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The Right Soy for Joy

 Why This Type of Soy is Better
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
March 27 2008 | 65,985 views

Soy, fermented soy, nonfermented, tempeh, natto, miso

Two new studies have shown that fermenting soy dramatically reduces its potential allergenicity, and also increases the number of essential amino acids in soy products.

When soy products were fermented, immunoreactivity was reduced by as much as 99 percent, according to tests that compared the blood plasma reactions for both fermented and unfermented soy products.

Fermentation had also improved the essential amino acid composition in the soy products and produced new peptides that may be beneficial. This was attributed to partial digestion of large soybean peptides by enzymes secreted by the microorganisms used in fermentation.

Sources:

  Science Daily March 6, 2008


Dr. Mercola's Comments:   

Whether or not soy is healthy for you is a hotly debated issue. The debate stems largely from the fact that health benefits of fermented soy have been misconstrued as being applicable to nonfermented soy as well, which is simply not the case.

How a Fact Became a Lie

Fermented soybeans have been a tradition in Japanese cuisine for more than 1,000 years. The nutritive value of natto, for example, was so high that Samurai consumed it daily, and even fed it to their horses to increase their speed and strength.

Nonfermented soy products, on the other hand, are NOT health foods, even though manufacturers of soy products have been allowed to label them “heart healthy” since 1999. The “health benefits” of nonfermented soy were simply created through slick marketing by the edible oil industry in the US; invented to create a profitable market for the otherwise unusable byproducts of the soybean oil industry.

The deceptive heart health claim originated from the low rates of heart disease and certain cancers seen in East Asian populations. However, in reality, Asians do not consume nearly as much soy as has been generally assumed, and what they do eat has been fermented for long periods.

What’s Wrong With Nonfermented Soy?

Nonfermented soy products contain phytic acid, which has anti-nutritive properties. Phytic acid binds with certain nutrients, such as iron, to inhibit their absorption. This is a direct, physical effect that takes place in your digestive system. They’ve also been found to contain toxins and disruptive plant estrogens that can damage your thyroid.

Most processed, nonfermented soy products also contain added flavorings, preservatives, sweeteners, emulsifiers and synthetic nutrients – a far cry from what you get after the traditional fermentation process that ancient cultures put their soy through before they would eat it.

As a result of modern processing, most of today’s soy foods are chockfull of anti-nutrients that have been linked to:

    * Malnutrition and digestive problems
    * Thyroid dysfunction
    * Cognitive decline
    * Reproductive disorders
    * Immune system breakdowns
    * Heart disease and cancer

It’s actually the fermenting process itself that turns an otherwise inedible food into something quite nutritious. 

Soy’s Health Benefits ONLY Apply to Fermented Soy!

As often as I’ve warned against nonfermented soy, such as fresh or dry whole soybeans, soy nuts, soy milk and tofu, I’ve also extolled the wonderful health benefits of traditionally fermented foods, and fermented soy is part of that pack.

After a long fermentation process, the phytic acid and antinutrient levels of the soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties – such as the creation of natural probiotics -- become available to your digestive system.

It also greatly reduces the levels of dangerous isoflavones, which are similar to estrogen in their chemical structure, and can interfere with the action of your own estrogen production.

So if you want to take advantage of the health benefits of soy, go ahead! Just make sure you’re eating the fermented varieties and avoid all nonfermented soy products.

Healthy options include:

    * Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor. It's loaded with nattokinase, a very powerful blood thinner. 

      Natto is actually a food I eat nearly every day as it is the highest source of vitamin K2 on the planet and has a very powerful beneficial bacteria, bacillus subtilis. It can usually be found in any Asian grocery store.

    * Tempeh, a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.

    * Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).

    * Soy sauce: traditionally, soy sauce is made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes, however be wary because many varieties on the market are made artificially using a chemical process.

In the Lab

Well, my last post has me all tied up! 

I knew MSG and it's various names and forms was not good for the body, but I just didn't know how bad it really is until I started back on the research for the post! 

SO, I'm staying in the lab a little longer!

I'm working on a little further info, and also looking into some great MSG free choices to eat.  We all need to know some healthy alternatives to our fav foods, right?  Check back in this weekend, and I'll be sharing some final thoughts and findings on MSG & how to eat well without it.

Till then, stay MSG free with me . . . .

The Lab Rat Syndrome

Lab rats.  Ever thought about how they get the rats into the disease state they want to then fix or experiment on? 

