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The
Dangers of Soy: Advertising and Your Health
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By
Karima Burns, MH, ND
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04/04/2002
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The
Qur'an is filled with wisdoms about every aspect of life from praying and
sleeping to eating and drinking. However, no matter how powerful the wisdoms of
the Suras we read, sometimes the suggestions of advertising and media ring
stronger in our minds.
This
is especially true in the case of dietary needs. In the Qur’an and Hadith
(sayings of the Prophet Mohammad) there are numerous guidelines for diet.
Muslims are told which foods are halal (lawful) and which are haram (forbidden).
Muslims are also given suggestions on how to follow a healthy diet. Muslims are
told to eat whole and natural foods in moderation and to be careful of what they
eat that they do not cause illness in themselves:
O
children of Adam! Attend to your embellishments at every time of prayer, and
eat and drink and be not excessive; surely He does not love the extravagant
(Qur’an 7:31).
O
you who believe! eat of the good things that We have provided you with,
and give thanks to Allah if Him it is that you serve (Qur’an 2:172).
The
stomach is the source of many diseases (Hadith).
However,
oftentimes, advertising or articles in journals can convince people to forgo
what they know. This is apparent in the case of the health benefits of wine.
Some Muslims, reading the articles about health benefits of red wine decided it
was wise to try this medicine (see The Misleading Health Bennefits of Wine
by Dr. Wagdy Sawahel). However, studies later showed that grape juice was
actually healthier than the red wine. Similarly, soy producers have recently
touted the benefits of soy as a healthy, estrogen balancing, allergy-free bean.
Yet, researchers are beginning to find that soy is harmful in many people and
that excess soy is harmful to everyone.
Although
Muslims are told in the Qur’an and Hadith that breast milk is the best milk
for babies, many Muslims have given their children soy milk on a regular basis.
And although Muslims are told that fresh cow’s milk was one of the Prophets
favorite drinks, they have still decided to follow the trend away from milk
products and drink soy instead. Last, but not least, even though Muslims are
told not to eat or drink anything in excess, some people have adopted soy
products for medical reasons and are consuming three or more servings a day.
It
is common knowledge that soybeans are loaded with plant compounds that mimic
estrogen, a female hormone. Many post menopausal women use soy products to help
control hot flashes and other problems caused by hormonal imbalances. However,
this same estrogen surge can wreak havoc in the systems of young children, men
and even some women who already have sufficient estrogen levels.
Some
studies on the effects of soy products on humans have been in progress for 40
years. Researchers are now examining the brain tissue of the deceased and there
are many recent studies done on animals. They noticed that birds fed soy
developed their adult plumage at two months old instead of the normal 18 months.
At first this was an advantage because the young chicks could be marketed better
with their full adult color. Then they noticed that the early maturing, soy-fed
birds aged prematurely and died young. This caused much consternation among bird
handlers, for they also noticed a great increase in growth disorders, thyroid
problems, infertility, and tumor growth.
Researches
then started asking, “If soy does this to birds, what is it doing to us?”
National health agencies and physician associations of some countries have
warned their populace to exercise caution in using soy based infant formulas
(Malloy). In the U.S., two of the Federal Drug Administration’s (FDA) own
researchers, Daniel Doerge and Daniel Sheehan, have stepped forward to protest
their own agency’s allowance of health claim labeling regarding the effects of
soy protein on coronary health. In a letter to the FDA, they cite their deep
disturbance over potential risk to the public by the FDA’s failure to require
that the same safeguards be put in place for soy use as for estrogenic
(prescribed hormone substances) and goitrogenic drugs (thyroid medication), They
suggest that people be informed of the risks and be under a physician’s care
while using it (White).
Preliminary
studies on children indicate even more disturbing news. Studies show that
children given soy formula go through puberty much earlier than children who
were not fed soy products because the phytoestrogens and isoflavones in soy act
like a hormone in the body, causing the infant to have hormones like the adult
body. A 1994 study done in New Zealand revealed that, depending on age, potency
of the product, and feeding methods, infants on soy formula might be consuming
the equivalent of up to ten contraceptive pills a day (Ross). Phytoestrogens
(substance in soy) are now strongly implicated, through research, in thyroid
disorders, behavioral and developmental disorders and cancer. Theodore Kay of
the Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine noted in 1988 that “thyroid
enlargement in rats and humans, especially children and women, fed with soybeans
has been known for half a century” (Mercola).
However,
the hormone issue is not the only concern. Research now in progress strongly
ties aggressive behavioral problems in children to soy. Soy formula has
manganese levels that are 50 times higher than the level found in mother’s
breast milk (Ross). Research is now showing that high levels of manganese found
in soy beverages may be neurotoxic to babies, causing brain damage. These
studies suggest a correlation to the dramatic increase in Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and violent behavior seen in adolescents
today (Mercola).
Allergies
are also a growing concern. Soy is one of the most allergenic foods in modern
diets. It is reported in several research reports to contain at least 30
allergenic proteins. Many prepared foods from MSG to crackers and cookies, to
frozen fish sticks, and T.V. dinners, drinks and many things in-between contain
soy. In addition, many soy products are listed as natural ingredients or natural
flavorings (Malloy).
Researchers
also believe that the trend toward lower male fertility may be due to
environmental estrogens, including the soy phytoestrogens. There is strong
evidence that soy phytoestrogens inhibit an enzyme which is required for the
synthesis of testosterone and the development of the CNS-gonadal axis (White).
Much research is now being done to determine the effects of soy on male animals
(even male insects) of all sorts. Research with animals and insects from the
grasshopper to the cheetah, are showing that soy affects males by making them
less confident, less aggressive, indecisive, show less sexual interest, lower
sperm count and in some studies less everything male.
Although
there is much positive information written on soy, as well, this is one of many
cases where following the suggestions of the Qur’an would be wise:
“…eat
and drink and be not excessive.”
Sources:
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