Any food can cause food poisoning. Soy is a byproduct of soybeans that is used in many processed and health foods. If the soy product that you eat or drink is contaminated with a bacteria, virus or toxin, it will cause food poisoning. A condition that is confused with food poisoning is a soy allergy. Food poisoning from soy would be an isolated event; it would not occur every time you eat soy products. If you develop stomach problems every time you eat soy, ask your doctor about allergies.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning occurs when you eat or drink a food or beverage that is contaminated. The infectious organism in the food or beverage enters your digestive system and causes sickness. You may feel ill, nauseous and tired. These infectious organisms can get into your food or drink though food handling, contaminated water or meats that have not been properly refrigerated or cooked, according to MedlinePlus. Food poisoning causes inflammation and irritation in the gut, which leads to the common symptoms.
Any soy product can cause food poisoning. A report by the Food Safety News said salmonella had been found in a soy flour plant. Pritzker Law reported a case in which soy bean sprouts were contaminated with listeria. Other soy products suspected in food poisoning cases have included soy milk, soy sauce and edamame. Any soy product could potentially be contaminated from improper food handling or leaving the product out too long; food poisoning could also result if it is eaten past its sell-by date.
Symptoms
Food poisoning symptoms can appear within a few hours or up to a few days after consuming the contaminated food or beverage. Symptoms may include vomiting, nausea, watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, loss of appetite, fatigue, abdominal pain and fever, according to MayoClinic.com. The symptoms can last from 24 hours up to 10 days. Call a doctor if symptoms include vomiting blood, severe diarrhea, inability to keep liquid down, extreme pain, a fever over 101.5 or frequent vomiting.
Soy Allergy Consideration
Soy allergy symptoms are similar to food poisoning symptoms, but they are different conditions. A soy allergy is a malfunction of the immune system. Your body reacts to the proteins found in soy as dangerous. Your immune system responds by creating immunoglobulin E, or IgE, antibodies that trigger a chemical chain reaction in the body. Histamine is created, causing inflammation in the gut, leading to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping and pain. Soy allergy symptoms last just a few hours, until the soy proteins are eliminated from your system.
Consideration
If you develop stomach problems after eating soy, stop eating soy products until you can be evaluated by your doctor. A soy allergy could lead to a potentially fatal condition, anaphylactic shock.
