Soy foods: How much is too much?
Posted by: Sam Hartman | Mar 4, 2008 10:15:38 AM
I am a vegan, as so so is a daily part of my dietary intake. Soy is an amazing form of complete protein. I agree with Sam that we can overuse soy, and so I also like to substitue with other non dairy milks.
Posted by: Rebecca McDow | Mar 17, 2008 7:28:15 PM
I avoid soy as I have had breast cancer and I have found too much research indicating it can promote tumour growth. However, fermented soy does not appear to promote tumour growth so I will have that ie: miso but rarely use it.
Even without the breast cancer I probably wouldn't use as it contains a protein enzyme inhibitor and I feel I can get a better protein elsewhere.
Posted by: jan | Mar 19, 2008 12:24:06 PM
I am vegetarian n use only soy milk.
There is so much info for n against soy.
I personally like having it as a substitute for milk n other product.
Having said that though, i really think ppl should get to know their bodies by paying attention to how what they eat affects them then make choices about food from a perspective of what works for thier body, after all...
EVERY BODY IS DIFFERENT.
Posted by: Liz | Mar 19, 2008 11:29:16 PM
I am a vegetarian and I drink soy milk on a daily basis and eat tofu maybe once every other week. I want to try other alternative milks but haven't found any yet. I feel that in moderation it shouldn't be a problem. The thing is that soy is used in so many processed foods, that many people are probably eating a lot of it daily with out even realizing it. That and good ol' corn. That is where a lot of the problems are, I believe.
Posted by: Liv | Mar 21, 2008 9:47:08 AM
85 percent of the soybean crops are Genetically-Modified. Wouldn't touch soy with a 10-foot pole!!!!
Posted by: Raymond Mackey | Mar 22, 2008 12:06:46 PM
I eat the fermented forms of soy most frequently. I make tempeh and natto at home. I actually like natto. I put seasoned rice vinegar on it with sesame oil. It is a lot like cheese and very filling. Fermenting eliminates the negative side of soy and it has sure cut my grocery bill down!
Posted by: Robin Moore | Mar 22, 2008 4:53:35 PM
I'm a professional fighter ( both boxing & kickboking) plus I work a job that does manual labor. It is true that the calorie intake & output must be regimented into your lifestyle. My weight goes up & down. 34 in. waist to 28. I own 2 sets of clothes, but at 33 years young I've maintained the division of (light-heavyweight) for the past 9 years based on my BMR and calorie intake. Believe it, it works.
Posted by: Hardnose | Mar 23, 2008 5:01:04 AM
I eat 500 g tofu a day:)
Posted by: Klaudia | Mar 24, 2008 7:40:31 AM
I have never purposely purchased any food product that contains soy. I have heard both positive and negative things about soy. Does the positive (what are they) outweigh the negative (what are they)?
Posted by: Diane | Mar 25, 2008 8:52:59 AM
I drink vanilla soymilk with cereal in the mornings because I like the taste. But I do know someone who always ate soy everything - soymilk, soy cheese, soy chips - because it was healthy and now she has a thyroid dysfunction so she can only eat tiny amounts of soy. It was definitely the soy that did her in.
Posted by: Shanon | Mar 25, 2008 9:05:50 AM
I'm vegetarian going on vegan. I drink soymilk almost daily with my tea or cereal, other than that I generally don't use it. I use organic when I go for tofu and the soymilk is organic. I prefer to eat a variety of foods and load up on legumes and nuts/seeds to get my daily protein instead of using a bunch of meat substitutes.
Posted by: Ashley | Mar 27, 2008 4:38:38 AM
from what I have read, the jury is still out on soy. Some studies state that soy increases estrogen levels, ans some state that this fact does not matter. I do not seek soy products- I try to stay away from them---pay close attention to the labels of your foods- there is a lot of added soy.
