What Are The Dangers Of Soy Food?

The soy is the seed of a hairy Asian legume called Glycine max. It provides high-quality vegetable protein for millions of people and ingredients for an astonishing range of industrial products. In fact, soy serves as a high-protein meat substitute in many textured protein products, such as baby foods, miso, tamari, tofu and salad sprouts. A liquid can also be extracted from soy, called soybean oil, which can be made into margarine, vegetarian cheeses and meats. People who are hypersensitive to soy must not consume soy foods without talking to their doctors.

Plant Description

Glycine max is a hardy plant originally from eastern Asia. Today, it has become naturalized and is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions across the world for its nutritious seeds. It is found in varied sizes and shapes, producing flowers of many colors, from white to purple. Glycine max is also well-adapted to a variety of soils and soil conditions.

Soy Ingredients

Soy contains more protein and calories than other legumes and many animal products. The quality of soy protein is most notable and comparable to meat and milk proteins. The fats are approximately 78 percent unsaturated, with no cholesterol, meaning that soy promotes your heart's health. It is also a rich source of potentially anticarcinogenic compounds, including soy isoflavones.

Harmful Effects of Soy Foods

Soy foods may induce severe allergic symptoms in some people. Symptoms of soy allergy can range from harmless skin reactions and disorders of the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract to less common facial edema, dyspnea or difficult respiration and dysphagia or difficulty in swallowing. Soy foods are also thought to be associated with thyroid disorders, because they contain a substance called goitrogens which directly interfere with thyroid functions, resulting in thyroid diseases.

Dosage

Soy foods may produce side effects if consumed in large amounts for long periods of time. The normal range of intake is considered to be 20 to 35 g of soy protein a day, although a safe upper limit for soy protein could be as much as 50 g per day.