This Modern "Health Food" May Be Poisoning Prisoners

Have you heard what’s going on in our prison system? If not, you’re in for a shocker. Turns out, the prisoners are suing their jailors.

In January 2003, the diet of inmates in the Illinois prison system was drastically changed to include large amounts of processed soy protein. Soy replaced cheese, meat and flour in the prisoner’s diets.

When their diet changed, the inmates got seriously ill with chronic and painful constipation, alternating with debilitating diarrhea. Sharp digestive pains and vomiting occurred after soy-based meals. Fainting, heart palpitations, and panic attacks were common. Skin rashes, acne, thyroid problems, brain fog, fatigue, weight gain, frequent infections, and depression were also present.1

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But the Illinois Department of Corrections ignored the prisoners’ complaints. It also ignored the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) listing of close to 200 studies showing toxicity of soy in its Poisonous Plant Data Base.2 Now the inmates are suing for a permanent injunction against the substitution of soy for meat in prison meals.

For Years You’ve Been Hearing About The “Miraculous” Benefits Of Soy-Based Products

In 1999, the FDA endorsed soy protein as a way to lower saturated fats and cholesterol in the American diet, leading to an explosion in the food industry’s use of soy-based products.

But beneath all the soy-health hoopla, I’ve found studies strongly suggesting that many of these products pose a number of serious health risks.

Today I’m going to tell you which soy-based products to avoid—and why. I’ll also give you a few simple guidelines for eliminating them from your diet and replacing them with healthy alternatives.

The Dangerous Realities Behind the “Soy Revolution”

In the January 2006 issue of the journal Circulation, the American Heart Association announced that soy has little effect on cholesterol and is unlikely to prevent heart disease.3 soy bean plant

This doesn’t mean that all types of soy are unhealthy. But it proves that soy isn’t the “miracle food” the FDA and the food industry would have you believe.

Soy-based products are everywhere. And that’s a problem. You may not realize it, but soy crops up in unexpected places. It’s in your fridge and cupboard – from ice cream and yogurt to pasta and cereal. Not to mention the frying oil used in fast food.

How did this happen?

After FDA approval, the food industry jumped on the soy bandwagon in a big way. By 2004, 80 percent of all vegetables oils were derived from soy, and nearly all processed foods now contain some form of it.

Here are 5 surprising facts you may not know about soy:

#1: Soy and Indigestion

The problems start with the soybean itself. In raw form, it’s poisonous to the human body. In fact, eating raw soy can cause

stomachaches, nausea, cramping, and gas.

Other soy ingredients prevent the body from absorbing essential minerals. Ironically, soy also makes it more difficult for the body to digest protein, the very thing soy was supposed to provide as an alternative to meat protein.

#2: Soy and Hormonal Imbalance

Even more serious, soybeans contain substances called “isoflavones” that mimic estrogen, the female hormone. Eating enough soy can disrupt a woman’s menstrual cycle. One researcher calculated that, based on body weight, feeding your baby exclusively on soy formula is like giving it five birth control pills a day!4

#3: Soy, Gout, and Thyroid Problems

As if that weren’t enough, there’s a chemical in soy that can cause gout and thyroid enlargement. Eating as little as 45 grams of soy products a day can cause thyroid malfunction within 3 months in healthy adult men and women.5

#4: Soy, Cancer and Harmful Fats

Soy causes cancer in animal studies.6 (By the way, soy makes its way into most industrial animal feed, which means it’s also making its way to your table.) It’s also high in omega-6 fatty acids—up to 18 percent of the whole bean. This is the kind of fat you’re supposed to reduce in your diet.

#5: Soy and Blood Clotting

Another chemical in soy makes red blood cells cluster together. Among other dangers, this prevents the body from absorbing oxygen.

How to Tell the Difference Between Good Soy and Bad Soy

The Asian diet is famous for its heavy use of soy-based products like tofu and soy sauce. So why aren’t the Japanese suffering from these ill-effects? The answer lies in the way soy in Asian countries is traditionally processed.

For thousands of years, ancient farmers used soy as a fertilizer, not as food. They recognized that you would never want to eat raw soy.

The Chinese introduced soy into the human diet only after discovering that the natural fermentation processes rendered it edible. Fermented soy-derived foods like tempeh, miso, and natto do NOT contain significant amounts of soy’s toxins. In fact, they’re very healthy.

Tofu, also a staple in traditional Asian cuisine, is not a fermented soy product. But the process of making tofu removes most of the harmful toxins in a different way.

Like some cheeses, tofu is made from the pressed “curds” of the bean. The “whey,” or liquid left over after the pressing, is thrown out—and most of the toxins along with it.

Compare this with the modern industrial processing soy undergoes in the West to produce soy oil, flour, and other soy byproducts contained in most processed foods:

  • Washing in alkaline
  • Boiling in petroleum-based solvents
  • Bleaching
  • Deodorizing
  • Adding chemicals
  • Heat-blasting
  • Crushing into flakes

Does that sound appetizing to you?

What’s more, soy in this country is genetically modified. The jury is out on how this may affect human health. What we do know is that some industrial processing techniques leave trace amounts of aluminum in soy products. Dietary aluminum leads to dementia according to some studies.

Four Simple Steps to Avoid Harmful Soy Byproducts

  • Avoid processed foods whenever possible. This should go without saying, but I always recommend eating whole foods, grass-fed beef, and other minimally processed food products, across the board. These energize your body and result in vigor, strength, and long-term health.
  • Check the label. Soy byproducts are everywhere, and they go by many (FDA-approved) names. Here are the ones to look out for:
    • Vegetable protein
    • Soy protein isolate
    • Soy flour
    • Protein concentrate
    • Textured vegetable protein
    • Vegetable oil
    • Plant sterols

I’m not saying small amounts of this stuff will kill you, but it’s best to be aware of how much you’re consuming, given the potential health hazards. If you find these ingredients on the label, try to find substitutes without them.

  • Stick to traditional soy foods. Tofu (in moderation), tempeh, miso, natto, and soy sauce are all fine. Other kinds of foods that substitute soy for meat, like soy-based hot dogs, are not healthy alternatives.
  • Limit your intake of traditional soy foods to no more than 25 grams per day. It’s worth watching how much soy and soy-based products are finding their way into your diet.
  1. Weston A. Price Foundation – Press Release – Washington, DC July 13, 2009
  2. FDA Poisonous Plant Database: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/plantox/
  3. Sacks FM, Lichtenstein A, et al. Soy Protein, Isoflavones, and Cardiovascular Health. An American Heart Association Science Advisory for Professionals From the Nutrition Committee. Circulation 2006, 113:1034.
  4. Michael Fitzpatrick, MD as quoted in Lawrence, Felicity, “Should we worry about soya in our food?, The Guardian, July 25, 2006.
  5. Kaayla Daniel as quoted in Nestor, James, “Too Much of a Good Thing? Controversy rages over the world’s most regaled legume,” SFGate.com, August 13, 2006. 6 Rackis J, et al. The USDA trypsin inhibitor study, Background, objectives and procedural details. Qualification of Plant Foods in Human Nutrition. 1985, vol 35.