Posted by: Mags | Mar 28, 2008 9:13:31 AM
Diane,
see this related post: http://blog.nutritiondata.com/ndblog/2008/03/soy-superfood-o.html
Posted by: Monica Reinagel | Mar 28, 2008 12:33:28 PM
The last few posts were vegans. As i am both vegan and male I tend to try and find as many non-soy based products as I can, seeing as though soy is estrogenic and I'd prefer to keep my estrogen levels in check. As is with everything though you have to have a balance of things and an over abundance of anything will be bad for you. I usually use almond milk for drinking, rice milk for cooking. I only use tofu maybe 1-2 a week, usually marinated in some kind of sauce for 24-hour ahead of time. I try to get my protiens from other sources, black/red beans, whole grains, brown rice, etc. etc.
Posted by: Drewery | Apr 2, 2008 9:01:29 AM
Drewery is on the right track. I am also a male vegan of 10 years now. It's best to avoid excessive soy use, as it is best to avoid any product that is a processed food. I used togo over board on soy products and it wasn't working out for me. I felt fatiged and crappy. Now I rarely eat any soy at all,with the execption of the occasional use of soy suace. Eating plants as close to thier origional form as possible without processing or modification is best. I would also highly reccomend using coconut products in place of soy products, nut milks, rice milk, oat milk, or dairy.
Posted by: Brian | Apr 3, 2008 7:14:10 AM
I find it incredibly unlikely that soy (raw soy anyway) is particularly good at balancing hormones, because it has an Iodine inhibitor (goiteragen), and Iodine is incredibly important for regulating hormones. No one in my immediate family eats it, because it seemed to throw everyone (mom, dad, sister) into hormonal imbalance. I also avoid it because I have a mild allergy to soy.
Posted by: Kat | Apr 3, 2008 8:27:42 AM
I use soya milk daily, in drinks and cereals.
Recently after my 6 monthly Diabetic check, my doctor congratulated me that I had probably the lowest level of Cholestoral in the Surgery at which I belong, with a reading of 2.3.
Posted by: mikkimonkki | Apr 7, 2008 7:32:30 AM
I have been using soy daily for years now. I am going through menopause, and I never suffer with hot flashes. I also use miso soup almost daily, with kelp or dulse, and add some frozen turnip greens or mustard greens to the soup. A great way to start the day. At the moment, I don't beleive the negetive publicity about using natural soy, such as organic soy milk, tofu, tempeh, miso, and soy flour. I also use a variety of bean/whole grain dishes that are not soy. Variety is good.
Posted by: Cindy | Apr 22, 2008 3:47:28 AM
I avoid soy as much as possible. The most recent studies I read indicated that, depending on your genes, soy may or may not be good for you. Since I haven't had any genetic testing, I'd just as soon avoid soy.
When I do eat it, I focus on traditional, fermented soy foods, not the ridiculous processed soy that's found in so many things today.
Anyone who's interested in eating soy, I'd suggest doing a search with the words soy and phytates. Phytates are anti-nutrients, that bind to many important minerals, so they pass through your body instead of being absorbed. Soy has a lot of phytates; the only way to greatly reduce them is through fermentation.
Posted by: Eugenia | Apr 22, 2008 7:43:57 AM
my daughter is allergic to soy products and they seem to be in everything we eat. Her reaction has become fatal over the last two years. I am afraid they she is miising vaulable nutrients in her everday diet. She has grown tired of tuckey sandwitches on honey wheat bread and peanut butter on butter bread. I have run out od ideas of keeping her healthy. She also has other chronic illness/diseases. I will list what she cannot have and if you have any information on this she can eat and try out please contact me at this e-mail: cottons31@yahoo.com She is allergic in food wise to the following... soy, ranch, peaches, plums, pears, strawberries, apricots, mushrooms, tomatoes, pickles, shrimp and if i'm not mistaken this is all of her food allegries. Any help will be greatly appricated.
Thank you,
Nalah
Posted by: nalah | May 2, 2008 1:12:53 PM
As a vegan soy is pretty key in my diet. One of the big pitfalls for vegans is soy milk as it can be used in everything, so it's good to replace it with almond, rice, or hemp milk sometimes. But I personally view soy is awesome - a great source of protein and extremely versatile.