Should we eat Soya?

Should we eat Soya?

This is the subject of my next blog

Oh this one is a real can of worms my friends. There is no doubt that this is a subject that creates heated arguments and no one really has a definitive yes or no answer.

There are many studies you can read on this subject and it is really difficult to separate the wood from the trees. There are so many different variables with soya that it really can’t be called either way for definite. What I will say is that, soya is no longer a ‘natural’ product.

So where do Soya beans come from?

Soya beans originated in Southeast Asia and were first domesticated by Chinese farmers around 1100 BC. By the first century AD, soya beans were grown in Japan and many other countries

The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume and has numerous uses. The plant is classed as an oilseed rather than a pulse by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization but I won’t go into that with too much depth
What we do know is that the soya bean is a significant and cheap source of protein for animal feeds. It is now used in many prepackaged vegetarian meals. Textured vegetable protein is the ingredient in many meat and dairy replacements and Soya beans produce significantly more protein per acre than most other uses of land.

Traditional non fermented food uses of soya beans include soya milk, and from that tofu and tofu skin. Fermented foods include soy sauce, fermented bean paste, natto, and Tempeh.
Soya beans are one of the "biotech food" crops. They have been genetically modified, and are being used in an increasing number of products.

In the late 1990’s, under 10% of all soya beans cultivated for the commercial market in the U.S.A., were genetically modified. In 2010, the figure was over 90%.

With the increasing popularity of vegetarianism, soya is often regarded as a 'near perfect' food. Supporters claim it provides an ideal source of protein, helps to lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease plus reduce menopausal symptoms and osteoporosis. Sounds almost too good to be true doesn’t it?
How did such a 'miracle food' emerge from a product that, in 1913, was listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as an industrial product?

In America soya oil has become a very large industry. As a result a lot of soya protein residue is created as a left over by product. Since they can’t feed it to the animals, except in small amounts, they have had to find another big market….

Enter human consumption.

To convince the U.S. of the benefits of soya, millions of dollars have been spent on advertising which has resulted in about 75% percent of U.S. consumers believing that soya products are healthy. I bet until this moment, you did too.

So why is soya not as good as we have been lead to believe? Well let’s have a closer look.

Soya products can be classified into two main groups: fermented and unfermented.
The unfermented soya category is the problematic one. It includes products, such as tofu, bean curd, all soya milks, soya infant formulae, soya protein powders , meal replacement shakes and soya meat alternatives.

NOTE: I have highlighted soya protein powders because the majority of you reading this will use, or have used, protein powders or shakes.

As I said before, Soya belongs to the family of legumes, which includes beans such as adzuki, red kidney, black eyed, barlotti, etc, as well as chickpeas. Peanuts are legumes too, not nuts as most people believe.

All legumes and whole-grains such as rice, barley, oats, wheat and rye, contain amounts of phytic acid. Soya contains large amounts of phytic acid. In some cases, phytic acid can be beneficial but it also has many negative points.
Phytic acid has the ability to bind minerals, proteins and starch and so can result in lower absorption of these substances. In large amounts, it can block the uptake of essential minerals, like calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc. Soya also inhibits the uptake of iodine, one of the most important minerals needed for growth and metabolism. Iodine is used by the thyroid gland in the production of thyroid hormones.

Women and children need iron. Women  to replace the loss during their menstrual cycle and children for growth and development.

Soya has also been linked with thyroid disorder, especially in women, weakening of the immune system and contribution to food allergies and digestive intolerance

Soya also contains phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone, oestrogen (not so good for you fella’s). They have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and regular consumption of soya milk has enough of the chemical to alter a woman's menstrual cycle. Infants who are exclusively fed soy formula receive the approximate equivalent of five birth control pills worth of oestrogen every day.

It’s not all bad news for soya however. Consuming only fermented soy products such as organic miso, organic tempeh, soy sauce or tamari is not so harmful. This is because the phytic acid, which is inherent in soy beans, has been neutralized by process of fermentation. It’s the reason why we soak beans. Soaking them for 48-72 hours before cooking allows fermentation to take place.

So although consuming organic fermented soy products can be quite beneficial. Consuming even small amounts of unfermented soy on a regular basis could cause some adverse effects in our body.

So next time you consider drinking soy milk, instead consider coconut milk or goat's milk. Some people who are allergic to dairy can tolerate goat milk products in small quantities.

Next time you buy a protein powder have a look at how much of it is Soya. I’ll bet your seemingly amazing deal on that 5Kg tub doesn’t seem such a good deal now.

And next time you consider a meal replacement shake to shift your ‘Moobs’ have a think about the effect that phytoestrogens are going to have on that particular problem