can eat what they like, especially in the US, where the main source of animal feed is Industrially produced GMO soy. So, the next time you decide to choice mystery meat over soy, you might want to think again. There is no harm in consuming small amounts of ecologically produced non-GMO soy (preferably made with organic soybeans and local), but unless the meat is from reputable small farmers that practice grass fed and/or grain fed free range animal/poultry the chances are it’s been reared on Industrially produced soy
Also wondering about safe soy products? Tempeh was mentioned as well … please add if/when soy is okay. Thanks!
My mother is on a tube feeding pump. She has dysplasia due to a massive stroke. Her formula is Nestlé Health Science-Isosource® 1.5-Complete Nutrition Formula. It’s a GMO product and has corn syrup before the soy. The formula makes her sick. I told the doctor over a year ago, but her insurance company would not allow her to change companies to get a better formula. I’m scared, and even if I could change companies, I’m having a hard time finding a substitute. Do you have any ideas?
I’m still waiting for an answer. She cannot eat. All formula goes into a tube directly in her belly. Are you saying to blend a salmon and garbanzo bean dinner and pour it into her tube? Because that sounds dangerous. I hoped you might have some idea about making a safe non-soy smoothy or formula. HELP!
I hope that you take me seriously. I wish there was an email address to talk to you privately. I’m not using my real name and email address for obvious personal reasons. I feel as if this soy-based formula is killing my mother. I asked her doctor and dietician for a non-soy formula. Now they are changing her to an expensive all-soy formula, saying that dairy is causing the gastric distress. She has already lost too much weight from diarrhea. They are blaming ME for her weight loss. If I don’t hear from you soon about making homemade formula, I’ll look elsewhere. You appear to be very knowledgeable about soy and the meal plans you send are wonderful. They just won’t work for a feeding tube.
Hi – I am so so sorry to hear this. It is possible that dairy is causing gastric distress, but it is also highly possible that so is the soy! They’re both very hard on the gut. Please feel free to reach out to my team personally and we can see if we can help. hello@eatnakedkitchen.com
There are many factors to juggle here and I don’t want to make recommendations without knowing the details of her health condition. Please see my reply to your other post.
Just saw your response … thank you!
i was wondering if the amount of soy in a ‘kind’ bar is still considered ‘dangerous’?
The soy used in ‘protein bars’ is typically soy protein isolate. There is no good type of soy protein isolate. The only soy that is recommended is fermented soy which you will not find in a protein bar. If you’re going to eat bars, I would recommend getting a raw one that uses real food. Ideally no agave and as little to no sugar as possible. You can always make the grain-less bars from The Naked Foods Cookbook. They are a great protein and fiber snack when you’re hungry!
just to clarify ‘peanut butter, dark chocolate + protein’ bar 7g protein ‘all natural’ gluten free…
thank you for your time!!!
Hi…Thankyou for this post!
I’ve been feeding my baby solids since he’s been six months and the main thing I’ve been giving him is a mix of powdered ragi and soybean made into a porridge …I’m very worried if it will affect my baby 🙁
Hi Rimmel, well, I’d definitely encourage you to switch away from feeding your baby anything with soy in it. I plan on starting our little one on really easy-to-digest nutrient dense foods like bone broths, egg yolks, and cooked veggies with lots of good fats such as ghee or butter from grass-fed cows. You really want baby’s first foods to be as gentle on the digestive tract as possible, because it’s not fully formed until they’re 2 years old. Avoid grains, seeds, and hard-to-digest legumes until well into the baby’s first year (if not 2nd year). Broths, soups, stews (all homemade ideally) are very healing to the digestive tract and are provide nutrients that are really easy for their systems to integrate. I’d start there!
Thankyou so much Margaret! My baby’s 9 months now.. Here in India it’s a tradition to give legumes and grains in porridge form mixed in ghee :)…. Thanks for the advice …off to make some bone broth …..I’m so waiting for your book I ordered 🙂 ….
What a crock.
The tofu I buy is organic and sprouted. What can you tell me about whether or not this is an exception to the “no soy” rule? Thanks so much for your valuable input!
What about organic edamame? I just bought my first bunch, but now I am afraid to eat it.
Lisa,
I’m still a bit confused as to what I can and cannot eat in regards to soy. I LOVE edemame. Do you have a list somewhere that shows what we should look out for when reading labels? Thanks so much!
There are three key things with soy:
1) is it GMO? If it doesn’t say that it is NOT GMO, then it is.
