There’s a lot of hubbub about soy these days. The food once touted along with granola and hemp as the provenance of health-loving hippies is now being called into question. And with good reason.
First of all, think about it. Even people for whom soy is a native food – East Asians – eat only a very small amount, perhaps 2 tbsp per day. We Americans have taken things to extremes as usual with our 8 oz glasses of soy chocolate milk, soy ice cream sundaes, and soy cheese so the vegans and lactose-intolerant can indulge with everyone else.
Second, soy has only been used in East Asia for maybe 2000 years. On the evolutionary scale that’s a blink of an eye. And even that soy was fermented into forms such as natto and tamari. The fermentation dramatically improves digestability and bioavailability as well as neutralizing toxins. We don’t do that. Which brings me to…
Third. So much of our soy is GMO.
photo credit: Tina Keller
Enough said. Oh, no, wait, there’s a little more. These days most soy products are processed in a way that denatures proteins and increases carcinogens.
Fourth, soy isn’t the easy animal protein replacement it’s supposed to be. It lacks a couple of the amino acids present in animal-based protein. Which isn’t so bad if you’re eating a diet rich in other proteins, but if it’s your only protein source you’re going to be deficient in many things, including Vitamin B-12…yep, soy actually INCREASES the body’s requirement for B-12. Excess of soy can also cause deficiencies in calcium and Vitamin D.
So everything in moderation, right? If you’re going for soy, be conservative. Some soy sauce with your sushi isn’t going to kill you, but an organic and fermented product is your best bet. For more information about soy, read up here.
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