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Many people who care about their health, in an effort to eat better, have shifted to consuming this food, often also promoted as a nutritional miracle.
Several recognized experts do not even consider it a food suitable for human consumption.
Soy and soy products, including tofu, are not healthy food.
A much better substitute is organic eggs, meat from animals raised on fresh grass and unpasteurized, or possibly homemade or organic dairy products.
What’s problematic about soy?
„What they are doing is neither natural nor safe,“ explains Dr. Daniel. „Today’s highly developed technologies not only fail to remove from soy the anti-nutritional substances and toxins that occur naturally in it, but the manufacturing process even leaves additional toxic and carcinogenic substances that are formed during processing at high temperatures,“ he continues in his explanation.
Tofu is a bit better off because it is a product made from whole soybeans, however it also contains the antinutritional substances mentioned above.
Health problems associated with soy consumption
Some health problems that are mentioned:
- thyroid problems – weight gain, nausea, fatigue, hair loss and loss of libido
- cancer – mainly of the thyroid, breast and pancreas
- brain damage
- diseases of the reproductive organs
- soy allergies
Meanwhile, Dr. Daniel and colleagues reviewed several studies on soy and found that soy does not lower levels of bad cholesterol in the blood as is claimed and presented.
On the contrary, in many people it raises levels of the dangerous homocysteine, which increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and birth defects.
According to Dr. Daniel, soy also significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Soy and risk to children
Children and infants mainly face an increased risk from consuming soy, primarily because of its properties that mimic the action of certain hormones.
A study published in the medical journal Lancet showed that daily exposure to chemicals that mimic the sex hormone estrogen contained in soy infant milks was 6 to 11 times higher than in adults who consume soy.
The concentration of these substances in the blood of children was at levels 13000 to 22000 times higher than the hormone estrogen itself.
Children who are exclusively fed soy formula receive, when adjusted for body weight, the equivalent of 5 contraceptive pills per day!
Do not under any circumstances feed your little children soy infant formulas, nor older children other soy products.
Pregnant women should not consume it, due to strong hormonal effects, so as not to endanger the fetus.
Other risks of soy
High toxin content. This includes a large amount of blockers that prevent enzymes from digesting proteins. These blockers are not neutralized by cooking. The result is disruption of the internal environment in the intestines, chronic deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals and missing amino acids. All of this can lead to dangerous pancreatic failure or even its cancer.
Content of hemagglutinins. These substances cause the formation of blood clots. Soy also affects slowed growth. Cooking partially reduces the problem, but does not completely eliminate it.
Content of goitrogens, which disrupt the function of the thyroid gland.
80 % of the soy sold today is genetically modified. This type of soy has the highest level of pesticide contamination.
High content of phytates, which inhibit the absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. All these minerals are cofactors for the optimal biochemistry of your body.
How to safely consume soy
If despite the overall recommendation against it you cannot give up this food and its consumption, then we have at least a few recommendations for you on how to minimize its harmful effects.
There are a few types of soy that are safe to eat. All of them involve fermentation.
After a long fermentation process, levels of phytic acid and other antinutrients decrease. In addition, some beneficial substances for your digestion are produced, such as probiotics.
Fermentation also significantly reduces the level of dangerous isoflavones, which are structurally similar to estrogen and can disrupt your hormonal balance.
So, if you want to eat soy, these are its relatively safe variants:
1. Natto
It is fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and a flavor similar to cheese.
It contains nattokinase, a very potent blood-thinning substance. It is also the best source of vitamin K2 in the world. It also contains the beneficial bacteria Bacillus subtilis.
You can find natto in most Asian grocery stores.
2. Tempeh
It is a fermented soy cake with a firm texture. It tastes similar to mushrooms.
3. Miso
Miso is a fermented soy paste with a salty, buttery texture. It is often added to miso soup.
4. Sójová omáčka
Traditionally, soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes.
However, be careful here, because many types today are produced artificially using chemical processes, not by fermentation.
Conclusion
Remember that all processed soy products that do not use fermentation in their production are not healthy. This includes: soy milk, soy meat, soy cheese, soy energy and protein bars, soy ice cream, soy protein powders and other products.