Hmmmm . . . . I never thought about it until I started dealing with my own health and weight issues.  Then, I found all the information on the food issues that contributed to my ill health.  I was shocked, and then I was mad!

Are you a lab rat as well? 

Seems that we all are.  I know you're thinking, "You're just a paranoid person.  Our food supply is safe and no one would knowingly harm people."  You really think so?  Let's find out. . . .

MSG is injected under the skin of day old mice and rats to produce obese animals with a predisposition to diabetes!  This has been one of the standard lab procedures for 30 some-odd years!

MSG not only causes fat-gain and obsesity, it damages the brain and causes a host of serious health problems in the body.  John Erb, author of the book The Slow Poisoning of America believes that MSG is the food industry's equivalent to Nicotine. "Studies have shown that people who eat food laced with MSG eat more of it, and faster than food that does not have this additive. If it makes the elderly eat more, what is it doing to our nations' health?
 
Glutamate is an amino acid that can excite almost every major organ in the body, especially the brain. It occurs naturally in milligram amounts in some harvested foods. Now, however, a person can get as much as a teaspoonful a day. John Erb finds this especially disparaging considering in some countries of the world one tablespoon of MSG is given to dogs to make them go into epileptic convulsions until they die!"

Because MSG affects the brain, it is CRUCIAL that all pregnant and nursing women avoid MSG at all costs.  It can definitely cross from you to your baby and affect their brains as well!
 
"When ingested by human test subjects MSG directly affects the Pancreas stimulating it to triple its standard output of insulin output.  This unnatural amount of insulin finds the sugar in the blood and converts it to fat. A few hours after you eat MSG the excess insulin the MSG triggers reduces your blood sugar level so much that you become tired and even hungry again. In animal test subjects this excess insulin leads to hyperinsulinemia: the chronic overproduction of insulin. The pancreas becomes so out of control that the body starts producing killer T cells to shut it down. Is it any wonder why diabetes, obesity and lethargy in our youths are at an all time high? Junk foods, processed foods, even cafeteria foods are now laced with large amounts of exitotoxic glutamates." John Erb reports.
 
Now, causing obesity and other metabolic issues is bad enough, but MSG does much more damage to the body than just your weight.  Because it damages the brain itself, it can cause or contribute to diseases such as ADD/ADHD, autism, pituitary tumors, epilepsy, migraines, sleep disorders, panic/rage disorders, and more.

So you want to stop eating MSG?  Great!  Me too!  The sickening part - excuse the pun - is that it is hidden in our foods and goes by other names than just MSG!  Flavour enhancers can appear in foods under the following description:

Glutamic acid (620)

Monosodium glutamate (621)

Monopotassium glutamate (622)

Calcium glutamate (623)

Monammonium glutamate (624)

Magnesium glutamate (625)

 Hydrolysed vegetable protein (HVP), other forms of hydrolysed or autolysed protein

Hydrolysed plant protein (HPP)

Natural flavourings

Flavours

Kombu extract

Yeast extract

Accent

Ajinomoto

Zest

Gourmet powder

Chinese seasoning

Ve-tsin powder

 The new MSG: Flavour enhancers 627, 631, 635

Disodium guanylate 627

Disodium inosinate 631

Disodium 5’ribonucleotides 635, also called ribonucleotides or nucleotides

Nucleotides are possibly added to unbaked products such as chicken nuggets in ‘bakers yeast’

How frustrating is that?!  Unfortunately, many foods we eat every day contain MSG in its various forms such as: 

Flavoured chips and snacks • flavoured noodles and snacks with flavour packs or sachets• savoury biscuits and crackers with flavours such as pizza or chicken and even ‘plain’ rice crackers • soups or sauces (canned, packet, restaurant) • stock cubes, stocks • gravy mix • crumbing mixes • seasoned salt • prepared meals • slimmers, lite or ‘healthy’ products and meals • frozen foods and meals • pies, party pies and sausage rolls • fresh sausages, marinated meats and stuffed or seasoned chicken • bottled soy or oriental sauces (note that naturally brewed soy sauce is a form of natural MSG) • deli, manufactured meats or mechanically reclaimed meat such as devon, some hams, luncheon chicken and turkey, chicken nuggets • flavoured tuna • vegetarian burgers and sausages

And most importantly - MOST fast foods and restaurant foods!  Junk & fast foods really do make you fat and sick!

