Is Soy bad for you?

[Toni]

I was reading one of those bizarre-o websites talking about the ill effects of Soy on the body and the thyroid.

I notice the health food markets sell Soy milk to soy protein powders, etc.

Then I started noticing labels, most processed foods have soy in them, like vegatable oils, peanut butter, mayo, the list goes on and on.

And the website stated the reason why Chinese people are so small is because of all the soy sauce they consume.

Am I being paranoid, or is soy truly bad?

[Toni]

Why Low Carb is High Soy and Bad for Men

In addition to glycerin, maltitol, and erythritol, another word keeps popping up on low-carb labels: "soy." Why are food manufacturers turning everything into tofu?

"Soy flour naturally has a lower carbohydrate content than wheat flour. It's also much higher in protein," says Lona Sandon, R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, and an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern. You'd think this would be a good thing. But this health food can be hell on men.

Blame estrogens. Specifically, phytoestrogens--compounds found in varying levels in all soy foods. "Soy phytoestrogens mimic normal estrogen," says Lon White, M.D., an epidemiologist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "They are pharmacologically active molecules."

In other words, drugs. And this is your brain on them: In a study of 8,000 Japanese-American men published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Dr. White found that those who had eaten tofu twice a week for the past decade or so performed worse on tests of mental ability than those eating less. The brains of those who ate a lot of tofu in midlife functioned as if they were 4 years older than their actual ages. High intake may also cause kidney stones.

Still, soy does have its health benefits. Researchers have made preliminary connections between phytoestrogens and a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer. And, according to the FDA, 25 grams (g) of soy protein per day may help lower your blood's cholesterol levels. The problem is, anyone living the low-carb life is probably putting away much more soy than that. A serving of soy potato chips has 13 g, and low-carb breakfast cereal can be inflated with as much as 8 g of the stuff. That's 21 g, and we haven't even had dinner.

"Eating one or two servings of soy per day is not a big deal. But adding soy to everything is," says Linda K. Massey, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at Washington State University. That's why we recommend keeping your soy-protein consumption under 25 g per day. Or look for foods made with whey protein instead--it offers similar prostate-protective benefits without any of the side effects.

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article/0,2823,s1-6-0-0-1307,00.html

[Gott]

In the current (Vol. 89 No. 2 March/April 2005) issue of Countryside & Small Stock Journal is an article by Nora MCoy that covers a lot of the same, and a little bit more (obesity), ground on the highly negative qualities of soy. It is copiously footnoted with a fair # of Internet citations and addresses.

Here is the magazine's website (I get it printed and don't know if the website matches the printed version): countrysidemag.com (http://countrysidemag.com/).

The magazine is excellent and makes wonderful reading if the simple farm life, or the dream of that kind of life, turns you on. Almost everything about this magazine is white. They do have some middle eastern person who kicks in from time to time with exotic recipes on Okra and Eggplant dishes, etc. But the articles, the letters written in, etc., are almost exclusively by and oriented to white people who want out of the system by returning to a simplier and clearner life. Lots of christians, but they seem like nice people.

[Gott]

No, no...Countryside (founded 1917) isn't like that at all. They are not part of the system but are opposed to it. Right after I subscribed they published one of the most comprehensive and aggressive attacks on the fiat money system I've ever read. It really is hard hitting and says all the things most of us here believe. When in the next issue some smug stock broker type attempted a condescending answer, he was virtually flayed alive for the next 2 or 3 issues ending with the single most overwhelming demolition of the system (and the smug little stock broker) I can remember reading in years. Countryside is definitely not part of the media empire.


This article on soy is small beer, but is well researched and makes a lot of sense, particularly since soy never did a thing for me:) A lot of estrogen in soy.... forced on boys to make them passive...I see a lot of passive boys out there in the world who go along no matter how much they are insulted and vilified…. but that's just speculation. The article (and I'm sure the articles Toni started this with) are based on studies not speculation.


I agree that the bastards who run the world have a good time telling the lemmings to do this, no, do that, no do the opposite and soy seems to fit that scenario. But these maybe soy isn’t so good for us articles are not mainstream as far as I know (Countryside definitely isn't mainstream) and they could be on the level. Most of what the fucking system says to do is the worst possible thing that anyone could do.


