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Taken from a page of Rick’s book: “Misled”

Many people concerned about the ill effects of meat and dairy products have resulted to eating soy products as a “healthy” alternative. Moreover, Soy advocates are quick to claim that it is high in protein, free of cholesterol, and very low in fat. However, they may omit that many of these products are made from unfermented, over-processed soy and that eating large quantities of these products may actually cause negative health ramifications.

However, before we continue, let’s clarify the differences between the two types of soy products. Soy can be classified into two categories: UNFERMENTED and FERMENTED. The former soy products include fresh soybeans, soy nuts, soymilk, tofu, and tons of other products lined side by side of each other in supermarkets shelves. The latter can be found in tempeh, miso, natta, and shoya tamari products. So what is fermentation? It is a process that allows food’s own living enzymes to be used as pre-digestion of the food before you eat it.

The critics of unfermented soy products claim that if you look at soy from a historical point you will find that soybeans were traditionally used in agriculture for crop rotation because they replenished lost nitrogen in the soil. However, there is no historical indication that soybeans were routinely eaten for food until the fermentation processes was developed around 440 BC. Today unfermented soy products are eaten on a daily basis in large quantities, and have been accused of causing many health problems from thyroid deficiencies to cancer.

The biggest concern containing these accusations is that soybeans contain phytates, an organic acid that prevents the uptake of needed minerals. Minerals that include calcium, magnesium, iron, and especially zinc. In actuality soybeans contain more phytates than any other grain, bean, or plant. So, a vegetarian diet that relies mainly on unfermented soy products (as a lot of health conscious Americans do) may, unbeknownst to them, be placing them selves in a situation of serious zinc deficiency. Zinc is imperative for the brain, nervous system, and immune system. Furthermore, it is in over 300 enzymatic activities, including the production of white blood cells, release of insulin in the pancreas, the production of sperm, fetal development, and protection from heavy metal poisoning.

Nutrional experts tell us that fermenting soybeans is the most significant way to reduce their phytate concentration to avoid depleting minerals. Moreover, the process of fermentation enhances our body’s abilities to absorb protein and generate compounds that inhibit tumor growth and significantly stimulate the immune system.

Advocates of the soy industry claim that these accusations against unfermented soy products are part of a scheme thrown about by the dairy industry to instigate and encourage declining sales. Moreover, they adamantly deduce that thier products are safe and healthy for our bodies.

It all boils down to this. Comparing Asians to Americans, Americans tend to eat significantly higher amount of soy products (unfermented and-or fermented), and in my opinion, many questions still need to be answered about Soy products to presuppose that it is nutritious to consume in large quantities, and especially on a day to day basis.

Many research studies lead ust to believe that fermented soy products that I’ve mentioned in this article are of nutritional value to our bodies. However, there are studies that show the opposite. With that being said, I do believe that we should use these products in moderation until we have more questions answered about the true nutritional values of these products.

Tags: Weight Loss //