I am having a difficult time filtering through the big business hype, science and the eastern traditional consumption of soy foods. I've read, one may possibly achieve a spiritual advantage by consuming soy. "soy is believed to interfere with zinc absorption, and zinc deficiency can cause a "spacey" feeling some may mistake for the "high" of spiritual enlightenment."
Is this soy doing my body good, or am I poisoning myself in small increments?
Several years ago I was listening to a radio infomercial by a person who touts his own line of supplements both herbal and vitamins. His sincerity about the side effects of consuming soy and how he believes that it contributed to his prostate cancer, was very convincing. This prompted me to check out some of his sources and believe me there are many others. "The soy industry is one of the world's most wealthy and powerful multi-billion dollar industries."
I eat or drink soy every day an have for years. Now what do I do?
The eastern Asian diet seems to be healthy, no? Well “a 1998 survey found that the average daily amount of soy protein consumed in Japan was about eight grams for men and seven for women - less than two teaspoons” and yet “Asians in general, have much higher rates of other(than breast) types of cancer, particularly cancer of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas and liver.” I am sure other factors come into play.
The soybean itself seems to be loaded with something called “anti-nutrients”, that is they block the normal absorption of important nutrients and elements. To be fair some of those "anti-nutrients" are processed out when making tofu and other solid foods.
The processing of the beans in aluminum vats causes the bean to leach-in huge amounts of that metal. Not a good thing. Oh, did I mention that 90 percent of soybeans grown here are genetically engineered.
I could go on with this but it is best if your check it out for yourselves. So, if you eat soy daily you might want check this, this and this.
I have made a personal decision and may return to "arroz con frijoles" for my vegetarian source of protein and a little fish now and then. As you can see by the above links, it can be confusing.
I must say that I've heard the soy bean makes great renewable biodeisel fuel, printers ink and solvents.
Final word, "soy" translates to "I am" in spanish. Soy confused
PS: I added a comment on September 22, 2007
1 comment:
How about this....
Dr. Joseph Hibbeln at the National Institutes of Health estimates that soybeans, usually in the form of oil, account for an astonishing 10 percent of our total calories in the United States.
In recent years, a form of soybean oil has been the primary source of trans fats, which raises levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, in our bodies and is thought to contribute to heart disease.
Our bodies need a balance of omega-6 fatty acids like soybean oil and omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil, Hibbeln says. Over the last century, our diets have shifted almost completely to omega-6 fatty acids.
"It's quite likely that most of the diseases of modern civilization, major depression, heart disease and obesity are linked to the radical and dramatic shift in the composition of the fats in the food supply," Hibbeln says.
Our brains are composed of fatty acids, and an absence of omega-3 fatty acids can actually change our behavior, according to Hibbeln.
Hibbeln's research suggests diets containing omega-3 fatty acids found in fish reduce depression, aggression and anger, while improving mental well-being.
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