Do you know what phytic acid is? If you had, you probably wouldn’t have the same perception that soy is supposedly good for our diets. This is because soy contains high levels of this acid, which our normal Western methods of cooking do not neutralize. This kind of acid is known to be bad for children and prohibits magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and calcium in our bodies. Soy actually increases the body’s requirement for vitamin D and vitamin B12, far from being beneficial in the supply of these essentials. Much publicity has been given to Monosodium Glutamate, or MSG, which we know to be toxic and this can be formed during the processing of soy foods. When we hear that high levels of aluminum can be found within soy, there is little wonder that we each should be concerned for our nervous systems.

We find phyto estrogens in soy, which are detrimental to the human body. For example, estrogen is involved with endometriosis, infertility and breast cancer, and this leads us to believe that soy milk estrogen could have serious potential consequences too. Soy is also known to be goitrogenic, which essentially means that it will suppress your thyroid regulating ability, which can lead to fatigue, stress and weight gain. Soy will also affect your ability to digest protein, as it is rife with trypsin inhibitors. Get ready for stomach cramps and diarrhea, potential pancreatic problems, as well.

Soy must be fermented in order for us to consume it with any degree of safety. We learned about soy from the Asians, initially, but we should note that they only include relatively small amounts within their diets. If we really study them, we can see that they only use fermented soy and never consider the unfermented variety; this is only used as a condiment, sparingly. Generations of Chinese and Japanese have developed healthy eating habits to ensure that their foods are always high in minerals and nutrients, which tend to counter balance the effects that fermented soy might impart on the thyroid and other organs.

Isolated soy protein, is a byproduct generated when a soy bean is turned into oil. This ingredient is used to produce milkshakes, ice cream, burgers and milk substitutes, popular in the Western diet. We are incorrectly told that, as we are avoiding “red meat,” a burger made with soy is theoretically healthier. However, the soy products must taste acceptable to us, or we wouldn’t buy them, so they are loaded with additives, such as MSG and flavorings, in order to make them palatable to our taste buds.

Don’t be tempted to opt for tofu, often linked to soy products, as this is also a nontraditional product that only originated within the Asian markets as populations expanded and demand for the widespread availability of cheap foods exploded.

From allergies to infertility, depression to weight gain, to alcoholism to development problems in children, the dangers of soy are evident, yet are suppressed within our food education system. We need to be sure that the real story is told. Let us really understand why the Asian people only use soy in very sparing quantities and disband the myth once and for all that this is a healthy option for us.