Page 69 - Winter2009

Soy Alert!

WHY BABIES SHOULD NOT BE FED SOY
Testimony to the CERHR Soy Infant Formula Panel
by Gail Elbek

Thank you for the opportunity to testify to or lower than doses of DES estrogen; in 2002,
about this very serious subject today. Allow me NIEHS researcher Retha Newbold expressed
to summarize the testimony I have submitted concern when her colleagues demonstrated
to the panel (posted at http://cerhr.niehs.nih. that soy genistein “triggers reproductive abnor-
gov/chemicals/genistein-soy/SoyFormulaUpdt/ malities. . . including uterine adenocarcinoma,
pubcom/GailElbek12-02-2009.pdf). a rare form of cancer.” And what is toxic to the
reproductive tract is toxic to multiple hormone
ESTROGENIC EFFECTS systems throughout the body and brain. Also like
Several published studies, confirmed by DES estrogen, the maternal consumption of soy
CFSAN (Center for Food Safety and Applied products transfers estrogenic hormone disruptors
Nutrition) director Dr. Mike Shelby, have con- to her fetus and again to her child while breast
cluded that soy is an active estrogenic endocrine feeding. Several hundred studies overwhelm-
disruptor. Proper functioning of the endocrine ingly conclude soy phyto-toxic causation of an
system, especially during developmental time- assortment of severe, painful and often irrevers-
frames must not be jeopardized. Overwhelm- ible neurological and physiological disorders,
ing numbers of published studies conclude soy and these diseases are more often caused during
repeatedly jeopardizes developmental health. developmental exposures. Soy-based formula as
The National Institute of Environmental 100 percent of an infant’s dietary intake contains
Health Sciences (NIEHS) reports that soy phyto- active estrogenic and anti-nutrient endocrine
estrogens demonstrate estrogenic effects equal disruptors.

TESTIMONY ON SOY INFANT FORMULA

On December 16, 2009, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Repro-
duction (CERHR) panel on soy infant formula (a division of the National Institutes of Health) heard public testimony on soy
infant formula. Only two individuals presented information on the dangers of soy formula, Gail Elbek, a private citizen who
had traveled all the way from Santa Barbara to give testimony (summarized above), and Sally Fallon Morell from the Weston
A. Price Foundation. The other speakers were all from the industry or were taking part in government-funded research,
including Thomas Badger, PhD, and Martin Ronis, PhD, of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Haley Stevens,
PhD, of the International Formula Council, David Bechtel, PhD, CANTOX U.S., Inc. (a consulting firm dedicated to “facilitat-
ing timely regulatory approvals”), and Larry Williams, MD, Abbott Nutrition (maker of soy infant formula). Without blushing,
these “experts” assured the committee that soy infant formula was safe and did not have estrogenic effects. Stevens of the
International Formula Council insisted that there was “no new evidence” that would warrant a re-evaluation of soy formula
and complained about “alarmist” literature that was scaring parents away from this “safe and healthy choice.”
The good news is that many parents have been scared away. Over the last ten years, the proportion of formula-fed
babies has declined from 22.5 percent to 12 percent. As Fallon Morell pointed out in her testimony, the tragic consequences
of soy infant formula are falling most heavily on minority mothers participating in programs like Women, Infants and Chil-
dren (WIC), where soy formula is routinely given to black, Hispanic, Asian and Native American mothers presumed to be
“lactose intolerant.”
The final vote of the committee was one vote for “no concern,” twelve votes for “minimal concern” and one vote for
“some concern.” Requests for warning labels on soy infant formula were completely ignored. The Weston A. Price Foundation
has issued a press release on the hearing, posted at http://www.westonaprice.org/Soy-Formula-Panel-Caves-to-Industry-
Pressure.html.

WINTER 2009 Wise Traditions 67