2) is it fermented? (only tempeh, miso, natto, tamari and shoyu soy sauces are fermented). If no, then see #3. If yes, and it’s also not GMO, then you’re fine to eat in moderate amounts.
3) if it’s not fermented, is it in its whole form? (i.e., edamame) If no, then it’s no good. If yes and it’s also not GMO, then I’d say it’s okay for some people in very minimal amounts. But remember: the only way soy is truly absorbable by the body is when it has been fermented so edamame is a very occasional treat rather than a regular thing.
I am so confused by what is good & what is bad soy. I eat tofu, tempeh, edamame beans. Could you list good soy products? Thanks!
Mary – if it’s certified Organic and Non-GMO and it’s one of these types of fermented soy: tempeh, natto, tamari or shoyu soy sauce, miso – then it’s okay in moderation. Anything else I’d skip.
What’s your take on Ezekial bread? Safe soy or bad soy? It’s just promoted so much as a healthy bread, curious if the soy ruins the benefits.
THANK YOU for posting this and drawing awareness to the MANY issues with Soy. My wife was recently ‘diagnosed’ as having a ‘soy sensitivity’, as the allergy tests show up negative. But it’s been 10 years of trying to ‘figure it out’ and to get her some relief. Since we’ve been cutting it out of our diets, I’ve noticed an impact when I eat something with soy and our youngest daughter has also noticed the difference. She’s had eczema all her life and without the soy, it is slowly improving.
The biggest surprise to me in all of this is how it’s hidden, even in allergy medications! My wife carries a list of the 75 common names that it’s hidden or not so hidden under on ingredient labels…
This is the MOST complete list I’ve seen:
http://naturalandfree.blogspot.com/p/alternative-names-for-soy-and-soy-free.html
(I hope you don’t mind my sharing it, NO, I am NOT connected to that blog, just the list we use)
There are medical professionals who will argue that if it doesn’t have the ‘soy protein’ then you ‘will NOT have allergic reaction’… yeah, sorry this is NOT true for everyone, my wife and several others I know now, react to ANY trace soy derived product! And in my wife’s case, it takes 2 weeks to a MONTH to recover from ANY soy.
Can you please clarify regarding the safety of edamame? This is something I gives kids all the time as a healthy snack! 🙁
@Yvonne – I’d save edamame as a treat. Definitely make sure it’s non-GMO and organic soy as a starting point. It’s not fermented (so extremely hard on the digestive system), so I typically avoid it. But every rare occasion it’s fine.
This is an eye-opener. For the past year, I had been increasing my soy intake (first in the form of tofu, then in the form of “soy protein isolate” in granola bars during my field job, and finally by drinking soy milk), but I had also noticed a definite change in how my body felt. I am lactose intolerant, so I removed dairy from my diet, but my symptoms continued to worsen. After reflecting on my eating habits over the past year, I chose to cut soy completely out of my diet, and have felt much better as a result. When I called my mom about it, she replied “Well yeah, I knew that since you were a baby. Why did you think we never gave you soy?”
In conclusion, thank you for this enlightening article. It’s good to know a more complete picture of soy’s impact on our environment, our bodies, and even our expectations of food (ie the “low carb high protein” wraps you mentioned).
Would it be possible to link to some specific studies?
At my pediatrician’s recommendation, I switched my 6mos old son to soy formula. He has never been overweight, but developed ‘man breasts’ in his teens ….and they have been a source of embarrassment for him ever since. He is now in his mid-twenties with stomach problems and the joint pain of someone more than twice his age. My other sons do not have any of these problems and were never given soy formula. I’m saddened and angry to think the doctor’s advice and my actions would have caused these conditions in him.
@Rain – I’m so so sorry you and your son have had this experience. It is so frustrating when all we want to do is what is best for our children! You are probably already doing this but working with a nutritionist clinically could help him move through these problems. I can make some recommendations if you’re looking.
@Margaret Floyd – thank you so much for your concern. It has been a source of frustration to say the least. I have been learning as much as I can to try to help him turn things around but there is so much conflicting information. We recently read the Wheat Belly book and going gluten free seems to have helped him somewhat. If you have any recommendations, I would be happy to hear them. He is not currently seeing a nutritionist.
@Rain – I’d look for a GAPS-certified nutrition professional – or even start by reading the book (http://amzn.to/18HXL9g) it’s the most profound gut-healing protocol I’ve ever encountered. It would be an excellent starting point. I can point you to a professional if you’re ever interested, but why don’t you start with the book.
