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After a breakfast of soy flakes and milk, the mother can breast feed and
everyone is happy.
>"I'm so confused about Soy."
>That was the subject of Rob's letter to me:
>
>Rob wrote:
>
>"I don't trust what the media says about Soy.
>There are only a few educated people that I
>trust on this topic, and you and Dr. Mercola
>are two of them, but you and he have opposing
>views about soy. If Dr. Mercola is wrong, you
>need to address some of the points he makes.
>I know for a fact that there are many of your
>readers who also subscribe to him. I look
>forward to your reply. Thanks."
>
>http://www.mercola.com/2004/dec/4/soy_truth.htm
>________________________________________
>
>Dear Rob,
>
>Dr. Mercola would have you drink raw milk in the
>name of good health, and that advice is disturbing
>to me. He is also a proponent of the Neanderthal
>diet and would have you eat raw meat too. Somehow,
>he took up with the wrong crowd and displays quite
>a bit of ignorance regarding his negative comments
>on soy and other unhealthy nutritional advice.
>
>Soymilk detractors (Sally Fallon, Price Pottinger,
>Dr. Mercola, Soyonlineservice) would have you believe
>that it is better to boil babies in hot oil than
>serve them soymilk-based formula. Many people swallow
>that unhealthy propaganda from the same folks who
>receive financing from dairy famers and promoting
>the consumption of raw milk.
>
>A paper in the May 2004 issue of the Journal of
>Nutrition (May;134(5):1220S-4S) advises otherwise.
>
>After examining clinical evidence of the mechanisms
>of isoflavones and bioflavinoids contained in soymilk,
>scientists wrote:
>
>"Soy protein has been used in infant feeding in the West
>for nearly 100 years. Soy protein infant formulas have
>evolved in this interval to become safe and effective
>alternatives for infants whose nutritional needs are not
>met with human milk or formulas based on cow's milk.
>Modern soy formulas meet all nutritional requirements and
>safety standards of the Infant Formula Act of 1980."
>
>Is soy formula safe for your child? The Journal Nutrition
>believes so. The article concludes:
>
>"Available evidence from adult human and infant
>populations indicates that dietary isoflavones in soy
>infant formulas do not adversely affect human growth,
>development, or reproduction."
>
>Much of what Dr. Mercola says is based upon rat
>research which I totally reject.
>
>Consider this. Half of the cancers that rats get,
>mice do not get. Half of the cancers that mice get,
>rats do not get. If scientific research from one
>tiny four-legged long-tailed furry rodent cannot be
>applied to another, how can any man or woman of
>science attempt to arbitrarily apply such animal
>research to humans? Nutritional rat research can
>only be applied to rats, which have different organs
>and enzymes from humans, and lack gall bladders.
>Rats cannot digest soy proteins. Humans can.
>
>Mercola complains that soy contains isoflavones and
>phytoestrogens. Well, Dr. Mercola should know that
>brocolli contains isoflavones and phytoestorgens
>too.
>
>Are phytoestrogens in soy and broccoli hazardous?
>
>According to Mercola.com and his group of soy-bashers
>(soyonlineservice.com, Sally Fallon, and the Price
>Pottinger Institute), broccoli is also a deadly poison
>and must be avoided. So too, for that matter, should
>you never again eat seeds, whole grains, berries, fruit,
>vegetables, nuts, or sprouts. Let's explore why.
>
>Despite the fact that phytoestrogens (plant estrogens)
>are not steroids like human estrogen, there are those
>who would have you induce vomiting, if ever you
>swallowed a soy product containing isoflavones. My
>advice to you is to not swallow their illogical line
>of reasoning.
>
>For each milligram of phytoestrogens that she eats
>in soy products, the average American woman will also
>consume an additional four milligrams of pytoestrogens
>from fruits and vegetables. Advice to abstain from
>phytoestrogens is insanity, and Internet hype and
>hysteria has infected the good judgement of many
>so-called health advocates. This includes many ignorant
>physicians, who read one such article and assimilate
>just enough information to offer erroneous and dangerous
>health advice to their patients.
