Soaking soybeans and then grinding them with water make soymilk. The fluid, which results after straining, is what we call soymilk. Most of the soymilk that is available commercially is flavored and fortified with extra calcium and/or vitamins. For various reasons, soymilk is not recommended to Candida patients.
Soybeans
contain a large number of dangerous substances or
natural toxins, also called “anti-nutrients”. These
include:
·
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.
·
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.
·
One
of the highest percentages of pesticides in any of our
foods.
·
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.
·
Soy
phytoestrogens which disrupt endocrine function and can
cause infertility or breast cancer. They are also potent
anti-thyroid agents.
·
The
vitamin B12 analogs in soy cannot be used by the body
and they actually increase the body’s requirement for
B12.
·
Extremely
high levels of aluminum, which is toxic to the nervous
and renal systems.
·
Soybeans
are 99% genetically modified.
Soymilk
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 an
anti-Candida diet in particular. Some researchers also
suggest that soymilk 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
hemagglutinin and enzyme inhibitors present in soybeans
are both “growth depressors”. Though fermenting
deactivates these substances cooking and precipitation
does not. Hence soymilk is best avoided on any
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.
