A Farewell to Soy

For so many of us who try to limit, or even eliminate, animal protein from our diets, soy has become a staple. What's not to like? A high-protein, plant-based food that has become as ubiquitous in the frozen food aisle as the regular chicken nuggets. Parents often give these alternatives to their children thinking they are giving them a healthy alternative to meat or chicken. Many babies and children are also raised on soy-based formula and "milk."

Like many of you, I had made soy a regular part of my own diet. Several years ago, however, I started struggling with candida. I tried the western medical treatments (over-the-counter topical, prescription oral, prescription topical) and natural remedies (supplements, probiotics, homemade topical treatments). Nothing seemed to work long-term, and, each time the problem recurred, it got worse! I couldn't seem to shake it. Doctors told me that some people just have this problem. I was NOT willing to be one of those people!


Then I came across the Candida Diet. This diet not only eliminates sugar and wheat (which is good), it also eliminates all the foods candida feeds on: all dairy, all grains (even whole grains), all fruits, all acidic foods (tomatoes, peppers, etc.). This is NOT a healthy diet and certainly not an easy diet. I was miserable and I STILL couldn't shake my symptoms!

While doing more research to find a cure (or a cause), I stumbled across estrogen and soy. Many times candida is related to hormone levels. Many women who experience candida overgrowth are actually estrogen-dominant. Soy contains phytoestrogens which affect the body's natural hormone levels. Soy may not always be the cause of estrogen dominance, but it certainly exacerbates the problem.

I immediately went to eliminate soy from my diet, which is a VERY difficult thing to do. It's everywhere! Look at the ingredient labels on your products, especially breads. How many of those contain ingredients with soy or lecithin? Yup, lecithin is derived from soy. Almost immediately, my symptoms disappeared. Because my body is predisposed to candida eruptions, once in a while, I do still have an overgrowth, but they are few and far between and easily controlled with probiotics and diet. I can now enjoy sushi with soy sauce, but those processed meat and dairy replacements have been eliminated from my diet completely.

"So, what does this mean for me?" you may be asking, "I don't have problems with yeast." Well, many of us (men and women) actually do have candida overgrowth and don't even know it. Try the candida spit test to see. Even if candida isn't one of your symptoms, if you consume a lot of soy, you may have a hormone imbalance.

Kaayla Daniel, PhD, CCN is The Naughty NutritionistTM, Vice President of the Weston A. Price Foundation and author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Health Food. She debunks the myth that soy is a health food. She states that:

• Many governments have issued warnings about soy.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in bed with big business (i.e., large soy producers) to claim that soy is a miracle food.
• The American Heart Association (AHA) announced that soy does not lower cholesterol or prevent heart disease.
• Soy contains phytates that block mineral absorption.
• Soy contains phytoestrogens. These are not true hormones but are similar enough to act like hormones in our bodies and exert estrogenic effects by directly interfering with the body's ability to produce hormones naturally.
• Soy-consumption during pregnancy interferes with a baby boy's testosterone production and can program a baby girl for early puberty and put her at higher risk of some cancers. Not all of the symptoms show up at birth. They may show onset in puberty or adulthood.
• Soy-consumption in infancy (found in soy-based infant formula) causes interference with the natural testosterone rush in boys and over-estrogenizes girls. In boys, this shows up as delayed physical maturation. Girls experience premature development and often have estrogen, fertility and menstrual problems. In this early stage, soy can also lead to thyroid problems, auto-immune disorders, allergies, asthma and ADHD. These problems often don't show up until puberty.
• During the reproductive years, soy-consumption can have a contraceptive effect, accelerate breast cancer risk, interfere with a woman's menstrual cycle, affect the quantity and quality of sperm in men and lower testosterone levels in both men and women. In fact, soy has been popular in monasteries and given to unfaithful husbands to decrease sex drive.
• Soy has been marketed as safe and effective hormone replacement therapy for women in or approaching menopause; however, there are many side effects, including damage to the thyroid.

We have been conditioned to believe that soy is healthier than the food we're replacing with it. Remember that processed food is processed food, whether vegetarian or not. If you do not consume animal products, try upping your intake of natural, high-protein foods like lentils and beans in place of soy. Leafy greens even have a good amount of protein! Instead of soy milk, try unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk. If you do consume animal products, do not substitute soy products thinking you are giving your family a healthy alternative. Limiting the amount of animal protein in your diet is always a good thing, even for those of us who do need a bit to be our healthiest. Be sure you are consuming high-quality, organic, grass-fed beef and free-range chicken. While all of us should limit our bread consumption, if you must eat it, find a sprouted-grain bread that does not contain soy. You will have to read through A LOT of labels to find it, though!

What are your experiences with soy, estrogen and/or candida. I would love for you to share below. I welcome a healthy and respectful dialogue, but negative comments directed toward anyone will be removed.