How Much Is Too Much?

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Which soy product is the worst?
The biggest problem is soy milk. Those with lactose intolerance think that soy milk is a great alternative, and they're drinking a lot and getting a huge dose of isoflavones. If you're drinking soy milk, you're going to have a problem, or most people will sooner or later. We're all different--some people will start having problems in a day, and some people will think they're fine and a year later things will start to go downhill.

Drinking just one glass a day of soy milk will give someone the level of plant estrogens that has hurt the thyroids of healthy Japanese men and women. Most people are drinking several glasses, plus the soy protein energy bars and the bags of edamame.

If people are concerned about getting enough calcium, try a homemade coconut tonic made with coconut milk and dolomite powder. It will match the mineral content of milk and support the immune system and thyroid.

What provoked the Israeli health ministry warning on soy foods?
The Israeli health ministry issued an advisory saying that babies should not get soy formula and that children under 18 should eat soy no more than once a day, three times a week maximum. Adults should exercise caution due to the adverse effects on fertility and increased breast cancer risk.

It started a few years ago when several babies were hospitalized with severe beriberi and brain damage because of a soy infant formula that was deficient in vitamin B1. The manufacturer had gotten the idea that if soy is such a perfect food, already high in B vitamins, why should they add extra B vitamins? They didn't understand that babies need added B1 and that processing affects vitamins. National alerts were issued, the product was recalled, and all the babies on soy formula immediately got injections of B1.

That incident caused the Israeli health ministry to start looking into soy formula. They formed a committee including toxicologists, oncologists, pediatricians, and other experts, they reviewed literature, and they decided there are some risks. The Israeli soy industry has protested mightily and threatened to sue the government, but the health ministry maintained its position.

How much soy is OK?
I'll use the numbers the Israelis used. But, of course, some people are allergic to soy, some are sensitive to soy, some have thyroid problems already. Those people should probably avoid it. Then there's the issue of what types of soy we're talking about. I still enjoy miso soup.

Do you think we should have a warning label here in the United States?

That's the next step. I will be involved with three petitions to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The first will petition to remove from labels the current health claim that soy prevents heart disease. It's been on foods since November 1999, and soy food sales went from less than $1 billion to $4 billion [annually] between 1999 and 2004. [In 2006] the American Heart Association retracted its position on soy. They're now saying that soy does not prevent heart disease or lower cholesterol. Second, we're going to petition the FDA to remove the GRAS [generally recognized as safe] status for soy protein isolate. The third petition will have to do with putting warning labels on soy foods.

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