Dear Alice writes,
Dear Auntie Leila,
My mind turns to your frequent comments on the dangers of soy, particularly for women's reproductive/hormonal systems. I'm trying to avoid developing some genetic problems later in life and have been avoiding soy, but wondered what you had read about it in specific.
Love,
Alice
Dear Alice {who has heard me rant about soy — and high fructose corn syrup — in contexts other than this blog, although I have ranted a bit here as well.},
The soy thing is hard to sift through, because the people who assure you up and down that soy is perfectly safe get their information from those who have a vested interest in marketing it.
If every farmer you meet in the Midwest is growing corn or soy or both (at the behest of the government), it stands to reason they need a big stable market for both products with the research to keep it that way.
The other people who make claims for soy are vegetarians who can't get along without it. It's interesting to me that vegetarianism poses as a counter-cultural movement, yet relies on the establishment for confirmation.
But, then, those against soy have issues as well. At best it's hard to tell where they come from. Some seem to have a vested interest in selling supplements and pulling people into their lifestyle, although it seems to me that you can't make as much money selling books as selling soy.
So I try to go by “what's the most likely” and “what's common sense” — and it doesn't seem like common sense to have every food you eat have the same additive, and it doesn't seem likely that the food industry would admit that something's not right, when they have invested so much in producing an additive that works for just about every processed food. And by the way, according to what I've read, this is interpreting the word “processed” quite liberally to mean changed in any way. Even raw vegetables might have been sprayed with MSG.
Now, information like the article I just linked you to is like a lot of information that can mostly be traced to one group. I don't know what to do about that, since, as I said, the opposition seems tainted as well.
The bottom line is that there is soy in many forms — MSG, hydrolyzed soy protein, soy, “natural flavors” (yes, that phrase conceals the presence of MSG) — in many foods we eat on a regular basis.
So the argument that something, even if harmful in large quantities, is unlikely to have any effect if taken in small doses, simply doesn't apply to soy.
You can have a tuna sandwich with chips, cookies, and a soda for lunch and every single part of it — tuna, mayo, bread, chips, dessert, and drink — will have some form of soy in it!!! Not right.
And what are the possible effects of MSG?
Depression for one. Headaches, including migraines, nausea, increased asthma, neurological disorders…
Soy itself is an estrogen mimicker, which has implications for hormonal balance, especially for the young. Soy flour is a cheap way to get protein, but I think it's harmful in the quantities we are getting today from mainstream processed foods.
So I try to read labels, stay away from anything that might contain soy (which means getting out the list of soy synonyms. Look at this 60 Minutes video from 1991 (go to 5:50 and watch for a minute if you don't want to see the whole thing). It's a little frightening, isn't it — how many ingredients conceal MSG?
At 12:05 in the video, the then newly appointed deputy commissioner for policy for the FDA states that the FDA will change the rules to require companies to say that hydrolyzed protein contains MSG. In 2009 that is still not the case: it is not so labeled.
So while you won't find “food religion” here at LMLD, I do try to keep out the soy (and the HFCS).
All of this explains why here you will find us trying to make things from scratch, especially breads, broths, soups, gravies, sauces, and snacks. I do my best to read labels and avoid as many processed foods as I can, including ones I could buy with a coupon. It's just not worth it when you can't identify what you are buying!
Love,
Auntie Leila
Christine says
My vegan sister-in-law has told me that soy is not healthy in the large amounts consumed by Westerners. She said that it is meant as a condiment, not as a main food. According to her, when eaten as a main food, it can lead to fertility problems, etc.
scmom (Barbara) says
I have always believed in "every thing in moderation." Even if you cut almost all of the known soy out of your diet, I'm not convinced you would be cutting enough to be moderate. It.is.in.every.thing.
Leila says
Barbara: exactly.
Polly says
I agree! My husband and I are not vegans in an official capacity, but during his intensive long distance training times (he's an amateur runner) we do eat only vegan foods–it seems to really boost his recovery. But not soy. So much better to use beans and nuts and seeds–soy is definitely *not* a necessity for vegetarians, but unfortunately it is definitely marketed in that way.
CarlynB says
This is a very timely post for me, as I have been dealing with some very uncomfortable physical symptoms (I'll spare you the details) and have just recently made a connection the soy additives in the food I've been eating as well as in my calcium supplements. I already cook a lot from scratch, but even so, my cupboard is still full of the stuff. I'm going to do a major clean-out of my pantry and fridge, and practice even more care at the grocery store.
Jeannie says
This a great post. I am trying to avoid soy but as people have mentioned: it is in everything. What do you about mayo? We like the taste of Best Foods/Hellmans but it has SOY OIL. Bread we already bake on our own and I am sure we still consume it my Trader Joe's Free Range Chicken Broth. Heck, they probably feed it to the chickens! So my question is: which items do you allow that have soy? And, let me not forget: Have you found a good mayonnaise that is made without soy that is not homemade?
Tracy says
My first experience with the mass infiltration of highly processed corn/soy came when my dad was first allergic to corn. It's the same as soy- 30 some different names that can mean "corn". Wow. That, also, is in everything. Although, we are the middle of harvest out here in mid-america, and let me tell you, we have a lot of bushels to be rid of! When dad comes and I have to cook with no corn, it's like learning a new language- no baking powder, no broth, my goodness! I consider myself also a pretty "scratch" cook, but that's tough to do on a small budget (unless you like the same three meals!). I haven't even started watching soy. Goodness! Have you ever seen Corn King? It's a documentary- very interesting…
Leila says
Jeannie: Yes, soy oil…since oil doesn't have the proteins, and since we only eat a small amount of mayo, I do use Hellman's. The bad effects of soy come from the amino acids, not found in the fat. That is my understanding. You are right: they do feed soy to chickens!As you say, since we can't get rid of soy in everything without driving ourselves nuts, I try to do away with what I can so that I'm left with that proverbial "small amount that won't hurt". What are the things that I allow? Jarred tomato sauce that lists only "natural flavors" and only last — they have to list the ingredients by proportion.Eggs…chicken…only once in a while, canned broth — normally I try to make it.There are probably other things, but I really do try to stay away from it! (As you know, buying "organic" is no guarantee of soy-MSG-less-ness!).
