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Soy Can Alter Sexual Behaviors |
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A study of female rats has shown that soy supplements can decrease normal sexual behavior by as much as 70 percent. The findings suggest a possible negative side effect for the supplements, which are becoming very popular among US women.
Soy isoflavones have been show to interfere with estrogen function in rats, decreasing some of the brain molecules involved in social and sexual behavior. And a specific isoflavone called genistein prevents the tumor-fighting drug tamoxifen from working in mice. The new study, showing that a soy isoflavone has negative effects on sexual behavior in rats, joins these.
Ok, we're not rats, but the rat model has been used for decades as an indicator of how humans will respond to a drug, a food, or an environmental condition. There is a long, strong history of correlation between rat responses and human ones. It is wise to take these finding to heart.
It is clear that the farm industry - soybean growers in particular - have done a masterful marketing job. There is much evidence that soy products can pose a health risk. Yet, so many of us still believe that soy is a healthy alternative. It seems that every "health food" store offers row after row of soy-based products. So, by association, "health food store" must mean that the stuff they sell is healthy. Right? Sadly, that isn't the case.
I do not want to give the impression that soy products are always, and in every situation, unhealthy. Many of us live by the idea that if something is ok, it is even better if taken in larger doses, on a regular basis. That's the basic problem with soy consumption. Too many people turn to soy as a fully healthy supplement and consume it daily, in all sorts of forms (soymilk, soy nuts, tofu, soy protein drinks, and a wide variety of soy-based supplements). Moreover, too many of us use soy-based infant formula for too long a time.
Based on many reports over many years, soy consumption can have a serious, negative effect on hormone levels. One writer lamented that feeding soy formulas to infants is comparable to dosing them with birth control pills. Added estrogen-like substances can enhance maturation of female and retard that of males. I conclude it is unwise to use soy products for any purpose.
In addition to the frank evidence that soy interferes with normal hormone balance, there is evidence that it contains toxic substances (sometimes called "anti-nutrients") that interfere with enzymes necessary for protein digestion. This can lead to gastric distress and even impair the absorption of amino acids - the basic building blocks we use to make protein in our bodies.
Soybeans contain substances that can cause red blood cells to clump together, so they would be dangerous to people with blood clotting problems.
Soy products have been shown to increase the incidence of goiter. These growths are usually associated with thyroid deficiency. It isn't a big step to conclude that soy can decrease thyroid function. How many people experience low thyroid symptoms and still take their daily soy supplement with a glass of "soy milk?"
Like many grains, soybeans contain phytates. These substances interfere with the absorption of minerals - calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and so on. It is surely counterproductive to take soy supplements and then be concerned about calcium levels. In addition, taking a mineral supplement at the same time as a soy product actually negates any of the benefits you think you're getting from the mineral supplement.
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LARRY'S BLOG
I was recently published in Illinois Pharmacists Association Magazine. The article is titled "Back In My Day"...
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