Re: Soy myths part 3

 Myth: Soy isoflavones and soy protein isolate have GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.

Truth: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) recently withdrew its application to the FDA for GRAS status for soy isoflavones following an outpouring of protest from the scientific community. The FDA never approved GRAS status for soy protein isolate because of concern regarding the presence of toxins and carcinogens in processed soy.

The real truth is: ROTFLMAO!!! Did they really think nobody would check to see if they are lying?!!! From the FDA's own website the GRAS approvals for soy products:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsLi...

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsLi...

http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/GenerallyRecognizedasSafeGRA...

Myth: Soy foods are good for your sex life.

Truth: Numerous animal studies show that soy foods cause infertility in animals. Soy consumption enhances hair growth in middle-aged men, indicating lowered testosterone levels. Japanese housewives feed tofu to their husbands frequently when they want to reduce his virility.

The real truth is: LOL!!!! This is some of the funniest garbarge I have seen in a long time. First of all studies have shown no effect of soy on sperm.:

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1542259#i

And how do they explain the ultra-high population of people in China where soy products are a major component of the diet if it reduces virility and fertility?

And low testosterone does not increase hair growth. Things like facial and chest hair are increased by increased levels of testosterone, but lower levels do not increase hair growth. Seriously, what were these people smoking when they thought this garbage up? Highly estrogenic marijuana?!!! Or maybe they overdosed on highly estrogenic beer! The role of testosterone on scalp hair is when it converts to the more radical dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which kills the hair follicle to die and the hair falls out. This is known as male pattern baldness (MPB). What phytoestrogens can do is to act as DHT blockers preventing hair loss. This is why oils like sesame oil are used in some countries to prevent hair loss. Licorice root, saw palmetto, pygeum and other herbs also help by acting as DHT blockers.



Myth: Soy beans are good for the environment

Truth: Most soy beans grown in the US are genetically engineered to allow farmers to use large amounts of herbicides.

The real truth is: Why would they think that genetically altering plant for insect resistance would require more use of herbicides? Use some common sense people!!! If the bugs cannot eat the soy then what are they going to eat? Maybe the weeds?


Myth: Soy beans are good for developing nations.

Truth: In third world countries, soybeans replace traditional crops and transfer the value-added of processing from the local population to multinational corporations.
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/03soymyths.htm

Do they have any evidence of this or is this just more unsubstantiated soy bashing? And have they considered that "traditional crops" change all the time? Do you think watermelons and tomatoes are from North America? What about wheat? Bananas? Should I go on with the long list of non-native crops being grown in the US?
 

Other studies raise concerns about soy's effect on hormones, for example: One study found that children with autoimmune thyroid disease are more likely to have been fed soy-based infant formula.

The real truth is that "more likely" is hardly a proof of correlation. In fact I ran several searches looking for any human studies showing a link between soy intake and Hashimoto's and there were NONE!!! Probably because soy has nothing to do with autoimmune thyroid conditions. If you do your homework you will find that autoimmune conditions stem from adrenal dysfunction and nearly every autoimmune condition has been proven to have a microbial trigger. Soy is not a microbe and it does not suppress the adrenals. 

A 1991 Japanese study found that soy consumption can suppress thyroid function and cause goiters in healthy people, especially elderly subjects.

The real truth is that cooking or fermenting soy inactivates the goitrogenic activity of soy. Do you know anyone who eats raw soybeans? I also find it interesting that they always claim these studies exist but they don't link or post them. And when you go to look for them they are nowhere to be found. This is a great example of what I have mentioned in the past about it is easy to make any claim, but it is impossible to prove when you are making the claim up. This is why when people claim studies exist but don't provide them they usually do not exist.

Czech researchers in 2006 reported on a study that looked at thyroid hormones and thyroid autoantibodies, along with blood levels of two isoflavones -- daidzein and genistein. The study looked at children without overt thyroid disease, who were not iodine deficient. They found a "significant positive association of genistein with thyroglobulin autoantibodies and a negative correlation with thyroid volume." They concluded that "even small differences in soy phytoestrogen intake may influence thyroid function, which could be important when iodine intake is insufficient."

"When iodine is insufficient. This has been pointed out in the past. In fact I mentioned a few days ago that the traditional Asian diet also includes seaweeds high in iodine. Also keep in mind that cooking and fermentation eliminates the goitrogenic effect and we get iodine from other food sources. So unless you are eating a diet of raw soybeans and nothing else the risk is basically non-existent. On the other hand other goitrogenic foods commonly eaten raw could be a big factor such as flax seed, which has about two times more goitrogenic activity than raw soy. Other goitrogens commonly eaten raw include cabbage, broccoli, onions, peaches, spinach, peanuts, turnips.... 

In 2004, researchers found that infants fed soy formula had a prolonged increase in their thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, compared to infants fed non-soy formula.

Again, where is the study? If you really want to prove a point then provide the proof, not hearsay!!!

European researchers found in one study that even a week of consuming unprocessed boiled natural soybeans caused modest changes to thyroid levels.

"Unprocessed boiled natural soybeans"?!!! Isn't boiling processing? And are their synthetic soybeans? And again, where is the study?

A 1997 study published in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology wrote: "it was observed that an...extract of soybeans contains compounds that inhibit thyroid peroxidase- (TPO) catalyzed reactions essential to thyroid hormone synthesis

I have only seen one study on this and it was a rat study. We are not rats, nor do we react the same to substances as rats. i posted on this study and provided human studies showing that soy does not affect the thyroid in humans here:

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1476396#i