Michael: How much importance do you give to nutrition for cultivation?

Two Q&A’s From Dr. Weil’s site. Found this and thought you might be interested.

Rethinking Advice on Soy?

I’m aware of Internet paranoia on the subject of soy and the contention that only fermented soy is safe to consume. That is simply not true. Some of the best forms of soy – edamame, tofu and soy nuts – are unfermented and are much more likely to help you than hurt you.

Claims that unfermented soy foods (such as tofu and soy milk) contain toxins that block the action of enzymes needed to digest protein, and that these toxins cause pancreatic enlargement, cancer and stunted growth in animals are misleading. While soy does contain substances (trypsin inhibitors) that may adversely affect the pancreas in animals, there’s no solid evidence that they cause similar problems in humans. Furthermore, trypsin inhibitors are found in all of the vegetables of the cabbage family as well as in beans other than soy.

Other concerns about soy safety focus on the following issues:

• Breast cancer: Here, the idea is that high levels of isoflavones, active ingredients in soy that behave like estrogen in the body, may increase the risk of breast cancer. While high levels of isolated isoflavones may do so, it appears that the total mix of weak plant estrogens in soy protects the body’s estrogen receptors. This protection may reduce the effects of excess estrogen exposure from such external sources as meats and dairy products from hormone-treated cows as well as artificial chemicals and industrial pollutants that act as foreign estrogens. Japanese women whose diets contain a lot of soy foods have only one-fifth the rate of breast cancer that occurs among Western women.

• Thyroid Problems: Excess consumption of soy can affect thyroid function, but only if you have a thyroid disorder to begin with or if you’re not getting enough iodine in your diet (a rare deficiency in the United States). If you take medication for hypothyroidism (low thyroid), and are concerned about the effect of eating two daily servings of soy, have your thyroid levels checked regularly.

• Mineral absorption: The idea that substances in soy called phytates block absorption of essential minerals is also in circulation, but there is no scientific data suggesting that soy consumption leads to mineral deficiency in humans.

All told, based on the evidence to date, I see no reason to worry about eating soy foods, whether fermented or not. I still recommend consuming one to two servings of soy per day, an amount equivalent to one cup of soy milk, or one half cup of tofu, soy protein (tempeh) or soy nuts.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

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Does Soy Cause Cancer?

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently announced results of research suggesting that the highly purified soy foods and soy supplements marketed in the United States may promote the growth of some pre-existing breast cancers. The study results, to be published in a future issue of the journal Carcinogenesis, showed that breast tumors in mice grew when the animals were fed highly processed soy products missing some of the natural components of whole soybeans. In the study, scientists used products that contained the soy isoflavone genestein in various stages of isolated purity. Breast tumors neither grew nor regressed when the mice were fed foods containing minimally processed soy flour. Whole soy foods, such as tofu, tempeh, edamame and miso – much used in Asian diets – seem to be protective.

A little background may help to explain the potential relevance of these findings. First of all, rates of breast cancer in Asia are much lower than they are in the U.S., and this difference may be related to the fact that Asian women eat much more soy than Western women. The compounds in soy that may make the difference are isoflavones, which are biologically active with phytoestrogenic (plant estrogen) effects. These hormones are weaker than the estrogens produced in women’s bodies and those from such external sources as meats and dairy products from hormone-fed animals, as well as artificial chemicals and industrial pollutants that act as estrogen.

As far as the new findings about soy and breast cancer are concerned, take note that the mice had pre-existing cancer. The highly processed soy foods didn’t cause the cancer to appear but did promote its growth. A few previous studies have shown that certain isoflavone products act selectively, influencing the mechanisms in the body that cause symptoms such as hot flashes, while not showing effects on breast or uterine tissue.

The study director, William G. Helferich, a professor of food science and human nutrition, said that his study results suggest that highly processed isoflavone-containing products may pose a risk to postmenopausal women who are consuming them as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy.

Until further research answers the question of safety with long-term use, I recommend that you avoid soy supplements entirely. However, I still recommend one to two servings a day of whole soy foods. A serving is a cup of soy milk or one half-cup of tofu, tempeh, edamame or soy nuts. At those amounts you’ll get the benefits of soy without the theoretical risks of taking in too many isoflavones.

Andrew Weil, M.D

Doctors just kill you, lawyers rob you first and then kill you.
I hate lawyers.

And this relates to soy milk how exactly?

with ketchup

Please dont tell me what to do. Or I’ll be forced to sue you. Thanks.

Pietro

when the energy of the kidneys gets depleted it cannot balance anymore the energy of the heart, and this give rise to the after-sex overheating.

BTW is nice to see spyrelx and Plato actually ‘agreeing’ on something.

That last article you cite is great. Very balanced and helpful.

The soymaker looks like a fun kitchen device, though if the current thinking is that only heavily fermented soy is good (i.e., tempeh or miso and that’s it), then soy milk is out and it’s not worth getting the machine.

Too bad about the oat milk . . .