Does Soy Intolerance Mean All Legumes?

[horsegirl]

I recently had the Enterolab testing done for soy, which came back very high for anti-soy antibodies.

So, I immediately cut soy out completely, & within a week noticed a HUGE improvement in my joint & soft tissue pain levels (cutting out gluten & casein alone didn't do it all the way).

I've been trying not to eat too many peanuts since they're also legumes (I'm enjoying some sunflower seed butter on a rice cake right now!). But, I'm wondering if being so intolerant to soy

also means I am now or I'm at risk of becoming intolerant to all legumes?? I hope not, because I like

to use beans (kidney, black, garbanzo, etc) in my cooking, especially since I need a good source

of protein & fiber.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[kabowman]

I was able to eat many legumes even after I realized I have a problem with soy, peanuts, and most beans (I still ate green beans and peas) but have since given them up because I noticed that either I noticed problems later or I was more sensitve. I have now given up all legumes.

I believe that I read in the last Living Without that MSG is soy derived (which I have noticed bothers me so I avoid it--I didn't know why it bothered me) so you should be careful about MSG and if you have a reaction, avoid that too, if you weren't already.

[mftnchn]

No, you are not automatically sensitive. The legumes are in the same food family due to some similarity in the proteins. So it is possible to have more trouble with a whole food family but it is individual.

To help prevent that, one approach is to rotate them. Eat the same legume only every four days or more. Eat different legumes only every 2 days or more.

Then you might try an elimination and challenge--especially if you still have a lot of symptoms.

I found when I eliminated soy, that I have been able to tolerate lima beans, but have tried to eat them about once a week. I had some symptoms with peanut though not as bad as soy, so have stayed away from it for now.

[Juliebove]

Daughter is allergic to soy and peanuts but doesn't have a problem with other legumes.

[burdee]

Ask Enterolab about whether soy intolerance means legume intolerance for you. Personally I don't think soy intolerance means you must abstain from all legumes. If you have reactions to other legumes, consider getting an ELISA blood allergy/intolerance test panel, which includes several other legumes, besides soy. I tested postive for soy on Elab tests, but did not show reactions to any other legumes on ELISA tests. I also eat LOTS of peanut butter and other legumes (lentils, black beans, pinto beans) and NEVER react to those. However, that's just my experience. I recommend you ask Enterolab ...

BURDEE

I recently had the Enterolab testing done for soy, which came back very high for anti-soy antibodies.

So, I immediately cut soy out completely, & within a week noticed a HUGE improvement in my joint & soft tissue pain levels (cutting out gluten & casein alone didn't do it all the way).

I've been trying not to eat too many peanuts since they're also legumes (I'm enjoying some sunflower seed butter on a rice cake right now!). But, I'm wondering if being so intolerant to soy

also means I am now or I'm at risk of becoming intolerant to all legumes?? I hope not, because I like

to use beans (kidney, black, garbanzo, etc) in my cooking, especially since I need a good source

of protein & fiber.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[burdee]

OOPS! I accidentally posted the same comment twice. I deleted the second one, but couldn't delete the space.

[hathor]

Good question. I'll be interested in the responses myself

I have noticed a problem if I have a lot of peanuts. But this might be an issue with fat.

I also reacted to lupin flour (used in a European-manufactured gluten-free pasta -- apparently, lupin is the new soy in Europe; it is an allergen that has to be listed in the EU).

I haven't noticed a problem with beans or peas. I do sometimes wonder if I should eliminate them and see what happens (or to try the same with corn). I still get night sweats, so I wonder if something is still off with my diet. Given how I eat, I shouldn't be having menopause symptoms, but I am.

I suppose I should try a dietary test, but avoiding all legumes is hard when you eat vegan. Possible, yes, but then I have to eliminate a lot of my favorite recipes and find some subs.

When I asked Enterolab what a soy intolerance meant in terms of diet, they told me to avoid anything with "soy" in the ingredient list, except that soy lecithin seemed to be OK.