Why soy infant formula is one of the absolute worst foods your baby

[Trillian]

It is all in the processing. Like Junglemum said, tofu and other fermented soy products are fine, it is when it is used in processed foods as a thickener or filler that it is bad as it is processed in a different way and in this way it is full of phytoestrogens (not sure I have that spelt right) which can be bad and some even suggest that this is a cause of early onset puberty in girls and lowering testosterone in boys. Mind you that is all anecdotal and not enough research has been done into it to prove conclusively. Also if you must use soy products, choose products which state that they are GMO Free - this means that the soya bean does not come from seed that has been Genetically Modified. The trouble with the soy industry is that most of what they put out will naturally be positive and almost like propaganda - afterall they are protecting their industry and don't want any negative media, so it is hard to find anything that is impartial.

[Janie]

Yep, we are on the 'soy is evil' bandwagon too. DS is intolerant (so am I, but not so badly) and it is such a PITA, as soy is in sooooo much! Drives me nuts. It is very frustrating that everything that is 'dairy free' is soy based. Many, many people who are dairy intolerant/allergic have the same reaction to soy.

My mum put my brother and I on soy formula when we were weaned (for me that was 3 months)..........she really thought she was doing the right thing, that if we couldn't have BM, then soy was the next best thing. We then had soy milk for years as littlies (clearly my parents thought dairy was evil so do I, but for different reasons). I have some hormonal issues, and I've wondered if they're connected, but we'll never know I guess. I certainly don't plan on telling my mum it could be from all the soy!!!

[Trillian]

Well for a long time, and to an extent even now, soy was considered to be a very healthy alternative. And John Laws can't be wrong So pepple genuinely believed they were doing the right thing by having it. I am amazed at the amount of 'health food' in the health food shops and supermarket isles that have good that is full of it.

[krysalyss]

Well we aren't on the soy is evil bandwagon. We try to choose fermented soy products although we also use soy milk as an alternative to cows milk (which you could also dig up a whole load of evil about).
Moderation and choose your products is my advice. One soy product does not equal another.

[Junglemum]

No Krysalyss, you are right, one does not equal another. Some soy products are good for you. The problem is we don't really have a lot of choice. Soy is in almost all processed food so we are all consuming it with almost every mouthful that is not a basic food. If you pick up a product in the isles of a supermarket and read the label, most of them have soy in them. So unless you only eat unprocessed food you are already consuming a lot of soy.

And you are right also in saying there is also lot of bad press about cows milk. However the alleged negatives related to Soy i find much more alarming. Sure, there is a lot more study to be done to prove the allegations, but for now, i would rather avoid it until something was clearly demonstrated one way or the other.

Yup, it is a choice. And i will certainly not criticise my friends for their choices. I do talk to them about it, because i feel strongly that it is the root of more hormonal issues in woman then we think, and i am watching out for my friends. But if they choose to drink soy milk, then that is their choice. Rice milk is a great alternative.

[*Ash*]

I do not believe that it is as simple as saying all soy is evil. There is a lot of research showing the exact opposite. I know people have commented that the soy industry is a massive industry that wants to protect its profits and I am sure that is true. But there has been much independent research that has supported the health benefits of whole soy foods (not soy protein isolate).

I have provided a link to some information by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, in part it cites research that says:

'adults who had been fed soy infant formula as infants were found to have no difference in their reproductive health when compared with adults who had been fed cow’s milk formula.'

PCRM >> Preventive Medicine and Nutrition >> Soy and Your Health


Balance is important in all things. Comments have been made about soy being aded to a diverse range of products. I find the same thing happening with whey powder and milk powder. These three ingredients are cheap fillers in the manufacturing process.

In all honesty, we need to eat wholefoods as close to their natural state as possible. Tempeh, miso, tofu and endamame are all healthy soy foods.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents worth!

[Janie]

I totally agree that balance is important. But it's hard to see the balance when you have a kid who cannot consume soy, yet it is so difficult to avoid!

I love to eat/provide wholefoods, and make everything from scratch, but my life doesn't always allow for that. For goodness sake, even almost every mayonnaise available contains soy! I love to make my own, but it doesn't always happen

[*Ash*]

Yes, Janie. I totally get where you are coming from! It must be tricky when you are allergic to soy and it is in almost everything. I have the same problem with trying to avoid dairy, and I hate it when you find a product that you can eat, and then the company changes the recipe and adds the ingredient that you have been avoiding! So annoying. :wall

[Janie]

Yep, it is totally frustrating. Particularly as we both need to avoid dairy as well.........and 95% of dairy replacements are soy!!!! So I hear you!

[Junglemum]

In all honesty, we need to eat wholefoods as close to their natural state as possible. Tempeh, miso, tofu and endamame are all healthy soy foods.

Absolutely, i totally agree.

Perhaps i should re word my statement. "Soy is evil, EXCEPT traditionally fermented soy products." I know it is not as simple as that, but i honestly think in years to come more studies like this will emerge and the trend for soy as a healthy alternative will fade. I don't believe there is concrete evidence supporting the soy is evil statement at the moment, but enough suggestion to make me concerned and avoid it.


This is one of those topics that people feel passionate about one way or the other, and there are many papers supporting both sides of the argument. I find these topics tend to end with, "Lets agree to disagree." As long as we are all happy with the choices we are making, and they are informed choices, then that's great.

[Aligater]

my little one looks like she has Coeliacs and secondary lactose intolerance she cant even have my breast milk any more it makes her sick I was told to put her on Lactose free not soy we had to get some weight back on her even if it meant the end of our breastfeeding journy. I got to 9 months exlusive

[Bathsheba]

Does anyone know if Bonsoy milk is fermented? Their website isn't working...

As a non-red meat eating family we supplement our diet with soy... but it's usually in the form of fermented products like tofu and tempeh. I don't believe all soy is evil... but I do believe it's used too frequently as a hidden additive. People do need to be aware.

[Trillian]

From what I can find in a google search it is fermented apparently.

[Bathsheba]

Thanks Trill! I had a bit of a Google but all i could find was stuff relating to the seaweed debacle etc that has now been resolved. I give Bonsoy to my kids on a semi-regular basis... it's more expensive than other soy milks but it's non GM and if it's fermented that would also explain the higher cost. Plus it tastes way better than most soy milks. Not sure if i'd be giving it to a baby though. Like i said, we only have it a few times a month.

[Maruschke]

Wow I've only just seen this thread. DD1 has been on soy powder for about 8 months now, and switching to soy "milk" more recently. Any hint of lactose in her diet and she forms ulcers in her bowel that bleeds... so badly that there is more blood than urine in her nappy. She screams all day and night and is in terrible pain. She has a true intolerance to lactose and we have no alternative (and I don't feel in the slightest guilty ).

Bath - we like Bonsoy too .

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

Ok ladies i need some help... DD2 has dairy allergies.. we have been told NOT to introdue say rice milk until AFTER 12mths BUT we should test her on SOY formula to see if she has a reaction to soy as this would be our alternative for cooking etc.

Where do i go from here, what formula can i use to test her reaction and is it going to be safe to continue to give her some form of soy products in baking or as an alternative to milk on cereal.. help help help

Hmm this might also be something i will print out and take to me when i see her paed at her next allergy appt.. would that be wise... and ask him for alternatives???

[onthefly]

Your pead could prescribe elemental formula.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

What is that, she's still fully breastfed and i'm not planning on weaning her, it's only so that we can work out if we should be swapping to soy in our cooking etc so she can eat what we make.. if that makes sense?