Who eats soy? Are people in the US really big consumers?

Simply no. While soy has gained attention in the U.S. and Europe as a miracle crop, it is not yet an established part of the Western diet. 

For example, the world’s biggest soybean producer is the U.S., it produces about 73 million tons per year. 

But its population only consumes on average about 40 grams of soy per person per year. This is less than the amount eaten in one day by the average person in Japan.

Quite interesting to know couple countries about Soybean produce and consume ratio:

The United States produces 73,000,000 (73 million) tons per year (About 40% of global soy supply), eat 40grams / each person per year.  

Japan produces 227,000 tons per year, eat 8.2kg of soy / each person per year.

China produces 12,725,000 tons per year, eat 3,96 kg per year.

Considering US people eat soy yearly less than the amount Japanese people consume within a day, I do not think soy is a big deal for people in the US unless you are a vegetarian or Zen monk who eats tofu for each meal.  

What products are made of soy?

– Tofu, Soy milk, Soy Yogurt, Soy burgers, Soy energy bars, and Soyturkey etc. 

– Asian: Tofu, Miso, Natto, Soy Source, Edamame, Tofu

– About 80% of the soy currently produced in the United States is used as animal feed in 1950s.

– Soy became a replacement of milk and animal meat in the US in the 60s and health waves brought by the new US dietary recommendations (McGovern Report) and Hippie movement in the 70th made soy a solid foundation for “HEALTHY” alternative.

The forms of soy eaten in the US and Japan for example, are very different. Soy has been introduced relatively recent to the US in the 60s and most of the soy products are highly processed. Yuka was talking about her story that she was told Tofu was bad from the alternative nutrition expert and she was surprised. “Japanese have been eating Tofu every day last 2000 years!”. One of the reasons she thinks is that in order to coagulate soy milk, the naturally occurring magnesium chloride is used traditionally in Japan, whereas here in the US, it is a chemical form and that makes the difference in the final form of Tofu. Put the Tofu on a side, most soybeans consumed by Japanese are fermented such as Miso, Natto, Soy Sauce but soy products consumed in the US are not fermented form and many of them are “Soy protein”.

Soy and cancer? Soy Isoflavone = Phytoestrogen

When Soy was started shifting from Animal food to Human food, many research was conducted in order to reduce cost mainly by American Soybean Association in the 60s. Since most of the research was conducted by soybean association, the soy was seen beneficial for our health. Lots of protein, and fiber, Omega-3 fatty acid. The start was great, many health-conscious people started taking soy products as a healthy alternative. 

In 1996, a research suggested the link between soy and cancer, especially breast cancers. This was thought being caused by isoflavone because it acts like estrogen, and estrogen level is considered a cause of breast cancer. After this finding, the Phytoestrogen was considered cancer risk, some research suggested no relation to cancer. The results went back and forth. 

The latest word now is from 2017 data came from  Breast Cancer Family Registry , an international database funded by the National Cancer Institute. “I would say this study is probably the strongest one that we have right now in North American women, showing that soy consumption in breast cancer patients is not only safe but also beneficial,” Emory’s Kucuk said.

Is Soy Bad for Us? Yes, if it is GMO. 

90% of soybean produced in the US is Genetically Modified. GMOs are banned or restricted in over 60 countriesbased on their scientific research for possible negative effects of GMO. We have been traditionally modified genes for better taste etc, e.g. Seedless grapes, waterline and so force but recent GMO foods are transgenic. It is made by forcing synthetic versions of based on those from one or more species into the DNA of an unrelated species in order to introduce a new trait. 

Examples of GMO:

1. Inserting a gene based on that of a coldwater fish into a tomato plant so that the tomato plant won’t freeze in the winter. 
2. Another example would be inserting a synthetic version of a bacterial gene toxic to insects into corn plants so that corn rootworms die when they attempt to eat the corn. (notorious btCorns)

GMO was made to tolerate herbicide mainly for Round-up made by Monsanto. It contains glyphosate. Which is widely known as a carcinogen. Then weeds become herbicides tolerant and no longer effective and became monster weeds. So farmers have started using even more toxic herbicides such as 2,4-D, an ingredient of the Vietnam War defoliant – Agent Orange, and dicamba.

