Soy offers certain benefits. The isoflavones in soy may reduce cholesterol and protect against heart disease. Soymilk may be a suitable alternative to dairy for those with lactose intolerance or allergies to milk. However soy milk has certain disadvantages. Like other soy products, soymilk is a highly processed food, and potential allergen and non-organic varieties should be consumed with caution if at all.
Potent Allergen
Soy is one of the most common causes of food-associated allergy, high atop the list of the eight food or food groups accounting for 90 percent of allergies, and frequently affecting babies and children, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Though allergies to soy are infrequently severe enough to warrant hospital treatment, they can be associated with a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain.
GMO Food
Genetically modified foods are chemically altered by the use of recombinant technology to create characteristics, such as enhanced taste and improved resistance to pesticides, not present in the natural food. GM foods may pose significant health risks, which according to the American Academy of Environmental Medicine include immune dysfunction, infertility and accelerated aging. Soybeans are the most common genetically-modified foods, accounting for over 90 percent of soybeans planted in the U.S. Organic soy is not a GMO; however, not all soy milk brands are organic.
Processed Food
Soymilk is a processed food. As such it is nutritionally inferior to the bean from which it is derived. According to Joel Fuhrman, MD, processed soy products do not retain much of the beneficial compounds and omega-3 fats that are in the natural bean. Soybeans and tofu are good sources of these essential fats, and of calcium. Unfortified soymilk is not.
References
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition": Soy Isoflavones---Benefits and Risks from Nature's Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs)
- FDA: Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004
- The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network: Soy Allergy
- American Academy of Environmental Medicine: Genetically Modified Foods
- USDA: Adoption of Genetically-Engineered Crops in the US: Soybean Varieties
- "Eat to Live"; Joel Fuhrman, M.D.; 2006
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