What's The Deal With Soy?

[anna34]

I've noticed that a lot of people here are also soy-free and say it is really bad for us. Can you tell me what soy is found in, and what it does to the body?

[cahill]

I've noticed that a lot of people here are also soy-free and say it is really bad for us. Can you tell me what soy is found in, and what it does to the body?

Soy is EVIL ,EVIL I say ( to me anyway)

Soy for me is as bad if not worse than gluten. My reactions to gluten are mainly digestive with a few neurological symptoms. MY reaction to soy is mostly neurological .With soy I react so intensity that the last time I ingested a small amount of soy I ended up in the ER two days in one week

Soy is in everything ( well just about everything processed anyway )Soy bean oil in mayo,salad dressings, canned tuna, some chips are fried in soy bean oil there is soy in chicken bouillon,some lunch meats ect..if it is processed check the label for soy .......if you are in the US ,Soy must be listed on the package because it is among the top 8 foods people are allergic to.

I was gluten free for almost a year when I realized something else (addition to gluten ) was an issue . I was feeling better at first and then stared down hill again. It took me a long time to realize that soy was the culprit.

Soy may not be an issue for you, everyone is different.

But I would suggest that after going gluten free If someone is still having some issues, try eliminating soy for awhile and then reintroducing it to see if you react to it.

[IrishHeart]

I actually discovered an intolerance to soy by "accident". While being tested for food intolerances back in 2010, the test revealed a SEVERE reaction (high antibodies) to soybean...I was shocked. I don't eat tofu, only rarely drank soy milk...so how did THAT happen?

Well, because soybean is used as an emulsifier and filler as often as WHEAT protein in vitamins, mayo, candy bars (as soy lecithin) and MANY beauty products --as well as others that CHILL listed above--so my leaky gut (from celiac) was predisposed to developing an intolerance to soy protein as well. In some people, nuts, fish, casein can become the "problem" food as you may notice on people's signature lines. I was so sick from celiac--and back then--still undiagnosed, so I had no clue WHAT exactly was causing the problem.

I think the reason why so many of us have a soy intolerance is because we ingested it as much as we ingested gluten (because they are ingredients in so many processed foods we were accustomed to eating) and now, we have an intolerance for that as well.

I try small smears of mayo on my sandwich occasionally to see what happens (as I have avoided it for 18 months) and I do not notice anything NEW....I still hesitate to consume it as large amounts of soy affects THYROID function and ESTROGEN levels. I don't need any more trouble

I read the book, The Whole Soy Story and I was shocked. I am not a big soy fan anyway, so it was not hard to give it up. As easily as it becomes to scan labels for wheat/gluten in all the various forms, my eye is trained to look for soybean and all the derivatives of it, too.

That is also why so many people on here just go with a "whole foods" diet and skip packaged products altogether. Clean and simple.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I gave up soy because I read that it could be connected to thyroid conditions and hypothyroidism runs in my family. My thyroid right now is borderline for hypo. Once I gave it up, I tried it again a few months later in different forms to test if I had any reaction. My main symptom from soy is fatigue so I am convinced it affects my thyroid. Also if I eat soy flour, edamame (whole soybeans), soy protein isolate or soy milk I get reallly bad stomach cramps, like my gut can't digest it. Soybean oil (AKA vegetable oil) gives me an instant headache. Soy lectin is not the worst for me reaction-wise but it will make me fatigued if I eat it.

[cahill]

Soy lectin is not the worst for me reaction-wise but it will make me fatigued if I eat it.

This reminded me that soy is in most chocolate sorry

[IrishHeart]

SOY LECITHIN is in tons of things--especially gluten-free baked goods like pretzels and crackers and yes, candy bars. boo hoo:(

[GlutenFreeManna]

This reminded me that soy is in most chocolate sorry

Yep. I used to cheat on my soy free diet with chocolate but I can't do that anymore since I became allergic to milk. I have since found Enjoy Life chocolate chips which don't have any soy or any milk. There are also some safe brownie mixes and brownie recipes. Betty Crocker Chocolate cake mixe has soy however and many, many other gluten-free processed food have soy lectin in theme. I was really carving oreos after reading a thread here about K-Too's being gluten-free and dairy free I went out and bought some only to notice later that they have soy lecthin. I have not eaten them yet. I'm trying to decide if I want to risk it.

Soy is also in teas, lunch meats, sausages, turkey bacon, some types of cheese (I have seen it in goat cheese), some milk alternatives (rice milk, almond milk), mayo, some cereals, tuna, marinades, BBQ sauces, seasonin mixes, boullion cubes, canned broth or stock, soups, etc.

