Soy Article in new issue of CST mag.

[Jarlo Ilano]

Is soy really that harmful?

I ask because I have been drinking soymilk as a substitute for cow's milk, because of my intolerance for milk.

That article made me want to throw out the rest of soymilk, and try Lactaid again!

Any comments about soy from the peanut gallery?

regards,

[admin]

Here's a link for you:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=soy+puerto+rico+%22early+puberty+%22&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=3k8Fb.2871%24IM3.645%40newsread3.news.atl.ear thlink.net&rnum=1

If you can't make the above link work, go to Google and put in "early puberty" and "soy puerto rico".

Its good to be an informed consumer!!!

[Connie Brown]

There is a nice balanced article at Kathleen DesMaisons' site:

Sorting Out the Soy Story

http://www.radiantrecovery.com/soy4303html.htm

Including some good references for the research on both positive and negative effects.

I don't use it myself, coming from a basically Paeleo whole-foods preference (have you ever tasted soybeans????) but I could probably use a little, not a lot, for the good effects.

[Scott Sonnon]

Actually, Dr. DesMaisons has submitted a piece on this issue for the next issue of CST MAG!

[uprise]

Jarlo,

If the benefits of milk are what you desire and you have an intolerance, try raw milk. I am also intollerant, but raw milk digests perfectly. If you check out Dr. Mel Siff's site (the author of Supertraining) you will find some great information on raw milk.

Here is a great article that he wrote:
http://www.dolfzine.com/page185.htm

[Scotty D.]

I find little difference between well-maid almond milk and milk-milk.

Soak 1 cup of almonds over night.
Pour boiled water over the almonds and let sit 20-30 seconds.
Pour off water and husk the almonds.
Blend sweetner and coconut oil if desired.
Strain the mixture and drink up.
I also like to add strawberries or raw cacao.

[Jarlo Ilano]

Michael,

Thank you for the link. And thank you for the soy article you have written! I had always wondered if the drawbacks were as significant as stated. Perhaps it is back to lactose removed milk.

Connie,

Thank you too for the link. I actually just use soymilk to eat my cereal. A quick snack of a couple of bowls, rather than breakfast.
As for soybeans, I enjoy them whole boiled with some salt. You easily "shell" them and eat the bean. The Japanese call it "Edamame". Staple appetizer at Japanese restaurants. Eat it every once in awhile.

Coach,

Serendipitous! Ask and Ye shall receive is often more than biblical.

Scotty,

Thank you very much. I'll be sure to try it!

Such a well informed bunch of people!!

Regards

[Jarlo Ilano]

Mike (uprise),

Hi, sorry I missed your post on raw milk. Thank you for reminding me of that. I had a great couple of emails corresponding with the late Dr. Siff about PNF and the like. He was a great mind, and is missed dearly. You remind me that I should read through the Supertraining book again!

Regards

[Vbrown]

Also, you may want to give goat's milk a try. It has a different protein make up than cows milk and many folks find it much more easily digested.

In china, soy was only eaten en masse during periods of starvation. Usually it was grown during crop rotation and as animal feed. Many of the "anti-cancer" claims were taken completely out of context of the actual studies done in Japan and China.

Always remeber; it's the dose that makes the poison. Don't freak out about much of anything.

Vince

[Chuck Sproule]

Soy is a double edged sword in that the unprocessed, fermented varieties such as miso have been used for centuries with healthful benefits , but today, we are consuming soy in everything and it is one of the most over processed "foods" that there is. The result of harsh chemicals used to separate and isolate certain components of the soybean (like isoflavones and soy protein) causes it to be highly estrogenic for men to consume and too highly processed for almost anyone to consume. I would recommend using the fermented varieties and using the great advice of raw milk or properly made almond milk instead.

[Glenn Sunshine]

For an alternate view with references, see:

http://www.blionline.com/HDB/DOCS/SoyAndHealth.htm

It is on a commercial site focused on health and nutrition information, but they don't produce any soy products and I get no benefit from the reference.

Yours,
Glenn

[Connie Brown]

thanks, Glenn. I didn't check it out yet but I appreciate the input.

[radiantkd]

Ok, I am going to jump in here. Much of the information floating aorund onthe web about soy is not substantiated and is a misrepresentation of the sceince that it purports to be based on. In the infamous early maturation study, there were a whole number of other variables operating as well - like exposure to what are called xenoestrogens which came from pcps in the area.

I spent 6 months reasearching what is a reasonable and considered position on this. here is my sense...

Soy is estrogenic. This can be good or it can be bad. For post menopausal women, it is very good and is protective against bad things without risk.

For children it is not so good because little bodies don't need extra estrogen. Same is true for pregnant women and nursing moms.

For guys some estrogen activation is a good thing. And since you don't have whole lot of estrogen receptors, it is not going to make a particularly big impact.

So, stop scaring yourselves. have some, but don't go overboard.

<smile>

Kathleen

[Chuck Sproule]

Those are good points well taken Kathleen. I would like to add that the source is still important when it relates to soy. There is a HUGE difference between edamame or miso compared to soy milk or processed cereals and faux meats out there. How the body handles these and how estrogenic they are can be of significance.

I would also like to point out for our male readers that estrogenic foods (such as soy) may have a greater impact if certain biochemical pathways have been opened that aren't in younger males. This refers to anyone with possible prostate complications such as BPH or mild symptoms relating to it.

The free testosterone that should be converted to DHT (which is the mother of all male hormones and has received an undeserved black mark), will not make this necessary conversion if higher amounts of estrogen are present i.e overprocessed soy as well as several environmental toxins, and the free testosterone being a very small molecule will penetrate the prostate walls where it THEN will convert to DHT and wreak absolute havoc on the prostate. You see, the DHT is vital OUTSIDE the prostate and ultimately deadly inside. DHT being much larger in structure than the free testosterone molecules, cannot penetrate the prostate walls on its own. It's only when estrogen is present (even in slightly higher than normal amounts) that free testosterone will not make the conversion and penetrate into the prostate and then turn to DHT inside and proliferate.

Sorry for the detailed ramblings of DHT and the likes, but I wanted males to be aware that soy products present an entirely different paradigm of consideration and individually we should all recognize the potential pitfalls before jumping in or "using with moderation".