>
>Phytoestrogens are widely distributed in plants. There
>are three categories of phytoestrogens--isoflavones
>(which are found in soy), lignans (seeds, fruits
>and veggies), and coumestans (broccoli and sprouts).
>
>So, if you take the advice of Internet soy-bashing
>ignoramuses and do not drink soymilk because you fear
>phytoestrogens, by all means, you must give up fruits,
>veggies, nuts, and grains too.
>
>The only reason that phytoestrogens are considered to be
>very dangerous is that the name sounds like estrogen,
>even though they are not steroid hormones, and even though
>their mechanisms of action do not mimic estrogen. Beware
>of phytoestrogens, you are told. Like the "boogeyman,"
>phytoestrogens in fruit and veggies are gonna get you
>while you sleep.
>
>A publication in the February 2004 issue of the American
>Journal of Clinical Nutrition (R. Ziegler, 2004;79:183-4)
>suggests that women who eat high levels of soy isoflavones
>have lower rates of breast cancer than those who consume
>low levels of isoflavones.
>
>Dr. Regina Ziegler is a researcher with the National Cancer
>Institute. She has taught health and nutrition courses at
>Yale and Harvard Universities. Ziegler writes:
>
>"The daily intake of phytoestrogens in white U.S
>women has been estimated to be <1 mg, with 80% from
>lignans, 20% from isoflavones, and <0.1 from coumestans."
>
>******************************************************
>In other words, according to Ziegler, an expert in her
>field, Americans eat four times the amount of
>phytoestrogens in fruit and veggies as they do from
>soy products.
>******************************************************
>Ziegler continues:
>
>"Historically, breast cancer rates in the United States
>have been 4-7 times those in Asia, whereas isoflavone
>intake in the United States is <1% that in Asian
>populations."
>
>So should you take Mercola's advice and eliminate soy
>and all fruits and vegetables because of phytoestrogens?
>Should you also follow his dietary advice by eating
>raw milk and dairy products and raw meat? If you follow
>Mercola, you will be led into a cave with other
>Neanderthals.
>
>You might consider contrary advice. An apple a day
>does keep the doctor away because of those magical
>phytoestrogens. So too do brown rice and almonds,
>broccoli, and fresh sprouts. Go heavy on the soy.
>
>Dead raw flesh and cooked animal parts should not
>be served with body fluids from diseased animals.
>Every cell in your miraculous body craves life, not
>death. Cells and enzymes from carrots and oranges.
>Green plants containing chlorophyll, and calcium
>with magnesium in a proportion that is efficiently
>utilized by the human body. A rose will never become
>a dead chicken, even if it is so re-named. Neither
>would a phytoestrogen become a steroid hormone, nor
>act like one.
>
>Mercola has also criticized soy for the presence of
>phytates.
>
>Are Wheaties (with soy milk) Hazardous to Your Health?
>
>Of course not, but Dr. Mercola urges you to believe otherwise.
>
>Wheaties cereal contains phytates.
>
>Dairy producers see soymilk as the new kid on the block, and
>they are running scared. Their strategy is to spread rumors
>about soy because it contains phytates. Perish the thought,
>phytates? Quick, induce vomiting. Call Poison Control.
>Where's the stomach pump?
>
>One bowl of cereal (portion size is defined on the side of a
>box of Wheaties) is equal to: 3/4 cup of cereal and 1/2 cup
>of milk.
>
>If the soy naysayers are correct, and if you enjoy a bowl of
>Wheaties for breakfast, that single portion of cereal will
>contain more than 2.5 times the amount of phytates as will
>the soymilk used to moisten that breakfast of champions.
>
>Dr. Anthony Mercola writes:
>
>"Soybeans are high in phytic acid...It's a substance that
>can block the uptake of essential minerals... Scientists are
>in general agreement that grain- and legume-based diets high
>in phytates contribute to widespread mineral deficiencies in
>third world countries. Analysis shows that calcium,
>magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant foods
>eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of soy-
>and grain-based diets prevents their absorption."
