1. Soy: A broad consideration
A look into the health and environmental affects of soy foods.

2. What is a soy bean? A legume! Native to East Asia
Versatile crop with a wide range of uses
Has been used and cultivated for 5,000 years - very different today.

3. What is in soy? Flavonoids
- Antioxidant with many positive health effects - found in soy beans as well as other plants.

4. Phytoestrogens Also found in soy can act like the hormone estrogen
could change the production and/or breakdown of reproductive hormones such as estrogen

5. Where is soy? Everywhere!
Similar to corn in that it has become a substitute and additive for many products.
Soy milk, soy oil, soy baby formula, tofu, temphe, soy protein bars, in tuna fish cans etc.

6. Some of the Issues Soy becomes a food allergen
Soy beans have become GMOs
Heavy use of pesticides
Processing of soy changes the nutritional quality
Estrogen mimic
Threat to the thyroid

7. Soy as a food allergen
Soy is one of the top 8 foods that cause allergies.
Milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)
Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
Soy, especially in children
Wheat

8. Proportions
Soy has been consumed historically in much smaller quantities
FDA says 25 grams is healthy
According to a Cornell study traditionally Japanese consume
8 gram/day -men
7 gram/day -women

9. Genetic Modification Soy beans have become a cash crop
Modified to increase sustainability and yields
Over 90% of soy beans are genetically modified

10. Processing of soy
The process includes heating and chemically treating in aluminum vats, which leach
Neutralized in an alkalaline bath
Toxic Lysinoalanine is created during this process
The curds are then spray dried at high temperatures to create SPI.  (Soy Isolated Protein)

13. Fermentation Fermented soy is much healthier
During fermentation soy is cultured with beneficial bacteria
Aids digestion
Enhances minerals
Medical benefits - intestinal flora

14. Soy as an estrogen mimic
Members of the flavonoid class of phytochemicals have been demonstrated to possess estrogenic activity systems.
Male development - development may never take place
Female development - alarming number of girls are entering puberty much earlier than normal

15. Thyroid FDA's Soy Experts Speak Out Against Soy
"there is abundant evidence that some of the isoflavones found in soy, including genistein and equol, a metabolize of daidzen, demonstrate toxicity in estrogen sensitive tissues and in the thyroid. This is true for a number of species, including humans. “

16. Thyroid health ensures hormone health
The thyroid can influence how sensitive the body should be to other hormones

17. Soy and our environment
Threat to biodiversity
Spraying of pesticides
Soy as a mono crop

18. Pesticides Spraying of pesticides puts synthetic chemicals
onto the food and into the environment

19. Pesticide Use To ensure proper yields, fields are heavily sprayed
We already know pesticides are synthetic chemicals --> endocrine disrupters
Pesticides pose a threat to human health and the health of the environment.

20. Biodiversity
Environmental concerns because of the high concentration of biodiversity
Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay constitute 44% of the world’s soy production

21. Mono crops
Mono cropped soy beans produce higher yields than intercropped soybeans in some instances
Mono cropping is intensive on the soil

22. Take home messages All things in moderation
Soy is not bad in all instances, but it’s also not a miracle food
Eat unprocessed or fermented soy products in small quantities