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Dr. Mercola
March 06 2008
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Weston A. Price Foundation to FDA: Soy is No Health Food

soy, soybeanThe Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit nutrition education foundation, has submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking them to change a rule that currently allows soy protein to carry a heart disease health claim.

Manufacturers of soy products have been able to label them “heart healthy” since 1999. The Weston A. Price Foundation’s 65-page petition was filed in response to the FDA’s request for public comment on the issue.

"We have filed this petition because there was never a sound basis for a soy health claim and the heavy marketing of soy as a ‘miracle food‘ has put American men, women and children at risk," said Kaayla Daniel, lead author of the petition that was officially filed by Sally Fallon, president of the foundation.

The petition documents longstanding concern in the scientific community -- including the FDA’s own Laboratory for Toxicological Research -- regarding soy’s possible role in:
  • Carcinogenesis
  • Thyroid disease
  • Reproductive health problems including infertility
  • Other illnesses
Further, the Foundation claims that the evidence on soy protein and heart disease is "contradictory and inconsistent, and no standard of scientific agreement has been met."

Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola's Comments:
As of 2007, 85 percent of people in the United States perceive soy as healthy (this is according to the Soyfoods Association of North America). This incorrect assumption has, in large part, been propagated by the FDA’s 1999 approval of this health claim for soy foods:

“Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease."

Sound familiar?

If you eat any processed soy foods, it would be hard to miss this claim, as soy manufacturers took it and ran, adding it to every so-called soy health food they could create.

Yet, as is typical when industry marketers dip their hands into a traditional food, the resulting soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soy milk (need I go on?), are not even close to the fermented soy foods consumed, with good health results, by many cultures for countless generations.

And so I say …

Excellent Work by the Weston A. Price Foundation!

They are taking matters into their own hands and asking the FDA to do what it should have done long ago: get rid of the preposterous claim that processed soy is good for your heart.

Even the conservative American Heart Association knows better. In 2006 they told physicians that soy is unlikely to prevent heart disease.

Yet, walk into any supermarket, and even health food store, and you will be inundated with “heart healthy” soy products.

How did things go so very wrong?

It all started when the food industry, presented with a quandary over what to do with the byproducts of their ever-growing soybean oil industry, had an idea.

With some processing, and some added flavorings, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers and synthetic nutrients, they turned soy protein isolate, “the food processors' ugly duckling,” as Sally Fallon put it, “into a New Age Cinderella.”

What they did not know is that their processing could not come close to the traditional fermentation process that took place before any ancient cultures would consume soy.

You see, fermenting the soybeans makes an otherwise inedible food quite nutritious. But the food industry knew they did not have the time to create traditionally fermented soy foods, nor the market to sell them to.

And, as a result, most of today’s soy foods are loaded with anti-nutrients and are a nutritional nightmare linked to:
If you would like to know more, Dr. Kaayla Daniel's groundbreaking book, The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food is an excellent place to start. She authored the Weston A. Price Foundation’s FDA petition, and is a definite expert in the field.

But before you swear off all soy foods for good, there is something you should know.

Fermented Soy Foods ARE Healthy

You may recall me talking about the wonderful health benefits of traditionally fermented foods. Well, this is true of ALL varieties, including fermented soy.

After a long fermentation process, the phytate (which blocks your body’s uptake of essential minerals) and antinutrient levels of soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties become available to your digestive system.

So am I opposed to eating soy? Absolutely not -- as long as it is in one of the fermented forms that follows:
  • Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor. This one is my favorite, and I personally eat it nearly every day (it has the highest concentration of vitamin k in the human diet) and is also loaded with nattokinase, a very powerful blood thinner.
  • Tempeh, a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.
  • Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).
  • Soy sauce: traditionally, soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes, however be wary because many varieties on the market are made artificially using a chemical process.
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Community Comments ( 104 )
 		Comment on this Article
  
  
foxtroter_203
 [ Joined on 09/06 ] [ Posted on February 20, 2008 ]
31 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Article link takes you to home page.  Here is the link that takes you to the "Soy Alert".

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Russ Bianchi
 [ Joined on 09/06 ]  [ Posted on February 20, 2008]
19 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Do we honestly believe the USDA is going to tell major soy producers like Cargill and ADM to cease and desist?  No.

Can you alter the course of food history as consumers buy voting with your wallet??  Yes, it's already been done, when domestic soy oil, canola, and corn producers lost billions in food commodity contracts in the EU, to non gmo producers in South America.
Mercola
  
seg
 [ Joined on 11/06 ]  [ Posted on February 21, 2008]
2 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Yeah but doc Asians consume soy and they are healthy, so what's the big deal, their's are fermented and mine ain't. I better go and take my antibiotics before i forget eh .....
Mercola
  
Patty D
 [ Joined on 06/07 ]  [ Posted on February 21, 2008]
8 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
seq, contrary to popular belief the Asian cultures do not consume large amounts of soy and what soy they do eat is traditionally fermented (miso and natto to name 2).  They do not eat unfermented soy.  Fermentation makes a huge difference in the goitrogens especially.  I have done some research and cooking soy and cruciferous veggies can actually INCREASE the goitrogens contrary to popular belief that cooking will decrease.  The effect of cooking is quite variable but the effects of live fermentation consistently shows deactivation of harmful compounds.  Soy is bad for you organic or otherwise unless fermented and even then should not play a major role in your diet.
Mercola
  
