Soy, Estrogen Issues And Gluten Free Foods

[Nikki2777]

I know there are many people on here who have soy intolerances in addition to Celiac, but I'm wondering if anyone else (non-intolerant) is concerned about use of soy in substitute foods, etc.

 

I know it's wiser to eat whole foods and not processed, but as a busy working mom and one who likes to eat gluten-free versions of what my family is eating, I admit to eating quite a bit of processed gluten-free pasta, breads, etc.  As a result, I've often wondered if I've been increasing my intake of soy (estrogenic) and brown rice (arsenic) to dangerous levels, whether in soy/rice flours or other ingredients.

 

Well, now I'm facing a biopsy of something that may very well be the result of too much post-menopausal estrogen and I'm a bit worried that this is the due to higher soy consumption since my diagnosis 2 1/2 years ago.  Has anyone experienced this?  Or looked into it?

 

 

[icelandgirl]

Hi Nikki,

I share your concerns. I first gave up soy and dairy last summer in hopes that it would help my gut issues. I've since added back in some dairy without issues, but not soy. Mostly because of what I've read about soy related to thyroid and hormones. Last year I had a mammogram come back with a concern and ended up having a biopsy. That was terrifying! Reading about soy and hormones and breast cancer made me just not want to have any soy at all.

So, I just eat a really clean, whole foods diet. My big treat is Enjoy Life chocolate chips because they don't have soy.

[Gemini]

I have thyroid disease and Celiac and am post-menopausal.  I eat soy and do not worry about it at all.  I am healthier than I have ever been and do not seem to have any side effects from anything I eat. Most of what I eat is whole foods but I do throw in some processed stuff like bread because I exercise hard and if I don't eat some carbs, I lose weight.  You also need some carbs when weight training.

 

This issue depends on family history and other factors, I think.  If you have had breast cancer, then you may want to have a hormone panel done to see if you are estrogen dominant, which is the main concern after menopause.  But having said that, I was estrogen dominant for awhile, as most women are when you enter menopause.  Progesterone is the first hormone to tank so, at some point, you could be dominant for a bit until the estrogen goes.

 

The more you weigh, the more estrogen is stored in fat tissue.  I am thin and have had hot flashes in varying degree's of annoyance for almost 20 years so the soy that I do eat can only help, as far as I am concerned!  I am not trying to minimize any concerns you have but I think medicine has a habit of freaking women out on this issue. I just read an article about how the use of mammography has resulted in over diagnosis of "problems" in women.  Most of what comes back as questionable is nothing of concern yet women are rightfully worried to death when it happens.  Some doctors are trying to find ways to minimize this happening, which is good.

 

I always tell people the most important thing you can do is to lessen the amount of inflammation in your body by following a strict gluten-free diet and exercise.  There can be no cancer without inflammation so concentrating on that is all important.  I wish you well with your biopsy and hope everything turns out in your favor.  Taking soy out of your diet is something that you will have to decide, based on your medical issues and whether you feel it agrees with you or not.  I never noticed any difference in my thyroid or anything else from eating some soy.