Let's sum up so far!   The two worst things you can eat are High Fructose Corn Syrup and MSG additives.  It causes obesity, diabetes, and other serious health issues.  BOTH of these things are found in most of the every day foods that you eat!   You must make the conscious effort to buy truly all natural, non-enhanced, or organic foods available.   Sticking with your basic clean meats, veggies & fruits, and some of the better whole grains is your best choice to stay healthy and disease free!

For more information and to check out the sources of information I used go to:

Fed Up With Food Additives
MSG Truth
MSG Causes Obesity
The Shocking Dangers of MSG

To stopping the Lab Rat Syndrome,
Majetta

What you don't know CAN hurt you!

 

You and I are in a silent battle for our health, vitality, and even our youth!  We are bombarded daily with silent but deadly toxins externally in our homes and our offices!  We are bombarded internally with toxins that cause ill health, disease, pre-mature aging, and even death!  You most likely have a toxic waste dump right in your very home . . .

I know your thinking "what toxic dump do I have?   I don't have that problem . . . . or do you?

This post will start a mini-series on toxic hazards you expose yourself and your family to every day, and I think you will be quite shocked at what will be revealed!  Today we'll deal with the toxic waste we have around us externally.

Are You Innocently Harming Yourself and Your Family?                                                 

There are hidden hazards present in today’s homes that are a serious threat to your family’s health.  It’s called “The Toxic Brew”.  Everyday household cleaners that you use regularly are full of chemicals.  In fact, more than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since WWII! (Create a Safe and Healthy Home, by Dr. Joyce. M. Woods, 1996).

These dangerous chemicals come at a price.  Many give off unhealthy fumes that can irritate the eyes, nose and lungs.   Some cleaners are corrosive and can harm your skin.  Do you have to wear gloves to clean?  Many leave behind TOXIC chemical residues. Children tend to touch everything and then put their hands in their mouths or pick up food dropped on the floor.  You know how it goes; it’s the “3 second rule”!  They may be putting chemicals in their mouths along with their toys and food.  When you “disinfect” their toys, are you sure it’s safe for them to put them back in their mouths?  What residue is on all the cups, bottles and dishes your family drinks from? 

Sneezing, sore throat, coughing, asthma, diarrhea, and headaches are only some of the side effects of the toxic chemicals.  Many products contain ingredients that cause cancer.  The Consumer product Safety Commission connects 150 chemicals commonly found in our homes to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders.  Have you been curious about the increase in A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) symptoms in children? How about the rise in asthma conditions?

 Do we really have something to worry about?

• There are more than 3 million poisonings every year.   Household cleaners are the #1 cause of poisonings in children and liquid dish soap is the leading cause.

• There has been a 28% increase in childhood cancer, such as leukemia, since the addition of pesticides into household products. (Source: National Cancer Institute)
  

•   A 15 year study found that women who worked at home had a 54% higher death rate from cancer than women who had jobs outside the home.  (Source: 17 year EPA study)

•   A woman's fertility has also been negatively affected by the increased use of chemicals.  In 1934 only 21 cases of endometriosis existed in the entire world. Today over 5 million women have this condition, which causes infertility in the U.S. alone.  

•   In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women) (Source: Center for Disease Control)

 
Just reducing (not eliminating) environmental carcinogens alone, would save at least 50,000 lives from cancer annually. (Source: Dr. Lee Davis, former advisor to the Secretary of Health)

And what about formaldehyde and phenols?  Formaldehyde is also known as methanal, methylene oxide, oxymethylene, methylaldehyde, and oxomethane.  Formaldehyde can be responsible for eye, ear and nose irritations as well as recurring sore throats. And people with asthma can have more frequent and more severe attacks when exposed to even low levels of formaldehyde.

Other symptoms of formaldehyde poisoning are nausea, tightness in chest, wheezing, skin rashes and stuffy nose. Large amounts of formaldehyde can cause vomiting, coma and even death. Formaldehyde has also been linked to brain cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia. 

At home, formaldehyde is produced by cigarettes and other tobacco products, gas cookers, and open fireplaces. It is also used as a preservative in some foods, such as some types of Italian cheeses, dried foods, and fish.

Formaldehyde is found in many products used every day around the house, such as antiseptics, medicines, cosmetics, dish-washing liquids, fabric softeners, shoe-care agents, carpet cleaners, glues and adhesives, lacquers, paper, plastics, and some types of wood products.