Maybe it's great for a billion, small, weird, alien chinks...but I'm not one, and don't want to be one. Perhaps if soy was so great for Aryans it would have been a staple of European and american diets before the time it suddenly became all the diversity rage. Until 50 years or so ago it was considered fit only to feed animals in this country I believe. And going by what it tastes, looks and feels like as it’s going down, I have sympathy for the poor animals. Ugly little beans

[Antiochus Epiphanes]

anybody ever had natoh, the Jap concoction aka "rotten soybeans?" Yechh!

[Steve B]

If soy is so bad for you, how did two great races, the Han Chinese and Japanese (not to mention the Koreans) thrive using soy as a staple for centuries?

Prolly the reason those "two great races" have developed such big strapping specimens of human magnitude.

[einzelwesen]

Perhaps it's because the whole world doesn't gorge itself the way we round-eyes do; we're the EXCEPTION rather than the rule.

[Steve B]

Steve just punts them over the neighbor's fence, like he did to this cat...

http://www.ottawaferalcats.com/kickkitty.jpg

[Toni]

thanks for the info and link. :)

[SMG3000]

Soy is cheap for the jewish food industry to mass produce, although they still charge 'good food' prices for it, foods that are more costly for them to mass produce.

Eric Thomson, or Robert Frenz, once stated that cows would only eat soy if there was literally nothing else to eat, so maybe they sense something we don't.

[Chain]

A few years ago there were one or more studies released in which it was stated that tofu and soy products in general might, if ingested in large quantites, cause neuron firing problems in the brain; dimentia in old age, I think it was. Supposedly, Jap-"American" old men had a high incidence, and the scientific cause within soy was alleged too. Sales dropped all over the US for two years or so. I held off for a few months, but now I still eat a few products- tofu for stir fry, soy drinks, and Stonewall Jerquee.. There's too much alarmist crap about the land.

[Stronza]

A few years ago there were one or more studies released in which it was stated that tofu and soy products in general might, if ingested in large quantites, cause neuron firing problems in the brain; dimentia in old age, I think it was. Supposedly, Jap-"American" old men had a high incidence, and the scientific cause within soy was alleged too. Sales dropped all over the US for two years or so. I held off for a few months, but now I still eat a few products- tofu for stir fry, soy drinks, and Stonewall Jerquee.. There's too much alarmist crap about the land.

Chain, I think you have a point. Soy in China was referred to as "meat without the bone", meaning, I guess, that, like meat, it is a powerful, concentrated food. I would conclude that it, like flesh, was never intended to be consumed in large quantities by human beings. Some say that the fermented forms are best. All in all, some things are just not good for certain individuals. I know a fellow who gets ill just being in the same room where fish is being cooked, never mind eating it.

[centerfire]

Chain has it right. Too much soy (or anything for that matter) will be bad for you. You can eat soy in moderation and be perfectly fine.

[centerfire]

And the website stated the reason why Chinese people are so small is because of all the soy sauce they consume.

Am I being paranoid, or is soy truly bad?
That thing about the Chinese is so ridiculous it's funny. You're not being paranoid. A lot of this alarmist garbage is out there. It wasn't too long ago that soy was being touted as something wonderful to eat, and it's beneficial properties were almost universally lauded. It is probably a good thing to eat. I have had tofu products a few times. Never had soy milk 'cause it's kinda expensive. Don't worry about cosuming soy.

[Herman van Houten]

I eat tofu a lot because it's very cheap, compared to meat or fish. Also very easy to prepare.

[centerfire]

I think there are some people who are allergic to soy, but it's pretty rare, as most food allergies are rare. So as long as you don't have allergic reactions to it, it's okay to eat.

[Subrosa]

Soy is cheap for the jewish food industry to mass produce, although they still charge 'good food' prices for it, foods that are more costly for them to mass produce.

Eric Thomson, or Robert Frenz, once stated that cows would only eat soy if there was literally nothing else to eat, so maybe they sense something we don't.

