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What Are the Dangers of Unfermented Soy?

Even if you don't regularly consume soy products like tofu, you are likely to be inadvertently eating soy products each day. According to a 2006 Guardian article, 60 percent of all foods, including baby food, cereals, biscuits and cakes contain soy. This might be labelled as hydrolysed vegetable protein, soy protein isolate or vegetable oil, giving the consumer no indication that the product contains soy. Most of this soy is unfermented, and scientists have recently raised the alarm regarding consuming unfermented soy in large quantities.

  1. Male Infertility

    • The phyto-oestrogens in soy can affect the testosterone levels of men, according to Professor Richard Sharpe, who is head of the Medical Research Council's human reproductive sciences unit at Edinburgh University. He believes they may have an adverse effect later in life when given to infant boys in large amounts.

    Dangers to Infants

    • Soy milk should only be given to children in small doses as it contains high levels of oestrogen, the female sex hormone, according to the Food Standards Agency. Experts believe this can cause puberty to start early. Experiments on rats also showed that it suppressed their immune system. The trypsin inhibitors in unfermented soy can also stunt growth because it interferes with protein absorption.

    Link to Cancer

    • The high quantities of phtyo-oestrogens have led experts to suspect there may be a link between breast cancer and consuming large quantities of unfermented soy. Phyto-oestrogens can also harm the thyroid, increasing the risk of thyroid cancer. Studies researching the link between soy and prostate cancer are inconclusive, but Professor Sharpe believes that males who consumed large amounts of soy in infancy might be at a greater risk of developing the disease later in life, however there is not enough historical date to back this up.

    Nutrient Interference

    • The phytates in unfermented soy can block the absorption of essential nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and Vitamin B12. They also increase the body's need for Vitamin D, which the body creates during exposure to sunlight.

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