To say it lightly, soy is cursed blight on humanity. But for more reasons than just being bad for your endocrine system (See previous postings)or tasting like dirt, soy also comes naturally equipped with phytates--the salts of phytic acid. These substances will bond with magnesium, zinc, iron and calcium, preventing the absorption of these minerals. Deficiencies in primary nutrients will cause a host of diseases, mostly suffered by the third world where plant based diets are the norm. Symptoms of mineral deficiencies can include fatigue, irritability, weakness, decrease in appetite, hair loss, muscle pain, insomnia, and listlessness. These are early stages of the problem, later symptoms are more pronounced and morbid. Who would dare risk this awful fate? Vegans, vegetarians, and those who can’t afford to be omnivores.
Meat eaters are at risk as well! Beef that has been extended by soy and fed to humans can reduce Iron absorption by as much as 53 percent. Vegetarians, especially women, get it even worse than that. A study by a few scientists (Shaw et al) observing students in a Buddhist monastery was published in the Journal of Nutrition and showed that vegetarians who ate soy were likely to be anemic or at least iron deficient (32% and 50%, respectively).
Why on earth would anyone want to purge their body of minerals, you ask? Well, phytates are interesting in that they can bind to toxic metals like cadmium and effectively eliminate the molecules of toxic elements from your system, also, research has shown that the chelating effect of pure phytates can slow cancer growth, because it robs the tumor of nourishing minerals. Like many things in you body, the effects are not specific to one type of mineral or one type of cell. Unless you have a very good reason to keep your body malnourished, keep an eye on phytic acid sources in your diet and take steps to eliminate the problem ahead of time. To be fair to soy (even though Soy wouldn’t be fair to you!) Tempeh is a fermented Soy product that reduces the destructive phytate levels by up to 50%. Because the fermentation shortens the shelf life, it’s often sold freeze-dried.
In the next installment, we’ll learn why soy wants to harm you, your children, and your children’s unborn children (it gets scary!).
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