Is Soy Milk Healthy Or Not?

We have heard that it's extremely bad for you and we have heard that it's extremely good for you.

Long has soy been a part of different Asian countries such as China, Indonesia, Japan and so on. And we all know that they are healthier than their western counterparts by a long shot. I have heard that they don't go crazy on soy and use as much as it as we are beginning to do now though.

That is part of our problem. We take something that we deem healthy or have heard is healthy and we overindulge. We need to learn to stop overeating and start eating what we need and in moderation.

But getting back to soy milk, I found many pages of advantages and dis-advantages that said the same things over and over again. I did not find many studies on the subject to back up some of the claims while of course other points are obvious such as low calcium or high fiber.

Keep in mind that most of the benefits and negatives I found could be argued either way and while some did have studies to back it up, the studies that I found had factors that could change the reasoning for such conclusions, such as in one study that looked at older Japanese men and their lifetime diet of soy and it was found that the men who consumed more soy were at a higher risk of low cognitive skills than men who did not. Although it was not taken into factor other parts of their diet as well, and the study took place in Hawaii instead of in Japan where more soy is consumed and with different growing conditions and other variables.

There are benefits to soy milk such as:

• Soy milk is high in proteins and contains more fiber than cows milk due to the fact it's made from beans
• Soybeans have all of the essential amino acids our body requires which makes it a complete protein. They are the only plant food that can claim that.
• Soy milk is an aid in reducing high cholesterol.
• Soy milk can help to prevent and treat menopausal symptoms.
• Isoflavones are found in soy milk. They are quite similar to the hormone that we call estrogen. They are associated to the prevention of many cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis and more. They are also antioxidants which protect our cells and DNA against oxidation.
• Some studies have shown that cows milk can result in insulin dependent diabetes over time whereas consuming soy milk has not reflected this outcome.
• Only 0.5 percent of the children are allergic to soy milk, whereas 2.5 percent are allergic to cows milk.

The negatives of soy milk are:

• Calcium levels are not the greatest. Even though they do add calcium to soymilk it is still not as healthy as natural occurring calcium but calcium can be obtained from other sources like green leafy vegetables and almonds to name a couple.
• Soy food contains goitrogens. Goitrogens are compounds that interfere with thyroid function and in extreme cases can cause an enlarge thyroid. It is also contained in other foods as well. To rectify this eat a well balanced diet. If you are a vegan you should make an effort to include adequate sources of iodine in your diet.
• Estrogen is found is soy. Testosterone in males, including young boys, can be suppressed by ingesting soy products.
• Soy milk and infertility have been linked together and from the information I found, giving an baby soy formula is comparable to giving a baby up to five birth control pills per day but I also found that that research has been very limited in regards to the advantages and disadvantages to babies drinking soy formula.
• The increased level of estrogen can manipulate the menstrual cycle in women.

The other thing I want to state here is that most of the information that I have found about soy milk and soy products is not listed in benefits or cons but mostly as only one or the other. People seem very adamant about the way they feel about soy and because of their intensity I have started to question what is true and what is not true now.

For me, there is too little actual evidence that supports the health dangers to humans from soy; although, I don't think I would take a chance with the claims about giving babies soy milk. There needs to be more research done.

The best statement I found was that 'moderate amounts of soy foods have been eaten happily by entire civilizations for thousands of years'. And to me the key word is moderate. And what comes with moderate? Diversity. The two best things, I believe, you can do for your diet and health.

Isabelle is the owner of The Healthy Vegetarian. For all your vegetarian information, news, articles, and recipes visit us at http://www.thehealthyvegetarian.net.

Soy Milk May Be Tied To Infant Deaths

Although the autopsy is inconclusive and tests on the food are not yet complete, a porridge made of EdenSoy Extra soy milk and cornmeal may be responsible for the deaths of two infant brothers living in Brooklyn.

When their mother attempted to wake them, shortly after noon, she found they were unconscious and took them to the hospital. Both were pronounced dead on arrival.

Initial thoughts were that the twins had been overcome by a gas leak, but tests showed no leak.

Because medical examiners also found no evidence of choking as a result of consuming the food, or any signs of foul play, the police instead began focusing on what the infants had eaten. The police cleaned out two nearby supermarkets of EdenSoy milk and cornmeal for testing.

New York Times October 21, 2005 Registration RequiredNYNewsDay.com October 22, 2005

Dr. Mercola's Comment: If you ever wondered why I'm so concerned about the health dangers tied to the rampant use of soy products -- especially in processed foods -- this kind of incident is exactly the reason. In my view there just simply isn't any justification to ever use soy formula or worse, soy milk, in infants.

This isn't the first time soy milk has been investigated for its toxic side effects. Separate incidents in California and Arkansas prompted the FDA to issue a 1990 warning against using soy milk as a formula substitute. Most brands have followed the tougher FDA labeling guidelines, except EdenSoy, says Dr. Kaayla T. Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food.

In fact, the deaths of three infants prompted the Israeli Health Ministry to issue a health advisory earlier this year, recommending babies not be fed soy formula -- except as a last resort -- and severely limiting a child's intake of soy products.

Without question the best food you can give your infant is breast milk and this should be your primary choice if at all possible, as it is the healthiest source of milk you can give to your infant. I believe very strongly all soy formula should be avoided andis not fit for human consumption.

If breastfeeding is not an option,the best article I ever read on the topicis one published in a recent edition of the Weston Price ogranization. I am on their board and was able to obtain reprint rightsfor their article onhealthy alternatives to breast milk and commercial formula from Sally Fallon to run it in our newsletter. I would strongly encourage you to review thismulti-part series in this issueif you are unable to breastfeed.

When making the alterntaive to breast milk described in the article, ideally, it would be best to use raw milk as the base (other ingredients to add are described in the article). The best way toget it is tofind a local dairy farmer in your areathrough your local health food store orthe Real Milk Web site. Raw milk is a safer and farhealthier alternative to pasteurized milk.

This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test" to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this quick test!