It appears the very positive effects of consuming Soy products or products claiming health benefits from containing Soy are in question as to their truth in their claims.

Not only do we have harmful food additives still being used in Australia that are banned overseas and Aspartame which totals 80% of complaints to the American Food Administration, in our foods we now have Soy, natural plant life, being consumed by thousands of people daily in excessive levels.

Contrary to what you may read in some packaging and marketing articles about Soy, the Asians have used and still use very little Soy in their diet and only when it has been fermented to draw out the natural toxins of unfermented Soy.

According to a survey of 1242 men and 3596 women who filled a food frequency questionnaire in an annual health checkup program in Takayama City, Japan, the consumption of soy products consumed were tofu (plain, fried, deep-fried or dried), miso, fermented soybeans, soy milk and boiled soybeans. The total weight of soy protein consumed was between 3.05-12.95 g/day for men and 2.82-10.94g/day. No more than 13 grams per day.

Even in China, a book titled "Food in Chinese Culture" by editor KC Chang, the total caloric intake due to Soy in the Chinese diet in the 1930's was only 1.5% compared with 65% from pork.

Why is that the company Protein Technologies International, that are manufacturers of isolated soy protein advise to consume 100g/day!! This is mega overdosing on isoflavenes. This kind of dosage can give levels over 200 milligrams of genistein per day which should be definitely avoided.

Japanese males consume on average less than 10 milligrams of genistein per day. In 1996, research showed that women eating Soy had an increased incidence of epithelial hyperplasia, a condition that presages malignancy. In 1997, genistein in the diet was found to stimulate human breast cells to enter the cell cycle and as a result researchers advised women not to eat Soy products, to prevent breast cancer.

The problem is very serious due to some of claims like "Soy formulas must be safe because Asian Infants have been eating soy for centuries" or "soy formulas are better than breast milk". A very important statement from Daniel Sheehan, Director of the United States National Centre for Toxicological Research in 1998 was Soy fed babies are taking part in "a large, uncontrolled and basically unmonitored human infant experiment".

A new born baby 's sole food is milk and drinking Soy milk instead of breast milk will administer 5 birth control pills' worth of estrogen every day! These babies isoflavene levels were found to be from 13,000-22,000 times higher than in non-Soy fed babies.

Some companies have even promoted their Soy Milk Formula with statements like "1st Choice of Doctors". Which Doctors were they? It does not end with all sorts of health claims being made with products containing Soy.

Contrary to what the industry may claim soy has never been a staple in Asia. A study of the history of soy use in Asia shows that it was used by the poor during times of extreme food shortage, and only then the soybeans were carefully prepared (e.g. by lengthy fermentation) to destroy the Soy toxins. Yes, the Asians understood soy alright!

Since as far back as the Chou Dynasty (1134-246 BC) the soybean was designated a food after the discovery of fermentation techniques. Chinese scientists discovered that a puree of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium sulphate or magnesium sulphate (plaster of Paris or Epsom salts) to make a smooth, pale curd - tofu or bean curd. This was then spread throughout Asia and was soon adopted by Japanese and Indonesian people.

Many vegetarians in the USA, and Europe and Australasia would think nothing of consuming about 220 grams of tofu and a couple of glasses of soy milk per day, two or three times a week. This is well in excess of what Asians typically consume!

Asians generally used small portions of soy to complement each meal. It should also be noted that soy is not the Asians' main source of dietary protein and that a regime of calcium-set tofu and soy milk bears little resemblance to the soy consumed traditionally in Asia.

Where does this leave us in the Soy debate? Confused maybe even paralysed because even our own Doctor, Naturopath or other Health Professional has recommended high consumption of Soy products in substitute for meat and dairy.

Whether we need a lot of protein or little protein in general from soy or other sources has been a very big question in the nutritionists and scientists of late. It is now being said that we need to identify what happens to the various sources of proteins as they enter the body from the different sources as the vibration or energy quality of some sources of proteins is far higher than others.

Different sources of chemicals whether they be synthetic or naturally derived are now being shown to have different effects on the human body. See the article written by the late Dr. John Whitman Ray for evidence of Vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid or calcium ascorbate is in actual fact detrimental to the body's true healing.

Pregnant women especially vegetarian, put their new children at a five time higher risk of defects such as hypospadias, a birth defect of the penis. Hormone levels that are imbalance by high intake of Soy during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy can also cause damage to the fetus's developing brain.

American Nutritionists Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig say that Soy blocks calcium and causes a deficiency of Vitamin D which are both needed for healthy bones.

For people that were intolerant to dairy milk, the marketing ploy to drink Soy milk now seems a health risk! Again what some packaging and marketing articles may make claim about the use of Soy in their products, we should think again as to the real agenda behind the International Soy Industry.

"Is there any SAFE Soy products out there?" is a good question and is easier to answer than you think. Yes, fermented soy products such as Soy sauce, tempeh and miso. The long fermentation process counteracts the effects of natural toxins in Soy. We are needing to embrace health and look to our ancients for the signs of what foods we are to eat. Look forward to our next issue all about these signs in nature that are obvious signatures of our Creator in Nature which clearly show what is right for our human bodies.