[GlutenFreeManna]

SOY LECITHIN is in tons of things--especially gluten-free baked goods like pretzels and crackers and yes, candy bars. boo hoo:(

I have yet to find a gluten-free cracker that is also free of soy, dairy and my other allergens (I tried some Asian rice crackers that were seasoned with something made from mushrooms and they made me break out in hives). If anyone knows of a gluten free, dairy free, soy free cracker let me know. I can't think of the name of the mushroom flavoring ingredient right now but I would know it if I saw it again on the package.

[cahill]

I have since found Enjoy Life chocolate chips which don't have any soy or any milk.

Enjoy Life is one of the few cookies that I can get in my area that I can tolerate.

Enjoy Life

made in a dedicated bakery

wheat,dairy,peanut,tree nuts,egg,soy,fish ,shellfish,casein,potato,sesame and sulfites free.

( I just happened to have a pack of chocolate chip cookies from enjoy life on my desk :lol: )

[GlutenFreeManna]

Enjoy Life is one of the few cookies that I can get in my area that I can tolerate.

Enjoy Life

made in a dedicated bakery

wheat,dairy,peanut,tree nuts,egg,soy,fish ,shellfish,casein,potato,sesame and sulfites free.

( I just happened to have a pack of chocolate chip cookies from enjoy life on my desk :lol: )

Yum! I have not seen their cookies in my area but I eat their choco-boom bars (along with the other bars) and use the chocolate chips in baking. It's one of the few things I can share with my nut and egg allergic niece.

[IrishHeart]

If anyone knows of a gluten free, dairy free, soy free cracker let me know.

I looked everywhere and found one! It's a cracker from a company called Bi-Aglut. Italian. www.biaglut.com The local gluten-free cafe was selling them.They are pretty good. No dairy, no soy, no mushroom derivatives that I can tell.

and just fyi...This site's gluten free Mall sells Enjoy Life cookies. (or at least they used to.)

[GlutenFreeManna]

I looked everywhere and found one! It's a cracker from a company called Bi-Aglut. Italian. www.biaglut.com The local gluten-free cafe was selling them.They are pretty good. No dairy, no soy, no mushroom derivatives that I can tell.

and just fyi...This site's gluten free Mall sells Enjoy Life cookies. (or at least they used to.)

Thanks Irish I will check them out!

[IrishHeart]

Thanks Irish I will check them out!

you betcha, hon! sometimes, a girl just wants a cookie or a cracker!!

[GlutenFreeManna]

you betcha, hon! sometimes, a girl just wants a cookie or a cracker!!

Okay so I found the ingredients of their crackers on their website: Maize starch, tapioca starch, lupin proteins, vegetable oil, glucose syrup, sugar, carob seed flour, salt, leavening agents (E503,E450, E500), thickener: pectin, emulsifier:E472e.

Interesting.....The first thing that hit me is that I have never heard of lupin. Searching for it brought up a bunch of links about people having allergic reactions to it. Apparently it is a type of bean so I wonder if that is the European equivalent of soybeans. I have trouble with some types of beans so I'm not sure if I would wan tot try it or not. Second, in America most "vegetable oil" is soybean oil. I would want to know what vegetables this oil was made out of. Does Italy require labeling of soy as one of the top 8 allergens like in the US and Canada?

[GFinDC]

Try reading this page and see what you think. You can also do searches on the information presented and read studies yourself. It's not hard to find info on the dangers of soy.

Open Original Shared Link

[IrishHeart]

Okay so I found the ingredients of their crackers on their website: Maize starch, tapioca starch, lupin proteins, vegetable oil, glucose syrup, sugar, carob seed flour, salt, leavening agents (E503,E450, E500), thickener: pectin, emulsifier:E472e.

Interesting.....The first thing that hit me is that I have never heard of lupin. Searching for it brought up a bunch of links about people having allergic reactions to it. Apparently it is a type of bean so I wonder if that is the European equivalent of soybeans. I have trouble with some types of beans so I'm not sure if I would wan tot try it or not. Second, in America most "vegetable oil" is soybean oil. I would want to know what vegetables this oil was made out of. Does Italy require labeling of soy as one of the top 8 allergens like in the US and Canada?

A lupin is a legume. It is NOT a soybean. Peas, peanuts, beans...are all legumes. (I tested NEG to all those.) A problem with soybean does not necessarily mean someone will have a problem with other legumes, but if you have trouble with beans, maybe you should not try these crackers. Up to you.

I am very aware that vegetable oils CAN be made from soybean. The product is distributed through Heinz in this country, so they would have to divulge that on the package--wouldn't they??.

Here is a link to the product descriptions.

Open Original Shared Link

Please note that the products with allergens state SOYA , MILK, EGGS...etc. on the product package. The crackers do not contain soybean oil, but again, do not try them if you think they will cause you any problems.

