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

Finally Infant Soy Formula Under Investigation
Posted by: Dr. Mercola

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has convened a scientific panel to review the safety of soy baby formula and genistein, a plant estrogen found in soy.

Genistein can mimic the effects of estrogen in humans, which has raised concerns about effects on human development and reproduction. The panel intends to look into these possible effects, such as the research that suggests soy consumption could affect the menstrual cycle.

The panel will create a report on the matter in six to eight weeks. Any possible government action would then be up to agencies such as the FDA.

Sources:

USA Today March 15, 2006

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I've been posting warnings about the dangers of soy for more than six years. I am grateful that the government took a serious look at the serious safety issues of using soy in infant formula.

Of course, the soy industry is up in arms about this new probe, arguing soy consumption affects animals differently than humans. I suspect the industry is getting worried consumers are finally catching on to soy's inherent problems, as evidenced by its slowing sales.

The fact is, soy -- at least unfermented soy -- is hazardous to your health, and soy formula is one of the worst foods that you could feed your child.

Not only does soy infant formula have profoundly adverse hormonal effects, but it also has over 1,000 percent more aluminum than conventional milk-based formulas. Many soy foods also have toxic levels of manganese. Soy formula has up to 80 times higher manganese than is found in human breast milk.

In terms of the hormonal dangers, a 1997 Lancet study showed that the daily exposure to estrogen-imitating chemicals for infants who consume soy formulas was 6-11 times higher than adults consuming soy foods.

And the blood concentration of these hormones was 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than estrogen in the blood. An infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at least five birth control pills per day.

And there's more:

• Soybeans are high in natural toxins, also known as antinutrients. This includes a large quantity of inhibitors that deter the enzymes needed for protein digestion. Further, these enzyme inhibitors are not entirely disabled during ordinary cooking. The result is extensive gastric distress and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake, which can result in dangerous pancreatic impairments and cancer.
• Soybeans contain hemaglutinins, which cause red blood cells to clump together. Soybeans also have growth-depressant substances, and while these substances are reduced in processing, they are not completely eliminated.
• Soy contains goitrogens, which can frequently lead to depressed thyroid function.
• Most soybeans (over 70%) are genetically modified, and they contain one of the highest levels of pesticide contamination of all foods.
• Soybeans are very high in phytates, which prevent the absorption of minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, all of which are co-factors for optimal biochemistry in the body.

Although the final report from the NIH should be posted online sometime in the next two months, you don't have to wait that long to make an informed choice about soy.

The choice is yours, but when I am offered soy, unless it is fermented I routinely politely refuse and seek to enlighten the person about the above issues if they are open to learning more.

There are just far healthier protein options available for you. So avoid getting caught in the soy deception trap, especially for your child. You just simply cannot take the chance.

If you can't breast feed and your infant is not tolerating conventional formulas then please review a far safer and healthier option.

this is really interesting and very disturbing at the same time. My daughter couldn't breastfeed and was diagnosed allergic to gluten and dairy as a newborn. A lot of her food contains soy! In fact, anything that isn't salad and vegetables prepared by me is made with soy! I wonder if this is the cause of her worsening reaction to her allergens as coeliacs and dairy allergies are all based on allergies to protein???? Hmmm... something to think about.

thanks for letting us know!

OMG!!!

Im worried now becaue N had it when he was little due to reflux and M has some aswell. Would that much estrogen cause man boob's?

eeek .. now i feel so naieve (sp) i had dd on soy formula and soy milk for about 8 mths ( she was having top ups with soy formula and once i stopped BF at 14 mths had soy milk , now 16 mths shes on rice milk as her body started to react to soy as well )

i hope i havent done my girl too much damage . it was some really scary stuff to read .

ciara , my dd is gluten , dairy , soy , citurs , and yeast free . and it gets harder each time we have found an intolerance to find food that is safe .

i am with you on the protiens being a huge contirbuter to allergies/intolerances . dd was topped up with goats in times of poor weight gain and she tolerated it for a week or so , then had reactions. hence all dairy is off the list :(

not even zymil can be given. and now has rice milk , but its 99% fat free , and its such a blow as dd hasnt gained any weight for about 2 months now . im paranoid she going to enter her 2nd year under 10kg :(

Don't panic guys... you can't reverse what you knew to do. For those using it now they can make a more informed decision and perhaps choose something else, but please don't beat yourself up for what you didn't know. Who knew being a mum would involve so much research! :)

For those who want more information check out this site: Soy Online Service. Here's a bit from their site which has lots of articles and studies including a link to lower sperm count in men... so many things. But just like the formula industry, the medical industry, it is very wealthy and powerful. Speaks louder than words.

