Until recently, soy has been a common ingredient in many popular foods. Particularly hot in the vegan market, soy propaganda has labeled it heart healthy and beneficial to humans. Men who have diets high in soy are at risk for potential hormone imbalance, gynecomastia (breast enlargement), reduction of libido, infertility, and increased risk in cancer. For women, early puberty, linked to estrogen dominance (can lead to endometriosis), infertility, menstrual troubles, and cancer (although soy propaganda claims it can reduce the risk of breast cancer).

Many vegans or individuals who substitute soy for meat aren’t actually aware of the risk of mineral deficiencies for vitamin B12, vitamin D, zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium (which much of the American population is already deficient in) due to the high amount of phytic acid present in the soybean. The soybean contains high quantities of natural toxins, also known as antinutrients. Soybeans also contain a potent enzyme inhibitor called trypsin; even though soy is used by many athletes for protein intake, the enzyme trypsin actually inhibits correct protein digestion and is acts as a growth inhibitor. The enzymes are not deactivated when cooked or fermented. A common argument is that the soybean contains all amino acids making it a healthy protein but it can also produce gastric distress, reduce protein digestion, and lead to a deficiency in amino acid uptake. Goitrogens are present in soy, placing it in the category of foods that promote the formation of goiter, an enlarged thyroid. Soy can also cause endocrine disruption. Soy contains lectins and oxalates, causing kidney stones and the clumping of red blood cells which causes inflammation. Soy also prevents the intestines from healing even when gluten is removed.

When studied in animals, a high intake of soy had detrimental effects to their health such as pathological conditions of the pancreas including cancer. Soy is 99% GMO, which means the soy you’re eating is highly contaminated with pesticides and most likely sprayed with Monsanto’s weed killer, glyphosate. GMO soy also contains a gene that can mutate and produce natural toxins in your body. The recent demand of soy is actually depleting our crops and making us sick, the soy crop strips the soil of beneficial nutrients. It contains high levels of aluminum and nitrates because they are acid washed and processed at high temperatures. Much livestock is fed GMO soy that makes them sick as it would humans, and of course, we end up eating their meat, passing on the harmful properties.

A good idea is to stay away from all forms of soy, even supplemental, such as soy isoflavones (genistein- the main isoflavone in soy, is linked to numerous health effects such as infertility, altered reproduction, and abnormal embryo development), or soy protein isolate which can cause adverse effects to your body the same way as eating the whole soybean may. The same way it could harm a small mouse who is fed soy (according to several small animal studies), would be just as detrimental for a developing child, which is why you should keep soy far away from infants.

***THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR REGULATED BY THE FDA.  WE ARE NOT DOCTORS, THEREFORE ALWAYS CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR FIRST.