Thank you Margaret Floyd! I will be buying that book today!
We avoid soy at our house. For about 10 years now, if my mother eats soy she will develop painful cysts in her breasts. I remember her constantly on the verge of tears because it hurt so bad. And having to constantly go to the doctor to get the cysts drained out. Not a pleasant process. It took about 3 years to finally figure out that it was from soy.
Depends on scholarly sources rather than people trying to sell books: all the research commenced as a result of the campaign against soy (Hello Dairy Council, Hello Beef Council…) reveal even more benefits to the consumption of soy: http://lunarichonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Is-Soy-Safe.pdf
I have to drink soy milk in some things. I have a dairy allergy which really sucks. I buy non GMO beans and make my own milk though. I haven’t been drinking it long enough to see any problems. I soak it so that the phytates are reduced. I also don’t see how it could be worse than any other vegetable as long as it’s soaked and is grown responsibly. I absolutely hate thin almond milk. It reminds me of skim milk. I drink cashew milk in smoothies but for some things only soy will do.
sources for this article?? especially for the thyroid link?
Giving up soy, cured my IBS, I no longer get diahreah and the associated UTI’s if you want the longer story, email me.
Soy is SO hard on the digestive system. I’m thrilled to hear that you’ve healed with that one (significant!) change alone!
Can it be Organic but still GMO ?
I’m from Germany and I bought Organic Soy Milk. All it sais on the Carton is “Organic” “Certified” and “European Soy Only”
It does not mention anything about it being GMO or not.
What can I assume ?
How long does soy stay in your system? What can you do to improve your fertility chances other than removing soy from your diet?
I can’t buy bread that is gluten and soy free. It seems that gluten free products are inundated with soy ( and linseed which I’m also allergic too). Any ideas?
Skip the bread or make your own if you really must have it. There are plenty of great recipes online for good paleo breads. Here’s one by Danielle Walker: http://againstallgrain.com/2012/05/21/grain-free-white-bread-paleo-and-scd/
My favorite…. “Soy causes Infertility”. LOL!!!!
I suffered a horrific hormone imbalance caused by taking Birth Control pills in my early 20’s for the first couple of years of my marriage. At 25, I stopped taking the pill and spent the next 15 years fruitlessly trying to get pregnant. To add insult to injury, I dealt with vicious acne, and several pre-menopausal issues including hot flashes and severe moodiness. At 38, an esthetician advised that Eastern Medicine teaches that acne in the lower part of the face and around the mouth suggests a hormonal imbalance, and recommended talking to my OB about it. Consequently, my OB suggested taking a Soy supplement. Within weeks, my acne cleared up, my attitude cleared up, the night sweats were gone and my husband and I are now parents to a beautiful 11 year old girl. At 51 years of age, I am in great health and am often the recipient of kind compliments about my youthful appearance (mistaken as a woman in her mid-late 30’s). After 13 years of regular use of my Soy supplement, I suffer none of the side-effects listed in your article. My only regret with Soy is not finding it sooner.
Soy isoflavones do not have a estrogenic effect, quite the contrary. It is the same with flax seeds. So yes, soy helps for endocrine imbalances, that’s why it is so protective against endocrine related cancers such as breast or prostate.
However, that soy causes digestive distress is also true, and this applies to every single legume, because all are crazy high in lectins. Funny thing is that lectins are easily destroyed by cooking, but since Tofu is so soft, people undercook it or even eat it raw which is crazy and the shortest way to the toilet.
I drank soy milk for years as an alternative to dairy. During these years my breasts got consistently sore, to the point that any type of jiggling up and down caused extreme pain. I blamed it on various other factors, and yet, miraculously, when I dropped soy from my diet, bingo! No more sore breasts.
Do you have any idea how long it takes your body to get all of the soy “out of your system” after you’ve had it apart of your daily diet for over 6 months? And how long your body will take to re-adjust?
The food itself should be gone within a week or two, (probably less – I’m guessing at the very outside) but if your body creates antibodies to it, they can hang around for a while. up to several months.
And that is also to mention cutting any soy related items out of your diet as well I’m presuming, I am still working on recovering from a soy based diet being vegan for a moment, and being uneducated on the effects. Any information would be useful.
I think bone broth can be a gentle healing agent for repair. Check out this post for more information. https://www.eatnakedkitchen.com/healing-foods-101-seven-reasons-to-add-bone-broth-to-your-daily-diet/
I and my family has just started the soy diet now about a month.
