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[Tammy Chammartin]

Hello,
 
There has been a recent influx of studies that claim to denounce the health benefits of soy - particularly "unfermented" soy products. I will give you a few online references I have read:
 
"Soy Alert-The Ploy of Soy"   www.westonaprice.org/soy/ploy.html
 
"The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food Revealed"
www.westonaprice.org/soy/ploy.html
 
"Breaking the Vicious Cycle"
www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/knowledge_base/kb/soy.htm
 
Our family switched from cow to soy milk approximately 4 years ago due to repeated ear infections/bronchitis in our children. Since that time we have seen a definite decrease in general cold & flu viruses in our household and the ear & chest infections have not recurred. We consider ourselves a healthy family; my husband and I are diligent in educating ourselves on the topics of diet and exercise.
 
We are uncertain about the recent studies on soy products and are looking for some expert opinions. We know that the dairy industry is huge and can be the driving and monetary force behind many so-called "studies", but regardless, we want to make the best choices we can for our family's well-being.
 
We would greatly appreciate your response to this e-mail.
 
Sincerely,
Tammy & Michel Chammartin

[Mark Messina]

The internet is an easy way to find information on just about any topic. But there is often little control over the accuracy of that information.

Thousands of scientific studies have been performed on various nutrition issues and, in all areas; there are always a handful of results that conflict with the bulk of the findings. The results are never 100 percent consistent. This means it is possible to defend almost any nutrition belief by picking and choosing the studies that support that position.

Responsible health and nutrition educators look at what the bulk of the scientific evidence says - not just a few studies. Unfortunately, this perspective is missing from many websites. While it is not possible to know the motives behind every website, the essential issue is the validity of the claims being made rather than why a particular individual or group is making certain claims.

A recent statement from the Harvard Health Letter (June 2007) sums up the situation about soy this way: "Do even the most cursory web search and you'll find all kinds of postings about soy, much of it warnings about its dire consequences for the thyroid, the brain - you name it.  What you won't find is much of anything resembling solid proof for these claims." 

For the most part, concerns about soyfoods are based in animal studies or studies of isolated compounds in test tubes, which are of questionable use for predicting health effects in humans. Historically, unfermented soyfoods have been a part of Asian diets. Foods such as tofu have been consumed in Japan for more than 500 years. In present day Japan, about half of all soyfoods consumed are not fermented.  The preponderance of evidence indicates that soyfoods can make important contributions to healthy diets and, at the very minimum, are good sources of high-quality protein that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol-free.

I would be happy to answer any specific questions you might have about health effects of soyfoods. Please feel encouraged to write again.