Is Soy REALLY Healthy??? Unraveling the Propaganda About Soy

Soy is a very controversial topic in the health community. So many people, including doctors and health nutritionists, “claim” that soy is a healthy food, while research clearly shows otherwise. The soy industry has fed us propaganda about soy for decades, and now it's time to unravel the propaganda about soy. 

When I first transitioned to vegan/raw foods, I used to consume tofu almost everyday, in large quantities. I used to make tofu dates pudding, tofu scramble, tofu dates cheesecake (recipe in my desserts ebook) and enjoyed it plain inside salads, wraps or as a pizza topping. I heard lots of controversies about soy, but to be honest, I was naive back then when it came to the topic of soy. I'll admit, I enjoyed eating tofu, and I didn't want to eliminate it from my diet.

Why Did I Stop Eating Soy & Dangers of Soy

When I used to consume soy, I began to gain weight and feel tired afterwards. Sometimes, I would experience headaches. Now, I really don't miss soy, especially if it has no real nutritional value for my body and cells. Personally, my body doesn't feel and perform it's best when I consume soy, anyway. Soy is highly processed and refined (not a wholefood!), so that explains it.

Here are 7 (out of the many!) Dangers of Soy and Why You Should Avoid it in your Diet:

• Soy is high in estrogen, a chemical (a group of steroid hormones that promote the development and maintenance of female characteristics of the body. Such hormones are also produced artificially for use in oral contraceptives or to treat menopausal and menstrual disorders) that causes infertility in woman (and birth defects) and gives men breasts. Estrogen disables males the ability to be males and females to be women's. Estrogen is also known as a hormone steroid. Every wonder why it's found in most body-building protein shakes and powders?! The estrogen found in soybeans causes young girls to have early childhood puberty. The estrogen found in soybeans causes breast cancer in both men and women. Soy is found in instant baby formula, which is loaded with corn syrup and sugar.
• Soy promotes weight gain, leading to obesity and helps to maintain weight. If you're looking to lose weight, soy is not a good food to include in your diet.
• Causes blurred vision, increases bad cholesterol and raises high blood pressure
• Soy naturally contains MSG, which is naturally found in Bragg's liquid aminos (a soy sauce) and namu soyu, a raw, unpasteurized soy sauce
• Soy promotes a gut; it makes you bloated, causes inflammation and causes constipation
• Soybeans are a big GMO crop. Consuming genetically modified soy is very dangers, as it can causes all sorts of health conditions. A post on RVL coming soon about GMOs.
• Soybeans are high in phytic acid (a.k.a 'phytoestrogens'), which causes infertility and other health complications. Phytic acid is found in unsoaked nuts, seeds and grains, which is undigestible and causes discomforts in the stomach. That's one of the reasons why it's important to soak your nuts and seeds thoroughly.

There are SO many more reasons why you should avoid soy, above are just 8. So many people praise tofu as a "health food", but I look and see soy as toxic. I'm not being biased nor am I against those who consume soy, I'm just stating the true facts and unraveling the soy propaganda. You have the facts; make your own decision on whether or not you want soy in your diet. Although soy is found in mostly all foods on the supermarkets today, it's very easy to avoid it.

If you're interested in learning more about the TRUTH about soy, check out the useful resources below, where you'll see for yourself. 

RESOURCES

• Beware of the Dangers of
  Soy: http://www.naturalnews.com/027358_soy_food_nutrients.html
• Dangers of
  Soy: http://www.naturalhealthstrategies.com/
  dangers-of-
  soy.html
• Dangers and Myths About Soy Summarized: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/04/
  soy-
  dangers-summarized.aspx 
• The Truth About
  Soy: http://foodrevolution.org/blog/the-truth-about-
  soy/ 
• Dangers of Soy: http://www.foodrenegade.com/dangers-of-soy/
• Soy Can Damage Your Health: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/18/
  soy-can-damage-your-health.aspx 
• The Truth About
  Soy and Tofu:  http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/the-truth-about-
  soy-and-tofu
• The Truth About Unfermented
  Soy and Its Harmful Effects: http://www.naturalnews.com/022630_soy_food_phytic_acid.html 
• Newest Research on Why You Should Avoid
  Soy: http://www.mercola.com/article/
  soy/avoid_soy.htm 
• The Dirty Little Secret Hidden in
  Soy: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/12/08/the-dirty-little-secret-hidden-in-much-of-your-health-food.aspx 
• Genetically Modified
  Soy Linked to Sterility, Infant Mortality in Hamsters: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_544575.html 
• What Every Man Needs To Know About
  Soy: http://greatist.com/health/soy-what-every-man-needs-know 
• What Are GMOs and Why Should You Care: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/08/what-are-gmos-and-why-should-i-care
• Dangers of Genetically Modified Soy and Estrogen Dangers: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/genetically-modified-soy_b_544575.html
• Dangers of Phytic Acid: http://www.naturalnews.com/phytic_acid.html
• Soy Naturally Contains MSG: http://rawveganliving.blogspot.com/2013/08/raw-vegan-teen-9-12-day-water-fast-new.html

So, if you're hesitant about whether or not you should consume soy, my recommendation to you would be, to simply avoid it. It's the safest and healthiest choice. Avoid soy all together, whatever form it's in (soy, tofu, namu shoyu, tempeh, etc...). Even organic, non-GMO soy is unhealthy. You will experience the same effects listed above like I did. How about in moderation? No. I wouldn't recommend it AT ALL!

I hope this has enlightened you and has helped you make a better decision towards your health. Please feel free to share this post, especially those you know who eat soy in their diets.

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