Crafty P says
so enlightening. especially the fertility aspect.always good stuff Auntie Leila!
Heather says
Absolutely enlightening. I have never heard an argument against soy. Must do more research.
Andrea says
From personal experience: I discovered a long, long time ago (when I was younger) that drinking soy milk from a couple of days made me menstruate, regardless of where I was in my period. I've since learnt, in recent years, that I do have several hormonal problems. So I guess for a person with certain sensitivities, soy is a big no-no. On another note, my brother has always been mildly allergic to nuts. At a certain point, he sarted having an allergic reaction to corn flour. Weird, uh? We later discovered that the particular brand we were using (the one that had been common in our house from infancy), had lately started using a strain of transgenic corn, made up with certain nut parts (I don't know the specifics, not a scientific person here). It was not mandatory to state transgenics in the labels back then. What a nice way to discover it, uh?My own country is having serious problems with soy production. In the latest years farmers are leaning heavily into soy -for exports- at the expense of other crops, and gradually ruining the croplands. what to do?Sorry for the loooon comment! You hit a never š
Anonymous says
"It's interesting to me that vegetarianism poses as a counter-cultural movement" – I'm not sure what this means. I am vegetarian because I believe it is the best way for my family to eat, not to be part of a movement."yet relies on the establishment for confirmation" – Sometimes you have to speak their language…such as when homeschoolers use "educationaleese" to communicate with those in the school system….on another subject…I have a table cloth just like the one in your first picture. I inherited it from my godmother. I always wondered if it came from some sort of cross-stitch kit.
Leila says
Just talking about what you find when you try to read about soy……not about individual vegetarians.
Jan says
Another vegetarian here. I don't think I'm part of any movement, counter-culture or otherwise. Some people feel the same about homeschoolers. Personally, I'm more of a "live and let live" kind of woman.I stopped eating meat at age 21 (26 years ago) because I didn't want to eat animals. I was vaguely aware that there were vegetarians out there but didn't know any and of course we didn't have the vast knowledge of the internet back then. I just dropped meat and ate more of everything else. I have never advocated anyone else do the same (including my children) although I've had plenty of people rant against me. For that reason I don't normally even mention it unless, for instance, someone is tryin to put chicken on my plate at the buffet.As for soy, I look at people who have eaten it throughout history, the Japanese for instance. Before they started frequenting McDonald's and adopting more of a Western diet, they were WAY more healthy than Americans. BECAUSE they were eating soy? Don't know. DESPITE eating soy? Don't know. I do indeed go for the "small quantities" theory and eat soy although not every day. I feed it to my mostly grown children, but not daily or even monthly. The girls enjoy the occasional soy burger; I sometimes add soy powder to my athlete's smoothies. Because they are female and because the hormonal influence hasn't been firmly proven either way, it's not a part of their regular diet. As I've got to be nearing menopause (no evidence as of yet though) I don't worry about it much for myself.
Jan says
gI feel better now that I got in the letter I left out of my last post. Ha.No offense to you, Christine, but I do want to urge everyone to do the research for themselves. Getting your info on anything from the sister-in-law of someone who commented on a post on website you read is not the way to make decisions for your family. That includes anything I say as well.
Leila says
Jen, it's just the research you urge that has led me to conclude that Westerners eat orders of magnitude more soy than Asians.We can't be anecdotal — we have to look at the numbers.The simple reason for my caution is that it is present in foods you don't suspect.That is my point — not against vegetarianism or for it — just against the idea that this food is okay and that we only eat a small amount, and that people accept the testimony of those who have an incentive to push it. It affects men as well as women.It is in EVERYTHING.
Alice says
Thank you for this! It's so important, really.In another soy(and corn)-related tragedy, the well water at the familial farm in Iowa (farmed by my Great Uncle Waldo, and now being restored by his son and daughter-in-law) is no longer safe to drink due to pesticide/fertilizer leaching. Now, arguments about organics aside: the soil just can't sustain as many plants-per-acre as the government-funded profitability of soy and corn byproducts encourages. And now the water's toxic.
Anonymous says
I am just curious what you do about children that are allergic to milk? My children do drink small amounts of soy milk in cereal occasionally because I have 2 that are severly allergic. And all of my babies were born severly lactose intolerant.
Polly says
Hi Anonymous–My son is severely allergic to milk as well (and gluten–there's a challenge!) and he drinks rice milk. We use soy-free Earth balance *butter.*
Steph C says
This old post caught my eye (3 years after the last post, ha!) and I would like to cordially challenge you, Tia Leila: provide a day's worth of healthy meals for a 2nd grade boy who has anaphylactic allergic reactions to dairy, egg, nuts, peanuts and shellfish withOUT using soy products! Good luck! (Oh, and try to be frugal about it, too, while you're at it!)Parents of food allergic kids prefer to feed their kids, period. Lesser of two evils, and all (soy consumption vs. starvation.)Love everything else you write about, though!La Paz,