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from Natural Life Magazine, January/February 2005 Q: As a female vegetarian approaching menopause age, I eat a lot of soy products. Recently, however, I have been told that soy can increase the risk of breast cancer and can cause allergies. I thought it was a really healthy food, a good source of protein and vitamin B12, and even prevented cancer. I am now very confused. Can you help? A: This is a controversial topic, so we’re not surprised that you are confused. There are many studies discussing the disease-fighting potential of soy foods, as well as many to the contrary. Soybeans contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition, which must be supplied in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the human body. They are also a good source of fiber, B vitamins, calcium, and omega-3 essential fatty acids, all important food components. The American Heart Association recommends soy products as part of a “healthy heart” diet and in 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a health claim that can be used on labels of soy-based foods to tout their heart-healthy benefits. The FDA allowed the health claim for soy protein in response to a petition by Protein Technologies International Inc., a leading soy producer that was acquired by DuPont in 1997. In considering the petition, the FDA reviewed data from 27 clinical studies submitted in the petition, which demonstrated soy protein’s value in lowering levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol). However, research underwritten by the soy industry, which has been working hard over the past decade or so to create a market in North America, didn’t present the whole story, not surprisingly. And, of course, vegetarians are a good market for soy products, because proponents claim it to be an excellent non-meat protein source. Unfortunately, the proponents don’t publicize research like that conducted more than 30 years ago, which found that processing soybeans renders the fragile protein content largely ineffective. A 1971 study published as “Studies on the Processing and Properties of Soymilk” in the J Sci Food Agri, found that in order to neutralize the protease inhibitors (enzymes that inhibit the digestion of protein) in soy, processors of products like soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein must heat it to very high temperatures under pressure and for considerable time, a process that ... To read the rest of this article, subscribe to Natural Life's online edition. Wendy Priesnitz is the Editor of Natural Life Magazine and a journalist with over 30 years of experience. She has also authored nine books. Visit her website. |
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