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The Truth About Soy

Have you ever wondered about soy? It's promoted as the miracle food that will feed the world while at the same time prevent and cure all manner of diseases.

But what if all you've read about soy is nothing but a multi-million dollar marketing strategy based on scanty facts, half-truths and lies?

Most people remain unaware that soy is known to contain an array of potent chemical toxins. The modern manufacturing processes of high-profit industries make no effort to remove these potent toxins. High levels of phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines are all present in soy products.

Phytoestrogens that disrupt endocrine function and are potent antithyroid agents are present in vast quantities in soy, including the potentially devastating isoflavone Genistein. Infants exclusively fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula, the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula, as has the underdevelopment of males. Infant soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.

Soy is linked to infertility, breast cancer, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, and many other disorders.

"Imagine drugs that are known, by years of scientific documentation, to be both carcinogenic and to also cause DNA and chromosome damage being prescribed and administered through the food supply to populations of many countries around the world without the knowledge or consent of the individuals consuming these foods ... with no way to track dosage, individual reactions, or harmful side-effects ... and without any concern for some people’s increased vulnerability to these drugs, such as cancer patients. It sounds crazy, but that is exactly what is happening around the world when Soy is added to our food supply. Soy contains the scientifically documented carcinogenic and DNA damaging and chromosome damaging natural chemicals genistein and daidzein." - True Health, the magazine of Carotec Inc., Naples, Florida. May/June 2004.

"(Soyfoods) are not nutrients. They are drugs."
Dr. L. White, Honolulu Aging Study.

How could anyone get away with this?

The answer is simple, given the soy industry is one of the world's most wealthy and powerful multi-billion dollar industries.

"Despite an impressive array of scientific evidence that soy is not a fit food for man nor beast, the soy marketing mastodon has marched through the American market like Sherman through Georgia - and likely doing about as much damage as Sherman's Union Army did. In our opinion the widespread use of non-fermented soy is part of the chronic disease problem since soy is known to wreak havoc with the human thyroid and other hormone systems." - True Health, the magazine of Carotec Inc., Naples, Florida. May/June 2004.

The result is an industry that will systematically steamroll anybody that dares suggest there may be problems with the darling soy. When we first questioned the safety of soy, a representative of Protein Technologies told us that they had:

"...teams of lawyers to crush dissenters, could buy scientists to give evidence, owned television channels and newspapers, could divert medical schools and could even influence governments..."
This boast has proven all too true, and you'll be shocked to learn that much of what you've read about soy is nothing but a con.

Are all Soy Beans bad?

Soybeans are widely known to contain a gamut of natural toxins - and it makes no difference whether they are organic, "Round-Up Ready", or in any number of modern products (see our GUIDANCE page).

The trouble with modern soy products is that fast industrial processing does not equate to historical methods of fermenting "for two summers" or boiling "for the length of an incense". The method of modern get-rich-quick corporations is simply to leave these well-known natural toxins in our products.

"Among the Hawaii "study's" conclusions: that tofu accelerates brain weight loss in aging users, that the more soy you use the more it impacts your mental abilities, that soy acts like a drug, not a food." - True Health, the magazine of Carotec Inc., Naples, Florida. May/June 2004.

A few things you should know... (links)

• The Dangers Of Soy: A brief summary of the reasons why soy is potentially harmful. You will find plenty of further detail throughout this site.
• FAQ: Soy Myths We dispel the myths about soy and address some common misconceptions.
• Soy and your baby: Think twice before you feed your child soy-based formula - learn what your are really giving your baby.
• Doses Simplified How much soy is too much soy? Learn about the levels at which the chemicals found in soy are dangerous.
• Didn't know Soy was Toxic? Find out what they didn't tell you about phytoestrogens and other soy toxins.
• Good Reading: Soy: For Your Health or Their Wealth?
• The History Of Soy The history and traditional use of soy in Asia.
• The Politics of Soy The soy industry is worth billions and spends millions on promoting its products. Is it any wonder that their political influence is global?
• Soy and your Pets How the animal kingdom caused us to uncover the dark side of soy.
• Further Reading Our Hot Reading page provides you with a list of excellent articles we recommend you read to uncover more on the truth about soy.
• Hot off the Press Go to this page for recent publications that will fill you in on the whole soy story.

