Soy formula is the infant supplement of choice among women who choose not to breast feed, and recommended by most obstreticians. The health benefits of soy formula are often touted by soy interest groups such as the American Soybean Association, highlighting its high protein content while remaining low in fat. However, when you examine the scientific research, soy formula reveals a number of significant drawbacks that may lead you to opt for a milk-based formula for your infant instead.
Reproductive Problems
Infants who consume soy formula are exposed to up to 22,000 times more estrogen than babies who are fed breast milk. The results of this exposure later in life affect boys and girls differently. Male babies undergo highly-elevated testosterone levels early on, which serve to express male sex traits later on in life. A soy milk diet may inhibit this testosterone response, resulting in delayed puberty male sexual development, according to "Phytoestrogens: Potential Endocrine Disruptors in Males," published in Toxicololgy and Industrial Health in 1998, as well as "The Whole Soy Story," by Kaayla Daniel, published in Mothering Magazine in May/June 2004.
In females, excess estrogen levels as a child has the opposite effect. Girls can show signs of puberty as early as age three with significantly more instances by age eight, according to Daniel and "Secondary Sexual Characteristics and Menses in Young Girls Seen in Office Practice," published in Pediatric Research in Office Settings Network in 1997.
Thyroid Problems
Soy formula contains isoflavones that have a goitrogenic effect on the thyroid gland, according to an article by Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick entitled "Soy Formulas and the Effects of Isoflavones on the Thyroid," published in the New Zealand Medical Journal in February of 2000. The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating growth and development, and excess soy as an infant can result in goitre and hypothyroidism. Infants are more at-risk than adults because of their small size, and the fact that such a large percentage of their diet is comprised of soy formula.
Carcinogens
Soy formula contains isoflavones such as genistein, which was found to be more carcinogenic than the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol by Cancer Research in an article entitled, "Uterine Adenocarcinoma in Mice Treated Neonatally with Genistein," published in June of 2001. The journal notes that diethylstilbestrol is proven to cause cervical cancer in adult women. Soy formula is potentially more carcinogenic because of the amount of estrogens contained in it, as well as the small size of the infants who take it.
References
- Soyonlineservice.co.nz: Soy Dangers Summarised
- "Cancer Research"; Uterine Adenocarcinoma in Mice Treated Neonatally with Genistein; Newbold, et al; June 1, 2001
- "New Zealand Medical Journal"; Soy Formulas and the Effects of Isoflavones on the Thyroid; Fitzpatrick, M; Feb 2000; (click "PDF on link")
- Mothering.com: Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food
- "Toxicololgy and Industrial Health"; Phytoestrogens: Potential Endocrine Disruptors in Males; Santti, et al; 1998
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