A fascinating report in the UK Guardian Limited details some of the earliest evidence collected by experts that consuming soy is harmful to your health. And, surprisingly, it focused partially on dead parrots fed soy some 15 years ago.
As the story goes, a multi-millionaire raising exotic birds became convinced they were dying due to the processed soy contained in their feed. Not long after researchers were put on the trail, they quickly discovered processed soy contained toxins and plant estrogens strong enough to disrupt a woman's menstrual cycle and damage the thyroid.
An interesting factoid: Asians didn't eat as much soy as most people originally perceived. And when they did, it had been fermented -- not processed -- for months.
Makes you wonder why world soy production, according to the Chicago Board of Trade, has exploded to some 270 metric tons, a nine-fold increase over the past four decades alone. Perhaps, it's because American soy producers spend as much as $80 million to promote the joys of soy worldwide. Or, that American soybean farmers received some $13 billion in subsidies between 1998-2004.
Unfortunately, a new process recently launched by Solae LLC combines non-fermented soy, meat and vegetable protein in such a way that you may not be able to discern the fake food from the real thing, an important reason to stay far away from processed foods.
Guardian Unlimited July 25, 2006