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Ivan's Newsletter
April 01, 2006 -- Issue 003
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Hi ,
This issue includes...
1) You Need to Know This About Soy
2) What's New About IvanNikolov.com
3) "Visit My Newsletter Archives"
4) "Tell Me What You Think!"
5) Recommend this Article to a Friend

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1) You Need to Know This About Soy
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I know if you are engaged in any sport or you are
just a health conscious person, you have probably asked
yourself the the question "Is soy good for me?".
Or may be "Are soy protein supplements advantageous or
disadvantageous?".

You know, then you are not the only one because I asked
myself the same question, too. I wanted to once and forever
find the answer to these questions and here is summarized
what I found about Soy Protein Isolates (SPI), also valid
for non-fermented commercial soy products :

• * SPI, being non-fermented soy product, contains
  phytic acid (phytates). This can be okay for some men
  with significantly higher levels of iron. On the other hand
  you should keep in mind the fact that phytates reduce
  the absorption of other essential minerals
  such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper.
• Women, being chronically iron deficient are better off
  staying away from SPI supplements.

• * The enzyme inhibitors in SPI and other commercial
  non-fermented block the action of the protein
  digestive enzymes thus decreasing the rate
  and the amount of protein absorption.
• But isn’t this the main reason why bodybuilders
  would take soy protein supplements?

• * SPI contains hemagglutinin, a substance that causes
  erythrocytes (red blood cells) to clump together.
  I don't know but this doesn't sound good to me..

• * Goitrogens, also in SPI and non-fermented soy
  products, cause thyroid gland enlargement.
  How about this one?

• * Two thirds of the soy production is GMO
  (genetically modified), which means that the chances
  for a particular SPI supplement to be made of
  GMO soy are 66%.
• This is a quite disturbing number
  given the fact that GMO soy products contain less of
  some of the amino acids that make for the not-even-
  that-good amino acid profile, and more of the
  anti-nutrients like the enzyme inhibitors.

• * Nitrites, aluminum, lysinoalanine, and MSG
  (Monosodium Glutamate) can be found in the
  already processed SPI. Nitrites and lysinoalanine
  are considered carcinogens, aluminum is found
  in larger amounts in the brains of people with
  Alzheimer's disease, and MSG has been possibly
  investigated as a cause of nerve cells damage.

• * The amount of naturally occurring isoflavones in soy
  is about 50 mg per 25 g of SPI. An athlete on a high
  protein diet, who provides some of the protein in his/her
  diet from SPI will easily consume at least two times
  that amount a day. This, according to the Swiss health
  service equals to a half (!) of an estrogen pill.

As you can see, the picture doesn't look very
good. As always I will leave it up to you to decide whether
you should supplement with soy proteins.

However, there is no reason why you shouldn't eat in
moderation organic (non GMO) fermented soy products
like tempeh, miso, natto, fermented tofu and soy sauce
as most of the adverse effects aren't present in organic
fermented soy.

Moreover, soy has the ability to decrease the total
cholesterol levels and even improve the ratio between
LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol).

For even more detailed information on fermented and
non-fermented soy go to:

Article on soy

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Copyright 2006 by IvanNikolov.com.
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