Would you like to help?

We are frequently asked for suggestions. One way to inform your fellow citizens is to ask your local newspaper to print a factual article, post one on public and supermarket notice boards, and on Internet newsgroups. Also in MOMS club and womens' issues websites.

Three which we feel are short, accurate and to the point are the two by Susan Starr Paddock: Soy Foods Have Downside For Health Of Infants, and Thyroid Problems Mis-Diagnosed As Depression and the one in "Moonlight Health", which is authored by a medical doctor.

If you would like to contact the SoyOnlineService webmaster, please fill in our email form here.

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I have a friend whos son is lactose intolerant so hes on soy milk and top ups on soy formula what can she give him as an alternative?

True lactose intolerance is acually very rare... lactose is in breastmilk and for a human baby to be allergic to human milk... very rare indeed. There are other alternatives, you can find out information and email her/send her this article on BB, written by an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant - the gold standard in lactation care).

Lactose Intolerance and Your Baby

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Primary (or true) lactose intolerance is an extremely rare genetic condition and is incompatible with normal life without medical intervention. A truly lactose intolerant baby would fail to thrive from birth (ie not even start to gain weight), and show obvious symptoms of mal-absorption and dehydration – a medical emergency case needing a special diet from soon after birth.

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There are some common fallacies about lactose intolerance that you may hear in the community:

1. Lactose in the breastmilk will be reduced if the mother stops eating dairy products.

2. Lactose intolerance in other family members (adults) means baby is more likely to be lactose intolerant.

3. If a mother is lactose intolerant then her baby will be as well.

4. A baby with symptoms of lactose intolerance should immediately be taken off the breast and fed on soy-based infant formula, or other special lactose-free formula.

5. Lactose intolerance is the same as intolerance or allergy to cows’ milk protein.

Read on to see what is wrong with these ideas!

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Thanks again Kelly for a truely informed article!

It is something that we should think about for ourselves too - soy is in every single processed food item we eat. Soy in a fermented form such as tofu and other methods such as those used in Japanese food is fine - in fact it is even great for you - because of the way it is prepared means that it is safe. The way soy is used in all other food processes, mostly as a thickener, is evil. I'm not kidding. Its not being alarmist, its a reality.

Charmalea, my dd was the same. She's dairy gluten citrus (fructose) and yeast allergic. Diagnosed very early and put on prescription formula in the end. Soy was found to be intolerant as an infant but she seemed to grow into it ok which is why we used it (although we tried not to use it all the time). I have used mostly rice milk where possible, but the prob was growth with her which is why we switched back to soy milk. Grrr!! it's all so frustrating! Just when you feel like you're doing the right thing.. BAM!!

I would have liked to just breast feed and be done with it.. but she was allergic to it! And here's the funny part... I don't eat dairy myself nor did i consume any of her allergens??? Must have been all the vitamins i was trying to top up on.

But like all the ladies are saying.. we can't beat ourselves up over it. BellyBelly is soo right.. we can only do the best job we know how to do as parents... there isn't a manual for it unfortunately, and even if there was.. i'm sure it wouldn't cover all of this.

the government aren't interested in helping us in keeping healthy 'naturally'... they're more into the chemicals that they earn their big dollars on, and medications. I'm growing my own organic vegies at home for our food... just wish there was enough time, and energy, to be able to do it all myself... minus the soy part now.

happy new years ladies

Ciara, at her age she wouldn't even need milk. Her calcium requirements can come from other food sources - many vegetables are high in calcium as well. There was a thread about it on here a few weeks ago and I posted a list of veges that would help make up for hte lack of dairy.

