Mom and Grandma Alarmed Over News of Soy’s Harmful Health Affects
Prompted by the news of the Illinois prison soy lawsuit, two blog readers ask questions about undoing the damage of too much soy food in a child’s diet.
Q:
I have just read the notes made by Elaine Hollingsworth’s book on Soy and the damage to our children. What I want to know, is there something we can do now to help them with problems they have from taking Sanitarium Soy Milk since little children.
Q:
I have grandchildren that we’ve been giving soy to since they were born. In large amounts; thinking we were keeping them safe from all the ills of meats. Please send me any contacts for information to reverse these ills that we may have created. Also We wish to be apart of any opportunity to pass on the truth to anyone else who might have slept this vital information. Three of my grands are boys, and I am finding out more about the deleterious affects on males. I am horrified.
Dr. Kaayla Daniel
Addressing these concerns is Kaayla Daniel, PhD, the lead author of a petition to the FDA which asks for the health claims to be removed from soy foods. She is a certified clinical nutritionist, Board member of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food.
A:
In my book The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food, I document a number of risks from the use of soy infant formula as well as from soy milk and soy foods used during childhood. The Israeli Health Ministry, French Food Agency and German Institute of Risk Assessment have all warned their citizens about some of these risks. But sadly, here in the U.S., soy is still widely marketed as a health food. That said, risk is not certainty.
The first step is to discontinue the use of soy as that will minimize further risk to your grandchildren. In addition, I would strongly recommend an organic and omnivorous diet as described in the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig. It is a food Bible in terms of nourishing growing children, and the recommendations will enhance the health of your entire family. It is extremely important to conscientiously implement this type of diet and not to just seek out any foods that are soy-free. Being soy-free is an essential first step, but it will not provide your grand children’s bodies with the high level of nutrition they will need to heal any damage done and attain optimal health.
You did not say in your letter whether your grandchildren are currently suffering from any health problems. If they are experiencing digestive distress, thyroid disorders, immune system breakdown, ADD/ADHD, allergies, asthma or other behavioral or health challenges, I would not delay but begin work with an alternative medical doctor or other health practitioner who understands the importance of a Nourishing Traditions type diet for children and who is also familiar with the dangers of soy. Only time will tell whether your grandchildren will experience reproductive problems such as premature puberty in girls and arrested or delayed puberty in boys. Rather than worry about these possibilities, I would put the energy into optimizing the diet and healing other health problems as this will give their bodies the best chance to normalize reproductive function.
The following link will provide good information about how to eliminate soy from the diet and how to heal the gastrointestinal tract.
In addition, your grandchildren might experience health problems because high soy consumption often contributes to toxic levels of the needed mineral copper and to the accumulation of heavy metals such as mercury and aluminum.
If you’d like a copy of an article I wrote on this subject, please email me at kaayla at drkaayladaniel.com. Also, please contact me if you’d like to get a copy of my CD on Recovering from Soy. Good luck.
Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN
UPDATE TO POST: Here is a link to a second article by Dr. Kaayla Daniel, Soy Recovery: The Toxic Metal Component
Learn more about Dr. Daniel’s ground-breaking research as related in her book, visit her website, WholeSoyStory.com.
Click on this link learn about the Soy Alert! campaign of nutrition education non-profit, the Weston A. Price Foundation.
"Eat lower from the food chain. Enjoy grass-fed meat, dairy, eggs and poultry."
I AM SO THANKFUL TO HOPEFULLY GET SOME HELP. I, with most regret in saying this, raised my son on Soy Formula and am now learning the damage I unwittinglly caused him, an innocent child. On the outside he looks like a healthy 16 month old…tall and plump in all the right places. But his bones crack and pop, especially in the morning. And I think he is developing some developmental and behavioral issues. Though not severe, he needs constant attention and has temper issues. Now, since he is my first, these may be normal? For the most part he is happy and very social. I do notice his lack of attention as when I am reading a book or trying to teach him to build blocks. He doesn’t seem interested…again, may be normal for his age? I breast fed till he was 4 months =( then started losing my sanity so supplemented with Organic Formula. He began a wheez with thick phlem so i switched to soy through the advice of someone. Now I am so disappointed that I may have caused him permanent damage!
I certainly think that Americans tend to get a lot of soy and that it may not be a good thing when overdone, particularly since it is one of the most common GMOs. However, it’s my understanding that many many plant foods have estrogenic properties, some such as other legumes in higher or comparable amounts to soy. Do you recommend taking those foods—like grapes and beans—out of the diet, too? Or does soy contain other harmful compounds that result in these unwanted health effects?
.-= Radha´s last blog ..Pesticides and your health =-.
Hi all, here is a second article that Dr. Daniel just sent to me, Recovery from Soy: The Toxic Metal Component, I have added the link to the original post at the bottom, but here it is:
http://bit.ly/ckoti
Radha, I hope someone more knowledgeable than I will answer your question. That is a good one! Definitely check out Sally Fallon Morell’s interview that I posted on the blog today. She did mention other issues surrounding soy.
I am wondering if anyone knows how to or has seen reveresed effects of soy in boys. My son just hit puberty and I am concerned that because of soy as a baby, he is overweight and has developed breasts. I realize some of this is typical anyway, but none of my other children had tbese problems and he is the only one that used soy. Thanks for any info. My goigke searches haven’t turned anything up.