Got Soy?
You bet you do. Check some labels in your kitchen cabinet. Unless you go out of your way to avoid soy products you’ll find soybean oil, soy lecithin, soy flour, and soy protein isolate hidden in all kinds of processed foods – sausage, bread, candy, cereal a full list could easily fill this entire e-Alert.
But are any of these products actually good for you? An HSI member named John writes: “Have heard conflicting reports on soy – ONLY fermented versions Miso, Tempeh, Natto are beneficial or ALL soy based food products are helpful (I would think if the latter is true only Organic based soy products would qualify).”
When it comes to soy, don’t expect to find much in the way of organic. Most of the soy produced in the U.S. is grown by agri-business giants like Archer Daniels Midland and Monsanto. And well over half of the soy produced in the U.S. is also genetically modified. But John is on the right track with “fermented versions.”
When it comes to soy, fermented is the only way to go.
Every last word
Dark, fermented soy sauce may offer more antioxidant protection than red wine or vitamin C. In fact, the antioxidants in vitamin C may be far less potent than the antioxidants in soy sauce.
Those are the surprising results of a study from researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS). The NUS team also reports that blood flow might improve by about 50 percent for a few hours immediately following the consumption of fermented soy sauce.
In a Reuters report about the study, NUS researcher Barry Halliwell noted that that soy sauce has a preventive aspect that could, “slow down the rate of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.”
Sounds pretty impressive. And you can imagine that those who read the Reuters report might be inclined to up their consumption of soy sauce. But if they do, I hope they didn’t miss one very important word: fermented.
Here’s HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., on the issue of soy fermentation: “I am not a fan of today’s soy for a large list of reasons (even though the stuff is commonly labeled a ‘health food’). The phytates on board block absorption of more than just minerals (proteins are also involved), and are only deactivated with soy that’s been fermented. Tofu, textured soy protein and most other forms are anything but. Tempeh, miso, soy sauce made by the traditional method (most in the U.S. is not), and a few other forms are the only ones that qualify, and we don’t see them much around here.”
Hard facts
The Reuters report on the NUS study states: “Soy sauce (US) or soya sauce is a fermented sauce made from soybeans (soya beans), roasted grain, water and salt” Unfortunately, that comment might lead many readers to believe that the soy sauce at their local grocery is the same soy sauce described by NUS researchers. But in most cases it’s not. Not even close.
In a groundbreaking article about soy titled “The Ploy of Soy,” Sally Fallon and Mary G Enig, Ph.D., of the Weston A. Price Foundation (a pro-raw dairy group), put the nutritional realities of soy consumption into perspective – a perspective you won’t find anywhere in the mainstream. Here are a few of the key points they make: Soybeans contain “antinutrients” that inhibit enzymes needed for protein digestion and amino acid uptake
- Soybeans contain hemaglutinin, a substance that promotes the clotting of red blood cells
- Soybean hemaglutinin and enzyme inhibitors are deactivated during the fermentation process
- Enzyme inhibitors are reduced in bean curd and tofu, but not completely eliminated
- Soybeans are high in phytic acid; an organic acid that impedes the absorption of four key minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc
- The phytic acid content of soybeans can only be reduced by a long fermentation period
- When vegetarians substitute dairy products and meat with bean curd and tofu, they may risk mineral deficiencies
- Fermented soy products – such as miso and tempeh – provide nutrients that are easily absorbed
Soy intake may also increase kidney stone risk. A 2001 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, showed how soybeans, tofu, and commercially processed soy products – especially textured soy protein – contain extremely high levels of oxalate, a compound that binds with calcium in the kidneys, increasing the risk of kidney stone development.
It can’t be said often enough: Soy is not health food. For more eye-opening details about soy, you can read “The Ploy of Soy” on the Weston A. Price web site: westonaprice.org.
Sources:
“Dark Soya Sauce Healthier than Red Wine: Study” Reuters Health, 6/5/06, reutershealth.com
“The Ploy of Soy” Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., Weston A. Price Foundation, 1999, westonaprice.org