Question About Soy

[DElizabethE]

Hi,

A couple weeks ago I stopped eating any food with corn listed for an ingredient. Even more recently...soy. I just want to feel better since I've been on a gluten free, dairy free diet for 3 months now with some improvement (still pain at times) but I feel there is something else going on. What I'd like to know is about soy lecithin. Is that something that people allergic to soy have to stay away from too? Hope it doesn't sound like a stupid question. Basically right now I'm sticking with veggies, fruit, rice, chicken, eggs, potatoes but I've been reading lots of labels. What are the soy ingredients that are bad? Thanks.

Diane

[tummytroubles]

I'm not sure what parts of soy are "bad", but I generally avoid all soy. I have advanced endometriosis, and the phytoestrogens in soy potentially mess with my hormones and cause problems.

One thing to think about is that if you are buying non organic soy products, there is a potential that they have genetically modified soy in them. I'm beginning to wonder if genetically modified food is some of what is causing me to have digestive/allergy related problems. Just a thought.

[DElizabethE]

I'm not sure what parts of soy are "bad", but I generally avoid all soy. I have advanced endometriosis, and the phytoestrogens in soy potentially mess with my hormones and cause problems.

One thing to think about is that if you are buying non organic soy products, there is a potential that they have genetically modified soy in them. I'm beginning to wonder if genetically modified food is some of what is causing me to have digestive/allergy related problems. Just a thought.

Thanks for replying. Until I knew for sure I was going to stay away from anything that said soy. I listed the few things I was eating but actually forgot the white rice bread, and Arrowhead Mills makes a Valencia peanut butter that the only ingredient is the peanuts. Ok, so it's a little oily and not as good as Skippy but it will do for now. And today I found 2 kinds of cookies (Pamela's products) that I can eat. Because I still need to have those.

When they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me my ob/gyn did a laparoscopy in Sept. to check for endometriosis. I was hoping it wasn't that because I know someone who has it and they tell me how absolutely miserable that can be. I don't know you, but I feel bad you have to go through that too. Take care.

[celiacgirls]

I think some people are able to eat soy lecithin. I think, theorectically, the soy protein has been removed.

However, my daughter reacts even to soy lecithin with a tummy ache. That stuff is in almost all chocolate.

[flowergirl]

Good question, Diane. Though I don't understand it, I can't have chocolate with soy lechithin listed but I can have chocolate with sunflower lechithin. I get stomach pain and D. I also can't have any soy. I hope someone knows the answer because I'd like to know too.

Flowergirl

[DElizabethE]

Good question, Diane. Though I don't understand it, I can't have chocolate with soy lechithin listed but I can have chocolate with sunflower lechithin. I get stomach pain and D. I also can't have any soy. I hope someone knows the answer because I'd like to know too.

Flowergirl

I'm not a big chocolate eater but lately I like a small piece every now and then. But I noticed my gluten, dairy free chocolate has soy (flour and lecithin) in it. I was sooooo disappointed. What kind of chocolate has sunflower lecithin in it? If I can't find something to replace it, that's ok. If I have to eat really simply for a time that's ok too...just want to get rid of the pain totally. It's been going on too long. Also need to find some butter I can actually eat. Any thoughts?

Diane

[kabowman]

I cannot have any soy, including soy lechtin. I use Enjoy Life products but found I reacted to anything they have vanilla (it could be corn based but I have not asked since I can eat their other products, just nothing with vanilla) added to the product. However, just because I react doesn't mean that you will.

I can have some corn like my meds all have corn and my toothpaste and soaps but try to avoid it whenever I can because too much bothers me. I even switched away from regular table salt since the non-caking ingredient is corn-derived. But hey, I can go a little overboard but feel so much better. Lucky for me, my family supports it completly since they can see how much so little can affect me.

Their chocolate chips are perfectly safe.

[flowergirl]

What kind of chocolate has sunflower lecithin in it? If I can't find something to replace it, that's ok.

It is a UK product called Plamil Organics. www.plamilfoods.co.uk. I have the Organic Ginger chocolate here and the ingredients are:

organic raw suger, organic cacoa mass, organic cocoa butter, emulsifier: sunflower lechithin, organic ginger oil.

It just comes to show that it IS possible to make a good chocolate without the nasties. Sorry I can't help with the butter. I'm not having any at the mo.

Eating simple is a very good idea if you are having pain. If you do it for a few months to allow the gut to heal it may be a whole lot easier to start introducing things again. I have just started to introduce home made, well fermented kefir (fermented cows milk) into my diet and it is going ok so far.

PS: the Organic Cayenne chocolate is very nice although I eat just 4 blocks at a time. I hope you find some where you live.

[Juliebove]

My daughter can't have soy in any form. It doubles her right over with stomach pain. She's allergic. I'm not allergic but it messes with my thyroid. I do try to avoid soy lecithin but it is in some of the supplements I take. When I can find them without, I buy that kind. But sometimes I just can't. It's also sometimes in chewing gum. That doesn't seem to affect me either. But I also have a severe egg allergy so when I see lecithin as an ingredient I must always check the source.