Posted by kathryn in A Balanced Diet and Food & Health Myths

One of the big claims made against soy is that it’s chockablock full of substances which block the uptake of essential nutrients. Goitrogens mean you can’t use iodine, while other compounds prevent the absorption of B12, vitamin D, protein and other nutrients. Soy eaters are apparently putting themselves at grave risk of deficiencies and illness.

What the soy detractors neglect to say is, these anti-nutrients are broken down and destroyed by cooking. Yes, they’re present in raw soy beans, but people simply don’t eat large quantities of raw soy. Boiling the beans will dissolve many of the anti-nutrients. Heat breaks down most of the anti-nutrient enzymes, while others oxidise to harmless compounds. In the course of cooking soy and turning it into tofu and tempeh, these anti-nutrients stop being a problem.

The soy detractors also fail to mention soy isn’t the only food to contain these anti-nutrient compounds, in fact they’re present in most plant foods. Pine nuts, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, strawberries, peaches, legumes, most grains, nuts and seeds are just a few of the foods. To avoid these compounds, would mean you’d have to avoid some of the healthiest foods around. If these compounds were a problem, then eating vegetables wouldn’t be so good for you after all.

17 September, 2007