GMOs are inadequately or not safety tested. we want to know whether studying the effects of feeding GMO plant foods to animals is a reliable marker for evaluating their long-term safety in humans. After all, rats and mice, the common test animals in these studies, live a very short lifespan compared with humans. 

In the United States, the FDA does not do safety studies and allows biotech companies to do their own studies. These industry “studies,” which always present GMOs favorably, are kept secret from the public. For more details, there is a good book I can recommend, It is called “Altered Genes Twisted truth” by Steven Drucker . This public interest attorney filed a lawsuit against FDA regarding cover- up the research results against GM risks. Many forward-thinking doctors say genetically modified organisms (GMO)  has an undeniable role that they play in:

• Allergies 

•Antibiotic resistance

• Cancer 

•Endocrine system disruption

•Premature aging

•Reproductive system disorders

Remember, more than 90% of soybeans produced in the US are GMO!

According to “TheToxin Solution” by Joseph Pizzorno.

There was a study conducted in Europe. After eating 1 week of conventional pesticides food and vegetable, people switched to Organic food for 2 weeks reduced their toxin level by 95% in their Urine test before and after the 2week Organic period.

Conclusions:

We think everything is a balance. If you consume an excess amount of soy, since it is high in phytoestrogen, may cause your hormonal imbalance. I was surprised my friend told me she liked milk and she drinks 2 cups each in a morning, during lunch and before going to bed! That is too much! If you drink soy milk the same way she does for cow milk it may cause some health issues. (Cow milk maybe worse depends on a kind)

It is healthy if soybeans are fermented, eaten in a traditional way most Japanese or other Asian people are eating, such as Miso, Natto, Soy sauce as long as it is organic and non-GMO. Micro Bacteria eats up much of the toxins and develop amino acid, fatty acid, as well as the variety of good vitamins such as Vitamin K2 and B6 and highly probiotic. 

Fun Facts:

Nagano prefecture in Japan is the number One consumer of Miso in Japan. Consumption of Natto is also in top10. And cancer mortality rate is lowest in the country. 

Whereas Osaka prefecture in Japan is rated 45th (lowest 3) of the soybean consumer in Japan. They are famous as “Natto Haters”. No supermarket in Osaka area has Natto on the shelf. And…listen to this…cancer mortality rate is the HIGHEST in the country.

A shipment of 36 million pounds of soybeans sailed late last year from Ukraine to Turkey to California. Most of them has “Organic” label, but USDA found many of the claim were fraud.

Recommended Books:

To understand how GMO research in the US is twisted and manipulated by Big corporations:

“Altered Genes, Twisted Truth.”

BY STEVEN M. DRUKER

This book provides a graphic account of how this elaborate fraud was crafted and how it not only deceived the general public but Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and a host of other astute and influential individuals as well. The book also exposes how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was induced to become a key accomplice–and how it has broken the law and repeatedly lied in order to usher genetically engineered foods onto the market without the safety testing that’s required by federal statute. As a result, for fifteen years America’s families have been regularly ingesting a group of novel products that the FDA’s own scientific staff had previously determined to be unduly hazardous to human health.

To understand how much toxins are in our environment and how to avoid them:

“The Toxin Solution” – How Hidden Poisons in the Air, Water, Food, and Products We Use Are Destroying Our Health–AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO FIX IT

By Joseph Pizzarno

Dr. Joe Pizzorno is convinced that lifelong good health rests on two key determinants: your exposure to toxins and your ability to process them in your body. While lifestyle, diet, and genetics all play a major role in well-being, many symptoms of declining health and chronic disease are rooted in toxic overload—our exposure to a barrage of chemicals, heavy metals, radiation, electromagnetic frequencies, and pollution that are the byproducts of modern life.