Soy
milk is made by soaking soybeans and then grinding them
with water. The fluid which results after straining is
called soy milk. Most of the soy milk that is available
commercially is flavoured and fortified with extra
calcium and/or vitamins. For various reasons, soy
milk is not recommended to Candida patients.
Soybeans
contain a large number of dangerous substances or
natural toxins, also called “anti-nutrients”. These
include:
(1)
Potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of
trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion.
They are not completely deactivated during ordinary
cooking and can produce severe gastric distress, reduce
protein digestion and cause chronic deficiencies in
amino acid (proteins) uptake.
(2)
Soybeans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot-promoting
substance that causes red blood cells to clump together.
Once clumped together the red blood cells cannot absorb
oxygen properly. This is not very conducive to cardiac
health.
(3)
Soybeans also contain one of the highest percentages of
pesticides in any of our foods.
(4)
Soybeans are also high in phytic acid or phytates. They
are present in the bran or hull of all seeds and legumes
but soybeans have extremely high levels. They block the
uptake of essential minerals like magnesium, calcium,
iron and especially zinc. Soybeans compound this problem
by being highly resistant to phytate-reducing
techniques.
(5)
Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and can
cause infertility or breast cancer. They are also potent
anti-thyroid agents.
(6)
The vitamin B12 analogs in soy cannot be used by the
body and they actually increase the body’s requirement
for B12.
(7)
Soy foods contain extremely high levels of aluminum
which is toxic to the nervous and renal
systems.
(8)
Soybeans are 99% genetically
modified.
Soy
milk and tofu are not whole foods - they both
undergo a refining process. They are “lifeless,
over-processed foods made from improperly prepared
foods”. They contribute nothing to health in general or
anti-Candida diet in particular. Some researchers also
suggest that soy milk contains a chemical similar to the
female hormone estrogen. This may cause hormonal
imbalances and throw the Candida treatment off gear.
Genetically modified soy should be avoided wherever
possible from a health, environmental and ethical point
of view. There is also an ingredient which should
definitely be avoided at all costs is soy protein
isolate - a product that is so highly processed it can
barely be termed a food substance.
The
haemagglutinin and enzyme inhibitors present in soy bean
are both “growth depressors”. Though fermenting
deactivates these substances cooking and precipitation
does not. Hence soymilk is best avoided on
anti-Candida diet. The most beneficial soy
products that are available are fermented products such
as miso - which contains valuable digestive enzymes,
tamari and shoyu (types of soy sauce) and tempeh (a
protein rich alternative to tofu). All traditionally
fermented soy products are easier to digest, as the
fermentation process produces substances that
counterbalance all potentially toxic
constituents.
