IS there such a thing as TOO MUCH SOY?

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post #1 of 7

6/6/02 at 1:38am

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6 Posts. Joined 11/2001
Location: west sonoma county
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My self-weaned 15 month old dd drinks around 32 oz/ day of 1/2 soy milk and 1/2 rice milk (both calcium fortified). Is she getting enough calcium and is there such a thing as too much soy and/or rice milk?

thanks for your input.

GM

Yes, my opinion is that you can get too much soy, especially the processed, unfermented kind, like soy milk and other new soy inventions. People in Asia whose diets are very high in soy have a higher incidence of enzymatic diseases. Also, processed foods of any kind is harmful to the body if consumed regularly. Better sources are nuts and seeds, dark green vegies, sea vegies (use them in broths, or sprinkle on the powdered form to make them more palatable), and canned fish. Remember that calcium like any single nutrient should be consumed in its natural state for optimal absorption. Also make sure the diet is not too high in protein or phosphorus (high in processed foods) since this may leach the body of calcium and other minerals. In my opinion the RDI in the US is way too high. Studies done with other ethnic groups show that a low calcium intake does not correspond with weak bones and teeth.
There is no single nutrient that is more important than the other. The calcium hype is mainly driven by the dairy industry.

post #4 of 7

7/25/02 at 1:36pm

618 Posts. Joined 11/2001
Location: The Enchanted Circle
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HI There ~ I didn't think too much soy was possible myself until about a month or so ago when I found another thread in this forum (Negatives and Positives of Soy). Check it out along with those links Peggy posted as well as Susan Weed's website (I think it is SusanWeed.com, but I'm not positive!!). It is frightening (at least it was to me). All the hype about soy and how awesome it is seems to be just another marketing tool by the soy industry. A really knowledgeable woman posted on this other thread and shared a GREAT recipe for almond milk (my son LOVES it and he was a soy milk king until a few weeks ago). We still have some soy in our diet (I just can't give up the veggie burgers we really like and our nutritional bars have soy in them and we just love them too) but we have decreased it dramatically and now I am really hyper vigilant about too much of anything

Balance is the key in all things.

post #5 of 7

8/13/02 at 10:21pm

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Soy is quite dangerous, especially for children. Soy contain isoflavones, which act like estrogen and can cause reproductive problems and leech minerals and vitamins out of the body. This is not what we want for our children. The amount of estrogen in one bottle of soy formula is equal to about 3 or 4 birth control pills.
Don't be led to believe that soy is a safe food. Traditional soy foods, not soy burgers or soymilk are what have some benefit for people eating a balanced diet rich in seaweeds( to counteract the thyroid depletion), and fermented soy( tempeh, miso ,tamari).

Eating soy protein isolate is not a whole food. Substitutions of processed foods for whole mineral rich foods is dangerous, and considering that soy has only been in this country for about 100 years, we are the guinea pigs. I for one have started drinking almond milk, and previosly vegan, I now eat goat cheese and fish. I feel a lot more comfortable supporting fisherman and goat farmers than I do supporting GMO's, media bull, and the multi million dollar industry of soy.