I've had several customers approach me about why I don't use soy on the ranch, and why I try to stay away from any soy product in my meals.
So I thought I'd write about the effects of soy on our health and share it with you so that you can do your own research.
Once you start your research, you'll see MUCH conflicting information. So much so, that you'll likely end up more confused than before your research!
So my advice is to find:
a source of information/research that will represent the best/truest/unbiased/supported information.
a source that will have a holistic (whole) approach to looking at the issue/concern. Our bodies are integrated/symbiotic systems and we have to take a look at all of it, not just a part of it.
For me, Weston Price Foundation has the most comprehensive source of information, so I have copied their summary below about the dangers of soy in our bodies.
An additional point to address is the quantity of soy we are ingesting. Start looking at the labels to see how many products contain a soy product in them.
As an extreme example, if you ate the same food item for every meal, your body would eventually react because it's not receiving the diverse nutrients and minerals it needs. Our consumption of soy products in our processed food (including eggs and meats) is out of proportion with respect to our bodies' needs.
Soy Dangers Summarized
High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Consider that 46% of our children have a chronic disease today compared to 4% of our total population in 1965.
Could the increase in disease be caused by the quantity of soy we are consuming?
I believe it is.
Which is why we don't use soy on the ranch, and are raising nutrient dense food for you and your family.
