Chiropractic and Nutrition: Soy – Good or Bad

Being a Chiropractor in San Diego, I am surrounded by patients who try to make improvements in their health on a number of fronts. Sure, they often come to my office complaining of neck pain, back pain or headaches that require chiropractic care, but usually at some point the topic of nutrition comes up. At that point I usually ask the question - Do you consume soy?

Soy is everywhere now days. It can be found in bread, cakes, baby formula, milk, meat substitutes, cereal, snack foods and even pet foods. As most of you know you can even get soy-based drinks at Starbucks. In fact, almost every time that I have been in Starbucks I overhear customers ordering a “Soy Chai Latte” something or other - intentionally.

In many cases, soy seems to be the answer to many peoples diet concerns. Those who are lactose intolerant use soy milk and soy burgers are seen as an ideal protein substitute for those who are vegetarians.

Soy, however, has some very real health complications for its consumers. Soy is an estrogen precursor and can cause a host of side effects in both women and men. Like most hormones, elevated levels of estrogen come with dangers. Soy can trigger the growth of estrogen based fibrotic tumors in women and result in the formation of breast tissue in men (gynecomastia).

Many people have allergies to soy that can cause everything from mal-absorption to full blown allergic reactions that include upset stomachs, excessive mucus production, vomiting and hives.  Allergies to soy is relevant for my patients because it can cause or contribute to joint pain and stiffness as well.

In addition to elevated estrogen levels, soy milk contains nearly 100 times the aluminum that is found in cow’s milk. In a report issued in 1997 by the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition, aluminum levels in breast milk ranged from 4 to 65 ng/mL while soy-based formulas contained 600 to 1300 ng/mL. As many of you may know, research is leaning heavily toward aluminum as a contributor to Alzheimer’s disease.

Soy is neither safe nor natural. It is heavily processed with a variety of toxic chemicals.

Soy is often offered as a healthier and natural alternative to our normal foods. However, there are many problems with soy, and I see my chiropractic patients struggle with physical symptoms secondary to soy consumption on a regular basis. This article touches on just a few of the problems with soy consumption. If you would like more information on soy, try going to the food and drug administrations’ website and search for “soy” to find in depth material on the possible dangers of soy in your diet.

Diet, exercise and chiropractic care can all contribute toward making you a much healthier and happier person.