The Dangers of Soy

Vegetarians, especially, pay close attention to this article.  For a long time, in the midst of the anti-meat campaign, soy received high praise as a meat alternative.  The bean is indeed high in protein, and can be easily flavored to yield a desired taste.  Soymeat became popular amongst vegetarians, vegans, and people who were just trying to limit their meat consumption, based on the nutritional hype that gave many a paranoia about overconsumption of meat.  Indeed, you can eat too much meat, however, replacing it with soy is a dangerous alternative.  Thanks to more independently performed research, this legume that was once thought to be a wonder food has come under very deserved scrutiny.

The plant that produces the soybean, Glycine max.

Protein Issues

A cup of soybeans contains 29 grams of protein, with a gram of protein per 10.4 calories.  The advocates are correct in that it rivals meat in quantity of protein per serving.  What they fail to realize is that it is not only the quantity of protein that matters, but also the quality of protein, which is severely lacking in the soybean.  These beans contain incomplete proteins, unlike meats, who run the full range of amino acids.

Trypsin Inhibition

This is one method that soy indirectly attacks the endrocine functions of the pancreas.  Trypsin is a serine protease that is produced in the pancreas.  This enzyme is needed to help with the digestion of the protein that we consume.  Its mechanism is to break peptide bonds.  Soybeans are rife with molecules that are inhibitors of trypsin.  These inhibitors are also found in other foods such as lima beans, but soybeans have the highest concentration.  If you consume enough soy in a sitting, the pancreas will overwork itself, attempting to produce more trypsin to digest the protein.  Sometimes it does not succeed, and poor digestion will result.  Some of the potential symptoms are cramps and loose stools.  Even if it does succeed, consistent overworking of the pancreas is harmful over a long period of time.

Isoflavones

These compounds are polyphenols, and part of the flavonoid family.  While many groups of dietary flavonoids have tremendous health, and perhaps even medicinal benefits, isoflavones are harmful in substantial amounts.  They are known phytoestrogens in mammals, including humans.  Their chemical structure closely resembles estradiol, and they have the ability to cause estrogenic effects.  Throwing your hormones out of balance, that can affect gene expression, and put you at a much greater risk of developing certain cancers, especially breast cancer in women, in addition to disrupting their menstrual cycle.  In men, it causes excessive abdominal subcutaneous fat, and may also cause them to develop gynecomastia, or breast formation.

Red Blood Cells

Soy contains a chemical called hemaggluttinin.  This molecule causes excessive blood clotting, namely among the red blood cell component.  It does so by causing agglutination, which is the clumping together of the cells.  This harmful process is part of why blood types must be compatible in blood transfusions.  The consequence of this agglutination is that oxygen will not be able to be distributed throughout the body, putting you at higher risk for strokes.  How high the risk will depend on the degree of the hemagglutination.