For many women and even men, soy has become yet another miracle food that is being consumed faster than genetically modified soybeans can be processed. With the help of modern technology and a little hexane, soybeans and their estrogen like chemicals (isoflavones) are finding their way into your daily diet disguised as milk, yogurt, cereal, chips, nuts, meat, flour, oil, textured vegetable protein (TVP) and protein isolate - to mention a few.

Some people consume it on purpose, thinking that it will prevent weight gain, aging, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, heart disease, hot flashes and bone loss better known as osteoporosis. FYI - soy is not a miracle food, never was and never will be. There is research evidence that women who consume daily amounts of soy isoflavones of 150 mg had increased thickening of the uterus known as endometrial hyperplasia - a precursor to uterine cancer(1). Getting 150 mg of isoflavones per day is not that difficult - one cup of roasted soybeans yields 221 mg, one cup raw/boiled soybeans yields 94 mg and 1 cup Silk® soymilk yields 24 mg of isoflavones.

Consuming soy on purpose as noted above is one way of intentionally overdosing, but some individuals are eating soy without even knowing it. Soy is hidden in processed foods by way of flour, protein isolate and TVP (textured vegetable protein). The next time you bite into a fast food burger, which I do not recommend, approximately 50% is most likely made with soy (TVP) meat.

I write about the perils of soy in Chapter 6 of my book citing hundreds of studies that undo many of the super claims made about this bean. And today, yet two more studies have emerged shooting down the theory that soy prevents bone loss(2,3).

As reported in Medpage Today (www.medpagetoday.com), the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research reported that soy protein extracts (isoflavones) had no effect on preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women in two placebo-controlled studies. In one study, the bone loss seen in the lumbar spine and hip bones after three years of taking soy isoflavones extracts were similar to those taking a placebo.

The second study showed that bone resorption biomarkers were "virtually identical" in both the soy group and those taking a placebo after two years of testing. In other words, soy did not prevent the loss of bone any more than taking a sugar pill.

When Dr. Lee Alekel, lead researcher, was asked about these findings he stated, "I think we can close the door on this issue." Unfortunately, I do not think the door will be closed on soy as Dr. Alekel suggested. The soy industry and manufacturing mega giants have too much at stake.

For more information about soy, check out my new book; The Naked Truth: Overweight, Overwhelmed and Confused

Dr. Sardone

References Cited

1. Murray MJ et al, Menopause (2003); 10(5): 456-464

2. American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Source reference: Alekel D, et al "Soy Isoflavones for Reducing Bone Loss (SIRBL) study: randomized three year intervention in postmenopausal women" ASBMR (2009); Abstract SA0412.

3. American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Source reference: Levis S, et al "Soy isoflavones and bone resorption: results of the Soy Phytoestrogens as Replacement Estrogen (SPARE) study" ASBMR (2009); Abstract MO0374.