But I must let you know one day three members in the family including me has a terrible diarrhea and we thought it was poison or poor preparation of the soy. we eat it as porridge. we roast soy and mix it with maize in a ratio of 1:1 then grind.
I now believe that it could have been soy porridge. I only suspected it when it happened to us.
Thank you so much for such information and please always give us this important info.
Except my worry is for the few days we have fed on the soy diet, are we not already affected? I am worried.
I think current research has debunked a lot of the doom and gloom of soy. I recently took up eating soybeans cooked in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot). Supposedly this removes most of the lectins and other anti-nutrients. So far, I feel great, and have an excellent plant-based protein source. Yes, I know, I know, everybody is different and special, so some people may not tolerate it as well as I do.
Hi Johnny. If it’s working for you, by all means follow your body. Current research has not debunked anything around soy though.
How can soy be eliminated from our food ?
Why was it added after WWII?
Why is it now added to 60% of our food?
The answer is more complicated than we can go into here. Soy is a crop subsidized by the US government. Thus it’s a cheap food to add to processed goods. It would take a lot of activism/money to eliminate it from our food, but you can eliminate it from your diet by making food from scratch in your home kitchen. Sorry we don’t have a better answer than that.
Hi. I’ve been taking these KETO bars (fat bombs) and taking a SLIMFAST KETO
shake that every time I eat them I get severe gas with watery diarrhea all day long. They both have soy in them. When I don’t eat them for a day I have no gas or diarrhea. Also I tried NutriSystem for Women and always got gas and Diarrhea when I would eat their foods. They also have soy in their foods. I didn’t know I was so sensitive to that stuff. I am now going to stop eating anything with soy in it and try to get feeling better again.
What about the soy contained in the supplements for Menopause and hot flashes?
I just took 1 supplement for 2 weeks and helped a lot with the hot flashes but i notice my libido went really low and i can only attribute it to this supplement!
How long does it take to take it back to Normal, after quitting the supplement?
Hi I’ve been suffering from gut issues for years now (many (about 6 or 7 per day on a bad day)loo visits mostly diarrhea)
I’ve cut out Gluten and milk, but still keep getting issues, I’m starting to wonder if it could be Soy? My daughter made a stir fry with Soy Sauce in and i was bad for a couple of days after this, could this be the cause I wonder?
Hi all,
I suffer from IBS (or at least that’s what I diagnosed myself!) I’ve cut out gluten and most dairy but still get a ‘bad’ gut 3 or 4 times a week, I noticed the gluten free chocs i like have Soy lecithin in, i wonder if this could be the cause? Also i wonder how much i would need to trigger me?
Thanks,
Nom
After considerable weight gain while I was taking fruit and veggie supplement capsules that contain soybeans, I stopped the supplements and lost the excess weight. I have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and suspected that the soybeans were causing my weight gain and digestive issues.
This is all new info for me.
My son was put on soy formula as a baby to Stop diarrhea, so he’s been drinking soy milk all his life (17 years). I’m 53 (in peri-menopause) & I’ve been using soy milk w/cereal for years as well. Last few years I’ve had extremely soft & frequent stools w/occasional diarrhea every 1-2 weeks. I attributed this to my prolapsed uterus or high blood sugar. I had tried everything from Probiotics to Fiber supplements with no improvement in my B.M.’s.
Last 3-4 weeks, I am trying to eat better to lower my BS & I had no soy milk. Suddenly, my BM’s became regular & solid, every single time!! I’ve lost 10-15 lbs in 2 months. My blood sugar has gone from 220-150 (maybe bc of the weight loss)
Then yesterday I had cereal w/soy milk & 2 hrs later had horrible cramping & explosive diarrhea ending in water diarrhea.
I guess now I’ll be going to Almond Milk !!! And I’ll switch my son off Soy Milk.
I’m so glad I discovered this website today. I’m a vegetarian and six weeks ago, I began eating soy-based “butter” on toast daily. Two nights ago, I had two bowls of popcorn with lots of this soy-plant spread. I later woke up with severe pain & cramping in my small intestine with nausea & vomiting and watery diarrhea. I knew immediately, it was the soy spread. I thought I had just overdone it with the popcorn. This morning I experienced the same (not quite as intense symptoms when I used it on two pieces of toast. Never again, now that I’ve read your website and others as well. I’ve also gained four pounds since I began eating it. Ironically, I’ve deliberately avoided soy for more than 30 years, but was recently swayed by so many articles raving about how healthy it is. Thank so much for setting me straight. Joyce King