5 Reasons Soy Foods Are Not Health Foods

You may have heard that soy food products are healthier alternatives to certain foods such as meat or dairy. In fact, many people consume soy milk, tofu, and soy veggie burgers because of this belief. Many vegetarians and vegans rely on soy foods as their main source of protein. Even if you eat meat, you likely also eat a lot of soy without knowing it.

Is soy food bad for you? In a word, yes. Much like corn and wheat/gluten, soy pervades the American diet. It’s in practically everything! What foods contain soy? You can find it in milk substitutes, dressings and sauces, and chocolate. Soy is also an ingredient in body products, cakes, crackers, and infant formula. Soy lecithin is an emulsifier added to many processed foods. Think of your typical chocolates, baked goods, and bottled smoothies. Soybeans are also used as animal feed. This means soy transfers to your meat products. If you buy grass-fed or pasture-raised meats, you don’t need to worry about this.

In this article, I’m sharing five reasons soy foods are not health foods. You’ll learn why, as well as how to avoid them. You’ll also learn about how soy and estrogen connect, and how it impacts your hormones. There are several reasons why you should eliminate soy food products from your diet.

Here are my top five reasons:

1. Over 90% of U.S. Soybeans Are GMO

“Genetically modified organisms,” or GMO soybeans are bad news. GMOs are plants and animals produced using unnatural DNA combinations. Therefore, they are a different species in a way that could not occur in nature or by traditional cross-breeding. Oftentimes, this occurs to try and ward off disease. Companies also aim to produce bigger produce and animal products. However, growing research shows that GMO foods promote disease.

Over 90% of US production includes GMO soybeans. What about the other 10%? Due to cross-pollination by wind and insects, even the non-GMO soybeans can’t guarantee they are non-GMO (1).

With all that said, it’s safe to assume all soy food products in the United States come from GMO soybeans. You might think that buying organic soy is a better option, right? Wrong. Even organic soy foods may contribute to disease. 

2. Soy Contains Isoflavones

Soy foods contain chemical compounds called “isoflavones”. Soy isoflavones mimic the hormone estrogen. Estrogen occurs naturally in your body and usually remains in careful balance with your other hormones. Too much estrogen causes reproductive difficulty in both men and women. In addition, it also has ties to certain cancers.

The soy and estrogen connection can even increase tumor growth in animals (2). This leads researchers to speculate how it may cause harm to developing humans as well. 

For this reason, avoid giving infants soy-based formula. Growing infants are rapidly developing and are especially sensitive to hormones and hormone-like compounds.

3. Soy Can Cross-React with Gluten

Soy is one of the top allergenic foods out there. This is partly because it resembles gluten on a molecular level. If you have a gluten sensitivity, your body can’t distinguish between gluten and soy. Your body could react to each food with the same immune response. If you’ve given up gluten but haven’t seen a decrease in inflammation, it may be the soy foods in your diet. Eliminate all soy food products and see if your symptoms resolve. 

4. Soy is a Legume

Some people don’t digest soybeans and other legumes well. While they do have protein, your body can’t absorb it very well. 

A bean is a seed. Seeds are inherently designed to withstand digestion so they can be “planted” somewhere else by the animals who eat them. Soy foods are also high in phytic acid. Phytic acid is a digestion inhibitor that binds to certain vital minerals and prevents their absorption. Zinc and iron are common examples (3).

Not only can this lead to mineral deficiencies, but undigested food particles sitting in your gut feed gut infections. It can also further irritate your gut lining. This can lead to a case of leaky gut. A leaky gut is a determining factor in the development of autoimmune disease. For this reason, avoid all soy food products.

5. Soy is Goitrogenic

Soybeans contain chemical compounds called “goitrogens”. These compounds suppress the thyroid gland by inhibiting the uptake of iodine (4). Iodine is necessary for the synthesis of thyroid hormone. If you have an underachieving thyroid, make sure you’re getting enough iodine. Also, avoid all soy food products. Too much iodine can be harmful, so it’s important to eat a diet rich in other thyroid-balancing minerals. Make sure to include selenium and zinc in your diet. You can also take a high-quality multivitamin.

Other vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables, are also goitrogenic. However, the benefits of eating antioxidant-rich vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and kale far outweigh the risks posed by the goitrogens. Soy foods, on the other hand, aren’t worth it in the slightest.

Just as people who are gluten-free rely too much on gluten-free products, many vegetarians turn to soy products as meat alternatives. A vegetarian diet full of soy food is not a healthy diet. That said, it’s best to decrease your consumption of soy food products as much as you can. At the same time, replace it with nutritious alternatives. I recommend a wide variety of dark leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and protein-rich nuts and seeds.

Whether or not you are a vegetarian or vegan, avoid relying on soy foods as your main protein source. Most of us eat too many soy food products as it is. It’s best to limit your soy intake. However, if you choose to eat it, it’s important that you:

• Buy 100% organic soy.
• Eat soy in its whole, unprocessed form (edamame).
• Read package labels carefully.

To determine whether or not you have a sensitivity to soy foods, try completely removing it from your diet for at least two weeks. After two weeks are over, add it back in. Tracking your symptoms along the way. That will give you a good idea as to whether soy food products should permanently stay off the menu or not.