Formaldehyde is released to the air from many home products and you may breath in formaldehyde while using these products. Latex paint, fingernail hardener, and fingernail polish release a large amount of formaldehyde to the air. Plywood and particle board, as well as furniture and cabinets made from them, fiberglass products, new carpets, decorative laminates, and some permanent press fabrics give off a moderate amount of formaldehyde. Some paper products, such as grocery bags and paper towels, give off small amounts of formaldehyde. 

And we wonder why we have so much illness today!

How is it that these deadly products can be on the shelves?  Manufacturers ARE NOT required to list the exact ingredients on a label.  Chemical names are often disguised by using "trade names", so you may not recognize the chemical for what it truly is.   Warning labels on containers refer only to toxic hazards from ingestion, however, only 10% of health problems from chemicals are caused by ingestion.  90% are caused by the inhalation of vapors and absorption of particles.  (Please see the list of Common Household Products and Their Toxic Ingredients.  You may find some of your favorite products listed there.)

 What can you do about it?

 FIRST, you can get the TOXINS out of your home!  There are many safer products on the market.  You may be able to find some at your local health food stores or even online.  Be aware that some products can still have toxins in them and be promoted as "all natural".  I can endorse a company* with great confidence that I have recently discovered, and am very pleased with the products.  They have NO formaldehydes, phenols, or phosphates in any product.  This company can truly simplify your life, saving you both time and money.  It can provide you with a one stop shopping through a catalog or online system that offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on over 300 products for everyday use.  *user name & password is story.

Since I’ve become a preferred customer, we’ve seen many blessings, such as great prices and products delivered right to our door.  I can feel safe when we use our cleaning products, bathe, brush our teeth, wash our hair, eat off our dishes and generally live in a more non-toxic home, and I’m able to help other families to do the same.  My hope is that you will review the facts carefully, do the research, and prayerfully consider the changes you may like to make to provide a safer environment for your family as well.

NEXT, you can share this article with others or encourage them to do the research themselves.  The important thing is to get the word out and promote change.  If more people stop using these harmful products, perhaps we’ll make an impact on the irresponsible manufacturers producing them.

 *Disclaimer: This company is not Amway, NuSkin, HerbalLife, Shaklee or other Multi-Level Marketing Company that requires selling and inventorying products.  There are no distributorships, no inventory requirements. We simply became Preferred Customers and everything is 100% guaranteed.  (There’s even an opportunity to revenue share with the company as you help tell this important story.)  Click here for more info (user name & password is story) or contact me about becoming a customer, too!

Below is a list of just some of the common household products which have been shown to have adverse affects on our health.  For a complete searchable database, go to http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.

Household Products Containing TOXIC INGREDIENTS, FORMALDEHYDES, OR CARCINOGENS:

• Proctor & Gamble: Cascade, Dawn, Mr. Clean, Bold, Cheer, Bounce            

• Clorox: Ultra Clorox Bleach, Liquid Plumber, Pine-Sol, S.O.S.

• S.C. Johnson: Fantastik, 409, Windex, Pledge, Glade, Vanish, Shout

• Lever Brothers: All, Wisk, Snuggles Softener, Surf

• Dove Beauty Bars

• Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo and Powder w/talc

• Crest and Colgate Tarter Control Toothpastes - swallow more than pea-sized should call poison control center
  

• Ajax Cleanser

• VO5 Hair Conditioner

• Lysol Disinfectant (all scents)

• Clairol Nice N’ Easy Hair Color

• Tilex Cleaner & Disinfectant

• Gillette Foamy Skin Conditioning Shave Gel

• Old English Lemon Furniture Polish

• Listerine, Listermint, Sepacol & Scope Mouthwashes

• Citra-Solv All-purpose Cleaner

• Neutrogena Therapeutic Shampoo

• Black Flag and Raid Ant & Roach Killers

• 10/13 brands of Cat Litter

 Out of 2,983 chemicals in personal care products: 

• 884 of the chemicals were toxic 

• 314 caused biological mutation 

• 218 caused reproductive complications 

• 778 caused acute toxicity 

• 148 caused tumors 

• 376 caused skin and eye irritations 

      Sources: United States House of Representative Report, 1989; The National Cancer Prevention        Coalition; The Safe Shopper’s Bible by David Steinman

So, you're shocked and possibly a little ticked at what is allowed by our own government to be in our homes!  I know I was, and I made changes for my home!  Next time, we'll find out what you're ingesting that is wreaking havoc on your body. 

Until then, clean up your toxic dump and start on the path to better health!
Majetta