If you are trying to figure out what is wrong with soy because you were once told it was healthy, you will not be happy when you learn the truth about it’s negative health effects.
Some people love soy milk. My favorite drinks at Starbucks are iced soy lattes, iced soy chai lattes, and steamed soy lattes. Soy milk is delicious and creamy, with a hint of sweetness. But unfortunately, just because something tastes amazing does not mean that it is good for me (I’m also thinking about pizza and doughnuts here…they might sound yummy, but are horrible for your health).
Soy products are everywhere… from soy milk, soy ice cream, soy yogurt, and soy cheese to tofu and a number of other packaged products. Almost everything has soy in it these days! In fact in the book Stuffed and Starved, author Raj Patel claims that 75% of foods in the supermarket have hidden soy! One of the most common preservatives/stabilizers in packaged products is soy lecithin found in almost 100% of packaged and fast food. It is seems almost impossible to for someone on a Standard American diet to avoid it.
What is Wrong with Soy? Start with Lectins & Estrogen
Soy causes many of the same problems that grains and legumes cause. They contain lectins, which are proteins found in grain and legumes, that are not broken down in the normal digestive process, and are often seen by our bodies as bacteria, viruses, or parasites. According to this site, “Lectins will mess with your leptin sensitivity (hunger and energy expenditure signals), making your brain think he’s hungry even when your body as more than enough calories. Leptin resistance could lead to insulin resistance, which could lead to a host of problems also known as the metabolic syndrome. Levels of phytates in soy are also very high. Phytates bind to minerals like zinc, calcium, iron and magnesium and make them unavailable for you.”
The most well-known problem with soy is the effects if has on the estrogen levels in both men and women. Did you know that soy contains plant estrogens? When consumed, these plant estrogens raise your internal estrogen levels, and cause your testosterone levels to decrease.
Signs, Symptoms and Effect of Too Much Estrogen
Estrogen is a sex hormone classically attributed to women. However, estrogen, like testosterone, is actually present in both genders. The only difference is that women have more estrogen while men have more testosterone. Unfortunately, estrogen levels can become excessive, which causes numerous issues with health and well-being. Check out the results of raised estrogen levels in men, women and children:
How it Affects Men
Estrogen, which has a direct counteractive effect on testosterone, can become too high in men for a variety of reasons including just eating too much soy.
When men have excessive levels of estrogen, it can cause:
- Low libido
- Infertility
- Mood swings, irritability and depression
- Muscle loss, fat gain and decreased strength
- Fatigue
- Susceptibility to cold
- Breast development/gynecomastia (man boobs!)
- Erectile dysfunction
- Cognitive problems
- Enlarged prostate and prostate cancer
- Low bone density
- Bloating and water retention
Estrogen Dominance in Women
Even women and girls can have too much estrogen and it is pretty common! This can be caused by genetics, but food is usually the main catalyst. Overconsumption of the soy as well as use of corticosteroids and some psychiatric medications, can sometimes be blamed for female estrogen dominance. Signs of estrogen dominance in women include:
- Breast tenderness and swelling
- Fatigue and low motivation
- Hair loss
- Bloating and water retention
- Low libido and infertility
- Severe PMS symptoms
- Extreme or irrational emotional responses
- Irritability and depression
- Low muscle mass, decreased strength, excessive body fat and an inability to lose weight
- Low bone density
- Susceptibility to cold
- Thyroid issues
- Unexplained Weight Gain
- Inability to Lose Weight (even on a low calorie diet)
- Cognitive problems
Estrogen in Newborns
An overload of estrogen is even worse in young infants, since it impacts every aspect of their development. One cause for this is the mother’s overconsumption of estrogen-rich foods and herbs during pregnancy. However, the most common cause of estrogen overload in newborns is the use of soy-based formulas, which are given to roughly 25 percent of American infants. Indeed, studies have found that one day of feeding with soy formula gives babies an amount of estrogen equivalent to three to five birth control pills. The effects of estrogen overload in babies include:
- Early onset of puberty in girls, including menstruation and body hair development
- Delayed puberty and under-development of male behavior and physical characteristics in boys
- Testes that are undersized or fail to drop
- Infant lactation
- Health problems later in life, like infertility and increased risk of breast and other cancers
- Hindered mental development
- Behavioral problems
Is that enough motivation for you to avoid soy? It is plenty for me! And besides, I’ve learned that coconut milk tastes better anyway.
I believe that avoiding highly processed foods will be the first step so that you can lose weight. They will taste excellent, but ready-made foods currently have very little nutritional value, making you try to eat more in order to have enough energy to get throughout the day. If you’re constantly ingesting these foods, transferring to whole grains and other complex carbohydrates will let you have more vigor while having less. Interesting blog post.