Mr. Frenz said a lot of things that were suspect.

[Abzug Hoffman]

Mr. Frenz said a lot of things that were suspect.


Soy is definitely cheap herd fodder in my book. I have always avoided it. Now I read that the Japanese never actually ate that much of it. Made me laugh. Pat Robertson used to pitch it on his show as a wonder food that would keep women from ever going into menopause. I guess that was the estrogen content he was pitching.

[Subrosa]

Soy is definitely cheap herd fodder in my book. I have always avoided it. Now I read that the Japanese never actually ate that much of it. Made me laugh. Pat Robertson used to pitch it on his show as a wonder food that would keep women from ever going into menopause. I guess that was the estrogen content he was pitching.


Do you raise cattle AH or were you being meta? I want to raise my own livestock soon, and in order to prepare Lagergeld for all her tasks, I've been trying to learn all I can about it.

Just the genetics of breeding stock is overwhelming.

[ittybitty]

I was reading one of those bizarre-o websites talking about the ill effects of Soy on the body and the thyroid.

I notice the health food markets sell Soy milk to soy protein powders, etc.

Then I started noticing labels, most processed foods have soy in them, like vegatable oils, peanut butter, mayo, the list goes on and on.

And the website stated the reason why Chinese people are so small is because of all the soy sauce they consume.

Am I being paranoid, or is soy truly bad?

I have read a few were soy can be bad for males. Although, the health benefits for women are astounding. www.soyfoods.com

[ngrh8r]

anybody ever had natoh, the Jap concoction aka "rotten soybeans?" Yechh!

You've got bigger balls than me if you actually tried it. I'm usually pretty brave about food, and I enjoy most Japanese cuisine. When I got my first whiff of natto, though, I felt downright cowardly.

The only way I see soy as being "bad" is if you're trying to put on muscle mass. Bodybuilders should keep soy to a minimum, since the naturally occuring estrogens COULD have a negative impact on growth hormone levels.
Don't use soy protein exclusively as a supplement, but a little soy is good for you. I like those soy crisp snacks, which look and taste a lot like rice cakes, and they have way more protein than rice or corn-based diet products.

Due to the estrogen content, I also wouldn't recommend large amounts of soy for males who are still growing.
Soy consumption may well have something to do with short stature in Asians,
and is likely related to Asian mens' sparse facial hair. Nevertheless, Japs routinely outlive European men, and this is certainly helped by their healthy eating habits, particularly lower calorie meals.

[Purge]

I haven't ingested any animal-derived foods for about 6 years, and would say that the vast majority of my protein comes from organic soy.

Personally, I would be far more concerned with the actual hormones and antibiotics injected into non-organic meats than these "phytoestrogens." All of you who consume meat should really look into shifting over to those cows and chickens that are raised without these methods, or eat game animals such as deer.

As far as my experience with soy goes, I have just recently (in the past 6-8 months) started to workout seriously and I have gained a substantial amount of muscle mass and strength.

I am far more aggressive than the average person and certainly don't have a diminished desire for vagina, so I would think this is all bullshit.

[centerfire]

I am far more aggressive than the average person and certainly don't have a diminished desire for vagina, so I would think this is all bullshit.
I suspect the same thing. Unless, maybe, if someone were to eat impossible amounts of soy products; like researchers giving lab rats the human consumption equivalent of 20 times the annual intake of ______ chemical a day.

[-LiveWire-]

I avoid soy.

[ittybitty]

I suspect the same thing. Unless, maybe, if someone were to eat impossible amounts of soy products; like researchers giving lab rats the human consumption equivalent of 20 times the annual intake of ______ chemical a day.


Honestly if you take in too much soy, you will be (maybe not everyone but the majority) unhappy in the "end". When you finally get out of the bathroom, and walk 4 feet...you have to run back. Everything has benefits, but the usual standards apply "too much of a good thing"....

[Purge]

ittybitty: For what it's worth, that is only true initially, as would also be the case if you were unaccustomed to, say, eating pinto beans and then you had a large amount of them.

I will say that overall digestion time is reduced without meat in one's diet.