A 10-point CI ranking deduction for using soy.

 

Around 94 percent of soybeans are genetically engineered in the US, according to the Center for Food Safety, which makes it the number one genetically modified crop plant in the world. Almost all genetically modified soybeans are designed to be “Roundup ready” (i.e. they’re engineered to withstand heavy doses of herbicides that basically kill any and every unwanted vegetation without killing the soybean plant itself). The FDA classified the main active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, as “probably carcinogenic to humans." Glyphosate is also linked to reproductive issues, neurological effects, and gastrointestinal disease. 

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According to a study published in Food Chemistry, researchers found that genetically engineered soybeans accumulate and absorb (you can’t just rinse it off) high levels of glyphosate (up to 8.8 mg/kg) upon being sprayed during their growing season. 

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According to a study in Nutrients, most Americans are getting 20 times the amount of omega-6s than we really need—a big problem considering omega-6s are inflammation-causing, fat-storing, and weight-gain-inducing whereas omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. One of the primary causes for this shift? High consumption of foods that have been fried in soybean oil, which has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 7.5:1. (For your reference, a neutral oil alternative like canola oil is only 2.2:1.)

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Soybeans possess a notoriously high concentration of phytic acid. In fact, soybeans have a higher phytate content than any other grain or legume that has been studied. This anti-nutrient binds to important minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and zinc and limits their absorption. Unfortunately, soybeans have been found to be highly resistant to traditional phytate-reducing techniques like cooking, soaking, and sprouting (which works for other legumes and whole grains that also have phytates), and the only way to significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans is through fermentation.

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Soy is packed with trypsin and protease inhibitors - enzymes that make the digestion of protein incredibly difficult, causing some gastric distress along with a deficiency in amino acid uptake if soy is eaten in excess. Soy protein intake has been shown to disrupt the intestinal barrier, increase gut inflammation, and contribute to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the gut microbiome.

A study published in Molecules investigated the effects of soy on digestive health and concluded, “Soy glycinin induces intestinal stress, autophagic flux blockage, microbiota imbalance, and intestinal barrier damage. This may explain why soy is one of the most common food allergens, especially in babies and children with underdeveloped immune and digestive systems.

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There are indications that soy can disrupt thyroid hormone production, particularly in those with reduced thyroid function or inadequate iodine intake.

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Highly refined soy foods are typically processed using hexane, a petroleum product derived from crude oil.  Hexane is a solvent used to extract oils and fats from soybeans to create products such as soy protein isolates, soy protein concentrate, soybean oil, and soy flour. Frequent exposure to hexane, even in small amounts, can be hazardous and has been linked to neurotoxic effects, liver damage, and an increased risk of liver cancer. 

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Research has showed that the high amounts of isoflavones (estrogen-like compounds) in soy encourage the abnormal growth of breast tissue, increasing the risk for breast cancer. 

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Soy is rich in plant phytoestrogens called isoflavones. It has been observed that newborn girls fed soymilk formula as well as young girls fed soy and soy products regularly reach puberty considerably earlier, have their first menarche at young ages (8, 9, 10, 11 years old) and exhibit an increased incidence of reproductive system problems such as infertility, ovarian cancer, polycystic ovarian syndrome as well as breast cancer.