*** As you read this article, I encourage you to do some research and challenge my position in your own mind. Google Scholar is a great place to find studies on this topic. I would also like to point you to authors and professionals like Mike Geary and Ori Hoffmekler for more detailed information. ***

Soy has a reputation for saving the heart. A healthy alternative to meat. And as a healthy food in general.

I do not agree.

Emphatically.

And while it would be easy for us to go with the flow and serve it, we chose to stick to our guns and our policy of “if we don’t eat it, we won’t serve it.”

The undeserved reputation soy enjoys can be traced back to advanced processing technologies and huge marketing budgets that have taken what used to be considered a waste product and turned it into a lifestyle choice for people who they do everything they can to stay healthy. .

But sadly, history has been twisted. And innocent consumers with the best of intentions are hurt.

Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve found that the supplement and / or food processing industries have been selling us one thing and delivering another.

To defend the rampant consumption of soy, many people point to the eating habits in the East. The claim is that since Asian diets are naturally so healthy and consume a lot of soybeans, soy must be good. Right?

Wrong.

First, soybeans were first consumed in a fermented form a few thousand years ago in China. (according to historical records, of course). We are talking about foods like miso, soy sauce, tempeh, etc.

Later, it was discovered that cooked pureed soybeans could be prepared in a very specific way to form tofu.

The use of these foods was traditionally done in very small quantities. And always with meat.

The fact is that soy contains significant amounts of antinutrients. Modern and simple cooking processes cannot deactivate these substances.

It is only the fermentation process that can begin to accomplish this. And even then, the process is not complete.

That said, when the Japanese, for example, ate fermented soybeans, it was still only with a nutrient-dense amount of meat or fish broth. This is because the nutrients in those foods counteract the antinutrients left in the fermented soy product.

The way we are encouraged to consume soy now … is VERY disproportionate to what is safe, nutritious, or healthy.

Soy was never intended to be a major protein source until marketers realized they could sell it to wealthy customers with claims of tangential health benefits.

A vegetarian who consumes large amounts of fake soy-based meats, tofu, and soy milk is doing far more harm than good to his body.

Soy protein isolate, which is generally marketed as protein powder but is also used in fake meats, is produced by a very intense chemical process. You may have also heard of the end product called TVP. Textured vegetable protein.

This thing ends up loaded with toxins. Not to mention, you’ve taken a food that’s really not that good for you and broken it down into different components: that is, removing the fiber by mixing it with an alkaline solution and then applying an acid wash to finish the process.

Sounds delicious, right?

It should come as no surprise then that studies have shown an increased need for vitamins D, E, K, and B12, as well as many important minerals.

Even better, soy protein isolate used to be considered a waste product. That is until some brilliant minds figured out how to turn things into dollars.

If only we knew how many synthetic flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, emulsifiers, and nutrients made in the lab go into what was a disgusting-looking, nasty-smelling product that used to be thrown into a dumpster but now suddenly turns into a simulated chicken , we would be rightly disturbed.

And don’t even get me started on soy milk.

We will save it for another day.

In short, fermented soybeans, tofu, etc., when properly prepared and treated, can be enjoyed in small amounts in the traditional way and provide positive health and nutritional benefits.

It is the “Frankenstein-ization” of soy and the overconsumption of raw soy products in disproportionate amounts that are highly unhealthy.

Anyway, I hope you found this article enlightening. If you were eating a soy burger … my apologies.