[psawyer]

I am very aware that vegetable oils CAN be made form soybean. The product is distributed through Heinz in this country, so I guessed that it would have to label SOYBEAN if it is derived from soybean.

Actually, in the US, that isn't true. While soy is a FALCPA allergen, the legislation contains an exemption for "highly refined oils." Soybean oil can legally be labeled as "vegetable oil," with no identification of the source being required. Open Original Shared Link

[IrishHeart]

Actually, in the US, that isn't true. While soy is a FALCPA allergen, the legislation contains an exemption for "highly refined oils." Soybean oil can legally be labeled as "vegetable oil," with no identification of the source being required. Open Original Shared Link

I do understand what you are saying. All I am saying is this company has labeled all their products with a "contains milk, soya, egg, sesame, etc " statement on all their packages and I do not see 'soya" listed on the box of crackers. Why would they bother to list all the other allergens and omit it from this one box???

Then, please tell me-- if you know --because I want to understand....What is the point of labeling laws if they can "go around it" with oils..because the protein is extracted? Seems confusing.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Actually, in the US, that isn't true. While soy is a FALCPA allergen, the legislation contains an exemption for "highly refined oils." Soybean oil can legally be labeled as "vegetable oil," with no identification of the source being required. Open Original Shared Link

Thank you Peter. That's what I would be concerned about. I know that in the past I have bought tuna that had "vegetable broth" listed and the broth had soybean oil but did not say soy on the package. I had a reaction to that little bit of "highly refined oil" so I am very leary of undisclosed vegetable ingredients.

[GlutenFreeManna]

I do understand what you are saying. All I am saying is this company has labeled all their products with a "contains milk, soya, egg, sesame, etc " statement on all their packages and I do not see 'soya" listed on the box of crackers. Why would they bother to list all the other allergens and omit it from this one box???

Then, please tell me if you know because I want to understand....What is the point of labeling laws if they can "go around it" with oils..because the protein is extracted? Seems confusing.

Peter may know more about this, but my understanding is that the laws were made to protect people with severe food allergies. Those people may not react with anaphylactic reactions to highly refined oils because the proteins are supposedly filtered out in the refining process. Despite the technical absence of protein, it's unsettlign IMO that they would have the law written that way. I know many peanut allergic parents that would avoid Chick-Fil-A back when they were using peanut oil for frying, even though their kids may not react to the oil they didn't want to take a chance.

[IrishHeart]

I still do not understand this one point I was trying to make...if this company has voluntarily labeled all their products with a "contains milk, soya, egg, sesame, etc " statement on all their packages and I do not see 'soya" listed on the box of crackers, doesn't that mean it does not contain soya? Why would they bother to list all the other allergens and omit it from this one box???

This is weird, but I tested negative to soybean on an allergy (IgE) test.

yet, I tested positive to soybean proteins (IgG).

I DO UNDERSTAND the difference between IgE and IgG- mediated responses. It just leaves me baffled sometimes.....

[psawyer]

Why would they bother to list all the other allergens and omit it from this one box???

Because, as the law is written, soybean oil is not the allergen "soy."

So, to say "Contains: Soy" would be considered misleading if the oil was the only soy-derived ingredient. Many companies label the oil as "soybean oil" which is permitted. "Vegetable oil (soy)" would be iffy as the parentheses might imply an allergen.

I'm not saying it is good, only that the law is what it is.

[IrishHeart]

Because, as the law is written, soybean oil is not the allergen "soy."

So, to say "Contains: Soy" would be considered misleading if the oil was the only soy-derived ingredient. Many companies label the oil as "soybean oil" which is permitted. "Vegetable oil (soy)" would be iffy as the parentheses might imply an allergen.

I'm not saying it is good, only that the law is what it is.

No, it is not good. It is not clear at all then whether it contains soy or not if that is how they label oils on products.

But, thanks for your explanation.

[GFinDC]

Schar sells some soy free crackers

Open Original Shared Link

Ingredients:

potato starch, rice flour, buckwheat flour, eggs, palm oil, modified corn starch, dextrose, salt, yeast, hydroxypropyl methycellulose, sunflower lecithin, cream of tartar, ammonium bicarbonate, natural flavor.

*Contains Eggs

Made in Italy

[IrishHeart]

Schar sells some soy free crackers

Open Original Shared Link

Ingredients:

potato starch, rice flour, buckwheat flour, eggs, palm oil, modified corn starch, dextrose, salt, yeast, hydroxypropyl methycellulose, sunflower lecithin, cream of tartar, ammonium bicarbonate, natural flavor.

*Contains Eggs

Made in Italy

oh, Thank you, GFDCGUY!! I truly appreciate it!! (usually schar products have soybean oil and I avoid them)

okay...I just looked at those...I have tried those before..they are a bit dry but hey, they are something!!

thanks again!