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Dangers Of Consuming Soy

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A lot of soy product manufacturers often market soy as one of the healthiest foods you can eat. This has been happening for years. While it’s true that soy has its share of benefits for example improving your body’s good cholesterol levels, it could also cause a lot of harm to your overall health. According to some studies, soy could go as far as causing cancer and certain heart diseases. So despite the fact that soy is included in the manufacturing of many processed foods, it is very important for you as the consumer to keep in mind its negative effects. Some of those negative effects include the following:

1. It’s Packed With Phytoestrogens/ Isoflavones

The normal estrogen levels in your body can be blocked by different plant compounds which significantly look like estrogen itself. This could cause a disruption in your body’s endocrine function. Soy is also packed with phytoestrogens compared to many other foods around. Eating these phytoestrogens is harmful to your overall well-being. This is because they could lead to diseases such as breast cancer, low libido, uterine fibroids, and in some cases they could also cause endometriosis. Believe it or not, when an infant or child of a young age ingests soy, even if they take it in the right quantity, it is equivalent to taking four birth control pills. It has a negative effect on the growth hormone.

2. It Is Goitrogenic

Out of the many different goitregenic foods you can find around, soy is the leading one. It has the worst effect on your thyroid. If you’re wondering how goitrogens affect your thyroid, well, they prevent the thyroids from getting the right amount of iodine. When your thyroid is affected and fails you will end up with issues such as rapid weight gain in some cases, you’ll often feel cold, you might end up being very moody and in some cases you will be easily fatigued.

3. It Contains a High level of Phytic Acid (Phytates)

Foods that contain high levels of phytates are known to cause a lot of problems especially when it comes to the normal growth of your children and their health. Phytates are enzyme inhibitors that lead to blockage when it comes to mineral absorption in the digestive tract. These phytates are mostly present in legumes, nuts, grains and different seeds but soy contains the highest amount. If you really like soy and have to eat it, it’s best to stick to fermented soy products. Should you do otherwise, the phytic acid in it will reduce the assimilation of magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and copper.

4. It Inhibits Trypsin

Soy also interferes with protein digestion in your body and could in some cases lead to pancreatic disorders. This is because it contains a lot of trypsin inhibitors yet our bodies generally are in need of trypsin. Lack of trypsin leads to different types of digestive disorders that include diarrhea, stomach cramps and even worse, bleeding.

5. Compounds Resemble Vitamin B12

Soy is also packed with compounds that resemble vitamin B12 and as such, your body doesn’t need them. This is because your body is able to tell that it is not the original vitamin B12 it needs for normal functioning. So, instead of soy helping you, it could make you vitamin B12deficient. This is especially the case for people who choose the vegan life.

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