Isoflavones in soy act as potent anti-thyroid agents, and are capable of suppressing thyroid function because flavonoids inhibit thyroid peroxidase (TPO), which disturbs proper thyroid function. Any inhibition of TPO will clearly work against anyone trying to correct a hypothyroid state. Isoflavones belong to the flavonoid or bioflavonoid family of chemicals, and are considered endocrine disruptors. Soy products increase the risk of thyroid disease and these dangers are particularly great for infants on soy formula. This is not information that the powerful and profitable U.S. soy industry wants you to know. Soy is a phytoestrogen and that estrogen can upset the delicate hormonal balance of your endocrine system that is already under attack from our American diet as a whole, and as well as from our poor lifestyle choices. There isn’t a newspaper, magazine or news program that hasn’t featured a propaganda story that they received from the Big Food industry on the amazing health benefits of soy food products and soy/isoflavone supplements that is sadly, to the detriment of our American public. The sale of soy products is big business, and the increasing demand for soy protein products, soy powders and soy isoflavone supplements is making that an even more profitable business than ever before. Soy was found to disrupt the menstrual cycle in women, with the effects of the isoflavones continuing for a full three months after stopping the intake of soy in the diet. The (FDA) decision, announced on October 25, 1999, to allow a health claim for products “low in saturated fat and cholesterol” that contain 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving was the beginning of what I call a catastrophe. It would be more than just speculation to state that since Soy was declared a Health Food by the FDA that each year there has been more and more research on the health effects of soy and soybean components, which seems to increase exponentially. Furthermore, research is not just expanding in the primary areas under investigation, such as cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis, there are issues of fetal psyche being altered and menstrual cycles beginning at very early ages for young girls. Animal studies have shown that during early fetal development, maternal nutrient supplements of methyl-donating substances (folic acid, choline, vitamin B12, and betaine) or genistein, found in soy products, can counteract the reduction in DNA methylation (means to mix or combine).

There are those that suggest, the increased levels of soy in the American diet since its green light was given by the FDA, is not only to blame for male homosexuality from fetal transfer but also to blame for early puberty in girls, late puberty in boys, obesity, breast cancer, thyroid problems, the “infertility epidemic and dramatic increase in fertility clinics”, as well as a contribution to the destruction of masculinity. I fail to see how finding comparatives that may have additional influence would make any difference in why a person should elect not to consume SOY; unless you were actually representing the Soy industry.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20077194?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=2

So… no worries there, and I’ll keep on eating as much soy based products as I like.

Hajo