You’ve probably heard that becoming a vegan is the single most important thing you can do for the planet. But is it true? According to Dr. Graham McAuliffe of the Rothamsted Institute, it’s not if you eat tofu.
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Dr. McAuliffe, who specializes in measuring the environmental impact of different foods, conducted research on tofu that led him to believe the soy protein could have more significant impact on the plant than meat — namely chicken, beef and pork.
While presenting his research at the National Farmers Union, Dr. McAuliffe explained, “Without a doubt, peas and ground nuts always have a lower environmental impact than any livestock products. But if you look at tofu, which is processed so there is more energy going into its production, when you correct for the fact that the protein in it is not as digestible compared to the meat-based products, you can see that it could actually have a higher global warming potential than any of the monogastric animals. To get the same amount of protein, tofu is worse."
Despite whether or not it leaves a carbon footprint, soy protein has been touted for years as a “healthy” product. However, research has shown that antinutrients in soy have negative effects on the body. Phytates prevent the absorption of certain minerals, estrogens can block the hormone estrogen and disrupt endocrine function, and goitrogens interfere with thyroid function.
Besides the genetic engineering of most soy grown in the U.S., there are other dangers to consider when contemplating the attributes of consuming soy proteins. Organic options are available, but if you don’t choose them, it’s more than likely that you’ll be ingesting gut-wrecking glyphosate residues. The most common product dispensing it is Roundup, used by multimillion-dollar farming operations — and your next door neighbor — to control weeds.
There’s a difference between soy that is organic as opposed to nonorganic, but there’s also a big difference when it’s fermented compared to unfermented. The fermentation process may take time and special consideration, but the health benefits are more than worth it. Importantly, the fermentation process “deactivates” many of the antinutrients in soy that act as toxins in your body. So if you want to eat soy, make sure it's traditionally fermented. Fermented soy products include miso, natto and tempeh, but not tofu.