The soybean, an ancient food crop in China, Japan and Korea was introduced into the United States in the early 1800s.  Today the U.S. produces about sixty percent of the world’s soybeans.  Almost

all of the food processed in the United States contain soy and/or soy protein.  Soy protein is used to extend meat, emulsify food and as a thickener.  You may be surprised to know that the ice cream that you ate a few days ago may contain a soy derivative.

As more food industries use soy and soy products, so are growing health issues surrounding the soybean.  The most prevalent are allergic reactions.  There are reports where people develop allergies to the food that they eat because they weren’t aware that it contained soy or its derivatives.  Reports say that the primary reason is that people who are not supposed to be allergic to soy develop allergies because much of soy has become genetically modified in an attempt to boost its production and nutritive value.

In a 1996 study published by the New England Journal of Medicine, it has been found that a soybean engineered to contain a gene from Brazil nuts could trigger harmful reactions in people allergic to the nuts. This finding raised the specter of consumers eating potentially harmful ingredients such as genetically altered foods without knowing about it until it was too late.

The symptoms of soy protein allergy include colitis, (inflammation of the colon), stomach bloating, and severe stomach pain.  For some these symptoms can last 24 hours or more.  Then again, this is not something that everyone should panic about because not all people are identically allergic to the same substance.

Aside from allergies, there are also other growing speculations about the safety of ingesting soy because soy contains several naturally occurring compounds that are toxic to humans and animals.  These are named as anti-nutrients which implies that they somehow inhibit the body from absorbing complete nutrients from the foods you eat.  Like any other toxin, the effects are not obvious until a certain concentration is reached.

Another notorious ill effect of the soy product is due to its estrogen-like effects.  A compound found in soy called isoflavone is the primary culprit.  Let’s look at one established fact first.  It is disconcerting to know that a natural hormone circulating in significant amounts in the bodies of half of the world’s population is a carcinogen, but it’s now official.  In December of 2002, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) included estrogen to its list of known cancer-causing agents.

Estrogen was originally believed to cause cancer by helping cells multiply rapidly.  After it binds to its receptors in a cell, it turns on hormone-responsive genes that promote DNA synthesis and cell multiplication.  If that cell happens to have cancer-causing genes, those cells will also proliferate and have a chance to grow into tumors.  Breast, endometrial, or uterine cancers could be a possible outcome.

The above reason is why health experts are concerned about breast-cancer patients who take soy or phyto-estrogen supplements could feed their disease and diminish the effectiveness of their treatment.  It’s ironic though how most of soy food or isoflavone supplement manufacturers claim that soy has anti-cancer properties.

Another area of concern is infant soy formula.  A new study suggests high concentrations of manganese found in soy-based baby formula can lead to brain damage in infants and altered behaviors in adolescents.

There is also one study published by researcher Lon White in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.  He documented the relation between the consumption of two or three servings of tofu per week in midlife (as a lifelong habit) and the early development of senile dementia and Alzheimer-related diseases in Japanese American men living in Hawaii.  These dementias took place about five years earlier than would have been expected.

All in all, these are just a few studies.  Other documentation shows the benefits of soy foods are enormous.  Like most things, moderation is the key and is particularly true for your anti-aging program.

Have a fun and successful day

Vida

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Great minds have purposes, others have dreams.  Washington Irving

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