Patty D
 [ Joined on 06/07 ]  [ Posted on February 21, 2008]
7 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Russ, did you know the US is now going after the EU over GMOs and wants to either force them to accept them or reimburse those very billions?  Sick isn't it.  I imagine when they get through bullying the EU, Japan will be next.
Mercola
  
seg
 [ Joined on 11/06 ]  [ Posted on February 22, 2008]
6 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Hey Patty don't take my post to heart it was really a cheap shot at being hilarious.. The only soy product i have been using is nattokinase and been on it for years now, i tried the real natto but you gotta have a lot of guts to stomach it, so yes, the fermented types like natto, miso and tempeh are quite good, unfermented will mess up your hormones like there's no tomorrow......salut.!!!!
Mercola
  
SamVed
 [ Joined on 05/07 ]  [ Posted on February 23, 2008]
-8 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
While I certainly respect the anti-GMOs declarations I heard coming from there, I find very unfortunate that the Weston A. Price Foundation founder is also well known in some vegetarian circles for his vigourous stances against vegetarian cuisine.<br><br>The Foundation has been trying to ridicule vegetarians for as long as I can remember, including, of course, attacking soya as an meat alternative. The Foundation keeps telling you that vegetarianism is just another modern invention (I'm not kidding!!!) that turned out to be bad!!<br><br>The Foundation's founder has been quoting anti-animal rights activists all his life. And he has repeated many times that vegetartian diet is not healthy (remember: even the American Cattlemen's Beef Association had to&nbsp; acknowledge the legitimacy of meatless diets, imagine that!!!!)<br><br>Then (I'm quoting from memory) the Foundation's founder passed away from.... a heart attack--apparently like another well publicized proponent of the 'benefits' of eating meat (Dr Atkins).<br><br>This whole thing looks very bizarre to me...
Mercola
  
rajsanand
 [ Joined on 11/07 ]  [ Posted on March 6, 2008]
2 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

@SamVed, You are absolutely right on Weston Price stance on vegetarianism. Their reasoning is good too. The PETA take vegetarianism too far, I was one of the many who would ridicule the PETA.

Those are the disadvantages of Extremism. PETA is an extremist organization and when you retaliate you tend to retaliate just like W. Price does. I know because I have gone through the same state once. I still done support the PETA but I believe that we should not be cruel to animals and we should not kill them for out food, when there are other alternatives.

This doesnt mean that soy is good. You have to understand and recognize one of the greatest strategy by the Soy industry. They saw a very good potential when people started recomending tofu as an alternative to dairy products.

From there they have been riding this wave and exploiting vegetarians.

None of the Soy meat substitutes are natural. I believe that most of soy products can easily me manufactured by any other lentil that doesnt have a strong original flavour. Soy just happened to be the easiest to grow and with GM it was the cheapest(with all the subsidies).

I have to admit thought that if you look back at history meat eating has been a part of human food. I still have to come to terms with avoiding meat.

There has to be an explanation somewhere regarding meat eating and it will come only from ancient history.

We have to decide wether we want to accept darwins theory of evolution, then we should all go raw.

I believe that we should look at Indian vedic history we might find the answer there. I have been searching there as Indian vedic society seems to be vegetarian. That will tell us if we human are supposed to eat meat or no.

Because all the dangers associated with abstinence of meat like b12 deficiency should have shown in this civilization but they seem to be the healthiest humans.

Anyways soy is bad and it is commercial product. W Price i feel is just responding anecdotally to Vegetrianism
Mercola
  
chirocheer
 [ Joined on 08/06 ]  [ Posted on March 6, 2008]
1 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

For all of you w/more questions about soy (endamme, tofu, etc.), check out the following link:

www.mercola.com/.../index.htm

Mercola has a great search engine.  I use it all the time.
Mercola
  
AZhiker
 [ Joined on 01/07 ]  [ Posted on March 6, 2008]
5 Points        
   
Apprentice User
  Mercola

I believe the Westin A Price Foundation says it was one of Dr Price's greatest disappointments that he did not find a healthy vegetarian society in his travels. They recommend that if you are vegetarian you consider bending just a bit to take fish oil to get the needed vit A & D. I haven't heard anything ridiculing vegetarians, just presenting research to try to help humankind be healthy.

Mercola
  
HeatherM
 [ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on March 6, 2008]
3 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

SamVed,

Dr. Atkins got a heart infection during a trip overseas, which permanently damaged his heart. His heart failure was not related to artery disease or diet related.

  
  
qualitygeek
 [ Joined on 10/07 ] [ Posted on February 21, 2008 ]
12 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Soy is also one of the top 7 food allergens/sensitivities:



  1. soy

  2. eggs

  3. nuts

  4. shellfish

  5. corn

  6. wheat

  7. milk

I'd say refined sugar is a biggie as well, but it's not often recognized as a food sensitivity.

 [ Reply ]
  
  
New to Natural
 [ Joined on 11/07 ] [ Posted on February 21, 2008 ]
12 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Heads up:

Dupont has a new soy food additive they're marketing called "Solae"  There's info about it at:

http://www2.dupont.com/Food_Innovations/en_GB/Food_Offering/Ingredients/Solae.html 

From paint to food additives.......................................................
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
celticblobby
 [ Joined on 02/08 ]  [ Posted on February 21, 2008]
22 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola
....shades of Soylent Green...
  
  
KAC
 [ Joined on 06/06 ] [ Posted on February 20, 2008 ]
12 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
You have to look at the way soy is processed that leads to health issues.  Fermented soy is touted as healthy but other than that I wouldn't touch the stuff.  Before finding Mercola's website, I gave my infant soy after breastfeeding.  What a mistake!!  He was constantly sick, didn't gain weight and he delayed walking until 15 months. 
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Charisse
 [ Joined on 10/07 ]  [ Posted on February 20, 2008]
33 Points