Soy which is processed from soya beans contains isoflavones which is supposed to provide you with various health benefits, including enabling you to fight high cholesterol, diabetes 2, cancer and much more. But it also comes with its own side effects ranging from constipation, bloating, nausea and much more. You can get soy these days in the form of dietary supplements containing enriched soy protein, but given these side effects, it is time to consider the negative effects of consuming soy in both the short and long term.
Soy on its own does help provide the human body with the required hormones similar to estrogen which is quite effective when it comes to tackling several health issues. However, it has been discovered that taking in soy-enriched vitamin products during pregnancy especially during the first trimester can impair the natural development of the fetus. An abnormally high dosage of soy can actually lead to permanent impairment of the baby. It is also advised that young mothers avoid all soy products when they are breastfeeding as the infant may not be able to digest soy in ‘larger than normal’ doses. While soy in normal amounts is healthy, excessive amounts of the same can lead to several health complications – ranging from kidney failure to endometrial cancer.
Substituting soy milk for regular milk for infants and young children is a big no-no as it can lead them to experience a range of health issues from kidney stones to nutritional deficiencies. This is the most important stage in the development of your child and you need to ensure that he gets all the nutrition and minerals his body requires and using soy milk does neither. More than that, it can have a detrimental effect on children who have already been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Soy is touted to have a beneficial effect on breast cancer but then again, some have suggested that it has a negative effect seeing how Soy contains hormones that mimic estrogen. Studies are being conducted to study this connection and so far, soy is not considered to be safe for consumption for those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
It also aggravates asthma and may cause children who are allergic to milk in one form or another, to experience mild to severe allergic reactions. In fact, all those who are allergic to one food product or another, are asked to avoid soy as it can inflame their current condition. These are some of the negative aspects of consuming soy which is why you need to take care to make sure your children are safe and do not consume soy until told otherwise. While soy does have its positive side effects, it also comes with its own side effects, one that you may want to take a close look at before consuming the same.