>
>Sally Fallon director of the Weston Price Foundation echoes
>Mercola's lack of wisdom (almost word for word):
>
>"Soybeans are also high in phytic acid or phytates....which
>blocks the uptake of essential minerals-calcium, magnesium,
>iron and especially zinc-in the intestinal tract. Scientists
>are in general agreement that grain and legume based diets
>high in phytates contribute to widespread mineral
>deficiencies in third world countries. Analysis shows that
>calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant
>foods eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of
>soy and rice based diets prevents their absorption."
>
>A website registered in New Zealand offers similar
>disinformation. Soy Online Service (should be re-named Soy
>Offline Disservice). In a column titled "SoyToxins," they
>write:
>
>"There's plenty yet that you didn't know about soy! Soy
>contains several naturally occurring compounds that are
>toxic to humans and animals...soy toxins such as phytic
>acid...have the ability to target specific organs, cells and
>enzyme pathways and their effects can be devastating....As
>with any toxin there will be a dose at which negative
>effects are not observed. Soy Online Services have examined
>the scientific data on the soy toxins and have uncovered
>several alarming truths...There is no legislation to protect
>consumers from soy toxins in raw soy products...all soy
>products, no matter how well treated, contain low to
>moderate levels of soy toxins; processing cannot remove them
>all of any of them."
>
>Since soymilk is the bone of contention, I chose its phytate
>content to serve as a baseline for comparison to wheat
>products.
>
>Charts contained on pages 30-34 of Food Phytates (edited by
>Rukma Reddy and Shridhar Sathe, CRC Press, ISBN # 1-56676-
>867-5) reveal:
>
>The percentage of phytates in soymilk is listed as 0.11%.
>
>Wheat has been called the "Staff of Life."
>
>Durham wheat contains 8 times more phytates than soymilk
>(0.88%).
>
>Whole wheat bread contains almost 4 times more phytates than
>soymilk (0.43%).
>
>Wheaties, contain nearly fourteen times more phytates than
>soymilk (1.52%).
>
>Let's use common logic here. If wheat contains more phytates
>than soymilk, then wheat should not be eaten either, right?
>What a silly claim soymilk detractors make. It is without
>merit.
>
>A typical portion of breakfast cereal consists of two
>ingredients, cereal & milk. The proportions: three-quarters
>of a cup of Wheaties weighs 22.5 grams. One-half cup of
>soymilk weighs 122.5 grams. Ergo, the wheaties contain 342
>milligrams of phytates. The soymilk contains 135 milligrams
>of phytates.
>
>Now, let's get to the point of this. In their introduction
>and summary of the scientific substantiation to follow, the
>authors of Food Phytates write:
>
>"Recent investigations have focused on the beneficial effect
>of food phytates, based upon their strong mineral-chelating
>property...The beneficial effects include lowering of serum
>cholesterol and triglycerides and protection against certain
>diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, renal stone
>formation, and certain types of cancers."
>
>So you see, phytates are healthy for you. Phytates represent
>a prime example of using food for medicine.
>
>Of course, if you happen to believe all of the negative soy
>hype, skip the Wheaties. Skip the soymilk. You can always
>have a corn muffin, right? Let's go to the phytate chart.
>What percentage of corn bread is phytates? Oh, no. Corn
>muffins contain twelve times the percentage of phytates as
>soymilk, or 1.36%. An extra-large 6-ounce corn muffin (168
>grams) contains 228 milligrams of phytates, midway between
>the (3/4 cup) Wheaties and (1/2 cup) soymilk.
>
>So, take your pick. All of this anti-phytate rhetoric is
>either A) serious stuff B) ridiculous propaganda.
>
>For health, eat isoflavones and phytoestrogens. In that
>regard, no fruit, vegetabhle, grain, or legume is more
>blessed with nature's healing chemicals than soy. My best
>advice to you would be to reject Mercola's suggestion
>to eat raw milk and raw meat. Your body will thank you.
>
>Robert Cohen
>http://www.notmilk.com
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