Thanks Trillian. Should be a good read for me!!

ciara - sounds like my DD , her growth is so slow atm im scared to go back to the pead:(
im off to read this list of trill's , should be interesting !

and i totally agree with the soy being in everything , i always read the ingredients and see soy and wonder why it needs to be in there .
If i buy packaged foods as a treat , its always plain , not BBQ or other flavours , in , for ex , plain corn chips , you have : salt, oil and corn ... then if you have cheese flavour its has about 40 other additives to make it taste like cheese ... and it doesnt even look or taste anything like cheese !!

its all plain and simple in my pantry .. my kids will hate me for it when they go to school :lol:

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its all plain and simple in my pantry .. my kids will hate me for it when they go to school :lol:

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Yes but their teachers will love you for it because they wont have the attention problems because they have filled up on crappy empty calories and highly processed foods.

This is something that really isn't that big a deal kwim? It's a message for all of us to eat better by eating whole foods and unprocessed pre packaged junk. A little bit is way more than enough for anyone and the more you can cut out the better.

WOW very informative and suprising information Kelly. Thank you for the insight. :clap:
Rach xx

Trillian how does the average person tell the difference between good and bad soy... most ppl just think of soy as being all round good for you, it's just another kick in the guts when you think you are doing the right thing!

Soy is evil.
We try to avoid it where ever possible, my DD has an intolerance. It is very difficult to avoid. It is almost all processed food and in bread. They use is as a filler in bread improver which 99% of bakers use. I try and bake our bread or buy the couple of brands that don't have it. (two of the bergen varieties don't if anyone is interested)

I have been trying for a few years now to get my girlfriends to stop drinking so much soy milk for all the reasons the article mentions. I am pleased it is coming to more peoples attention.

Danni- Fermented soy products are few and far between, tofu, miso and tamari sauce are some. Soy when used in processed food is almost always nonfermented soy.

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.

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 :lol: 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!!! :(

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.

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.

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. :)

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!

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 ;)

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

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

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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.

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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. :D

my little one looks like she has Coeliacs and secondary lactose intolerance she cant even have my breast milk any more:cry: 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

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.

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

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.

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 :).

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???

Your pead could prescribe elemental formula.

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?

oh, I see. :doh: why not use breastmilk in your cooking :lol: Ok, I'm not sure if that'd work anyway.

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oh, I see. :doh: why not use breastmilk in your cooking :lol: Ok, I'm not sure if that'd work anyway.

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:rofl: i'm not sure DP would like his breastmilk mashed potato or his breastmilk cookies... lol
The Paed wants me to try soy milk formula and said def no SOY MILK before 12mths so it would only be to test that she does not react... so i am totally unsure, she's starting to want to eat mroe of 'our' foods and if i there was something else that would not affect her allergy and possibyl not harm her i would love to know or is soy 'safe' now as i'm only testing.. damn this parenting gig is hard work.

Could you try eating/drinking soy yourself? Or does she only react when she consumes the protein directly? (Have we had this conversation before???). When you talk about changing the family foods, do you mean for yourself (because you're breastfeeding her) or for when she starts to join in?

If you do end up having to try her with soy formula, don't stress yourself. It's not like you have to give it to her all the time, it's just for a test. If she was FF, then sure, you would look at an elemental formula, but she's not, so you don't have to worry about that :).

ETA Parenting a child with food issues is a big gig. Don't be hard on yourself, and remember that it's not an immediate process, sometimes it can take time. It's okay to be frustrated, and totally normal. The soy thing is tough, because some kids will react to that too. I actually think rice milk works brilliantly in alot of cooking, and I now much prefer it over soy. But that took time, and it was only because I was forced to change that I kept on going with it. I remember Christy saying that it's a lengthy process to change a family's food habits, and she was right. I honestly think it can take up to two years, or even more, to totally get your head around it. But I promise you, you will get there :hug:

She seems fine when i have dairy but cannot have it herself, i have lowered my dairy intake quite a bit (used to have cheese EVERY day etc) and she is a lot more settled now.
I am finding it ok as we eat a LOT of fruit as a family but she's starting to be interested in cereal, pasta, cakes etc and i would like to be able to make a lot more 'healthier' options of these things for BOTH of my girls, also that DD1 gets a lot of variety that DD2 cannot get due to products containg milk solids or butter etc.

Thanks for your help everyone.