Page 75 - Fall2010

Soy Alert!

THE LITTLE KNOWN SOy-GLUTEN CONNECTION
RESPONSE TO DR. MARK HyMAN
by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD
By Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD

On August 10, 2010, Dr. Mark Hyman posted from factory-farmed chickens (fed soy-based feed),
an article “Soy: Blessing or Curse?” on the Huff- their meat then “extended” with soy protein isolate
ington Post blog (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ and other additives, the final product fried in soy
dr-mark-hyman/soy-blessing-or-curse_b_673912. oil. Wise to get the plain tofu, for sure.
html). Widely circulated online, soy proponents are Hyman also advises eating old-fashioned
touting the posting as an example of “sanity” in the fermented whole soybean products. Wise again to
“soy debate.” Hyman describes himself as “a prac- avoid industrially processed soy protein isolate, soy
ticing physician and an internationally recognized protein concentrate, textured vegetable protein and
authority in the field of Functional Medicine.” He is hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and other industri-
founder of The UltraWellness Center and author of ally processed products, all of which contain MSG,
the best-selling “The UltraMind Solution,” among hexane and other toxic and carcinogenic residues.
other books. All of us so-called “anti-soy” people would agree
In Hyman’s words, he wishes there were with that, except for the increasing numbers of
“more convincing science to report” regarding the people who are allergic to soy. They have a reason
soy controversy but he has taken “all the available to be one hundred percent “anti-soy.” And they are
evidence together” to see “what shakes out.” Hy- angry “anti-soy” people because they find it hard
man has long recommended soy as part of what to find anything that’s safe to eat. Finding soyfree,
he calls a “whole foods diet” and is disturbed by packaged, processed and fast foods can be well-
fear mongering from anti-soy people. Who these nigh impossible. Soy ingredients right now are in
“anti-soy” people are exactly, he doesn’t say. more than 60 percent of processed and packaged
The most prominent group warning about foods and nearly 100 percent of fast foods. The
the dangers of modern soy consumption would be most allergic of these people cannot even tolerate
the Weston A. Price Foundation. The late Valerie meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs from animals
and Richard James of Soy Online Service in New fed soy feed. Sadly, even most of the organic and
Zealand were also extremely active in warning free range products come from animals fed in this
about excessive consumption of modern processed unnatural way.
soy products and the use of soy infant formula for For those who are not allergic, the old-
babies. Our concerns revolve around the myth of fashioned fermented soy products miso, natto and
soy as a “health food” and how the heavy marketing tempeh are fine, but Hyman reveals his ignorance
of soy has led people to over-consume soy foods of processing methods when he claims that tofu and
and soy milk and to feed their infants soy formula, soymilk are fermented. Although they are some-
putting themselves and their children at risk. To say times fermented in Asia—to remove the “poisons” The most
we are “anti-soy,” however, would not be entirely according to one person interviewed in a National
accurate as we support the modest consumption of Geographic film—none of the tofu products widely allergic of
old-fashioned fermented soy products such as miso, available in stores is fermented. Even so, a little these people
natto and tempeh. These foods are appropriate in regular tofu once in awhile—not everyday, and
the context of a varied omnivorous diet. I would certainly not a whole slab at a time—is not a prob- cannot even
prefer to say we are pro real foods, whole foods and lem for most individuals. tolerate meat,
slow foods, prepared in traditional ways, which As for soy milk, no commercial brand is fer-
modern soy foods most assuredly are not. mented, and most have been loaded up with sugar poultry, fish,
to make them palatable and with supplements to dairy and
NUGGETS OF WISDOM improve their inadequate nutritional profile. Too
There are indeed some sage and sane observa- bad those supplements include cheap, hard-to- eggs from
tions in Hyman’s article. He notes, for instance, that absorb forms of calcium, vegetarian Vitamin D 2 animals fed
eating tofu would be wiser than chicken nuggets. (instead of the far superior D ) and beta carotene
3
Presumably he is referring to fast-food nuggets (in lieu of true Vitamin A). soy feed.

FALL 2010 Wise Traditions 75