Vegans:Arent you concerned your taking in too much soy?

Question

Im trying to become a vegetarian ( i still eat fish and shrimp occasionally but really trying to get over it)

I have even incorporated some vegan foods into my eating habit (but wont consider to every be a full vegan)

I was basically wondering since they say too much soy can block calcium intake and other health problems (not too sure how established these claims are though)what do you do as a vegan since you have to replace dairy for soy in so many products?

I just was wondering how that goes .............thanks

Answer 1

Please don't assume that all vegans were heavy on dairy when we were vegis or omnis.

I ate a lot of dairy when I was an omni, but when I became a vegetarian, I drastically limited my intake to almost nil. The most soy that I eat is in the form of tofu.

I don't make a habit out of eating meat substitutes, soy cheese and the like - it's an ocassional thing for me. I've never even tried soy yogurt and I drink rice milk.

No, I'm not worried about consuming too much soy.

Answer 2

it is an established fact that,if u have underactive or hypothyroid,soy can further slow the action of the thyroid gland.my dr told me about this.if ur thyroid is ok,dont worry too much.

Answer 3

I reall don't take in much soy other than milk or ice cream or the ocassional vegan meal I buy from the frozen section.

Answer 4

I think it's funny when people say

they are trying to stop eating

things. It's really quite easy not

to eat something, it's not as

though you can do it by accident.

If you want to be a vegetarian

you need to put in a little more

effort than that

Too much of any one food can

be carnage to your body.

It is true that I as a vegan eat

loads of soy products, by so

long as I balance my diet, then

I'm sure I will be fine.

Answer 5

I'd wonder why you decided to become a vegetarian. If it's for health reasons, a small amount of meat in your diet is not harmful.

Answer 6

You're assuming that vegans in general eat "too much soy," but that's not necessarily true at all.  I do eat tofu once or twice a week, but I probably eat less soy than I did as a vegetarian, not more.  I used to eat more processed, prepared foods and even the "accidentally vegetarian" ones tend to have processed soy in them.  Now I cook mainly from whole foods and I don't have to check ingredient labels to know that my fresh produce, whole grains and bulk legumes (besides soybeans, of course!) don't have soy in them.. Broccoli has broccoli in it and nothing else.  There are loads of plant milks available besides soy milk.  I use almond milk most often unless it's important that the milk not be sweet.  For the most part, I don't replace cheese at all; most vegan substitutes aren't very good and it's just as easy to live without cheese.

On balance, though, I'm not overly concerned about soy.  A lot of the "research" published is overhyped and inconclusive and the peer-reviewed research shows lots of benefits from soy along with very few concerns about moderate consumption.

Answer 7

vegans mostly might have problems in the begging with their new diet, but i would think their body gets used to it.

Answer 8

I have heard that too much soy is bad for you, also. I guess it contains high levels of a certain type of estrogen so you shouldn't eat too much of it. But if you go to any Asian country, you will notice they use a lot of soy. However, it is not processed or 'fake'. It is usually tofu and sometimes soy milk.

I use soy milk occassionally and have soy yogurts once in awhile, but other than that I don't eat too much soy. I get my calcium mostly from orange juice, fake meat (veggie, not soy) and veggies like broccoli. Well, hope I helped :)

Answer 9

the only soy i intake is from my non-dairy frozen dessert aka ice cream. which i dont eat that often. i'm lacking in soy... i'm a horrible vegan. joking.

Answer 10

no i'm not concerned about it :)

Answer 11

"Since they say..." They being two doctors who have released a number of cookbooks and are pushing their ideas on diet. These same doctors have misrepresented data, misstated facts, and have gone to great lengths to overstate very insignificant findings. Much of their claims are from studies done many years ago, and that have more recently been denounced by better studies.

Here is a link to a letter that reveals their methods.

http://www.medkb.com/Uwe/ForumPost.aspx?...

Here is another link to John Robbins two cents worth.

http://www.foodrevolution.org/what_about...

The first one comes from a researcher, not just a doctor, who has studied soy for many years.

The second is from John Robbins a well known vegan who in common terms reveals the junk science used to denounce vegan lifestyles.

We must question the "truths" we are told about milk, when it has been shown that the countries that drink the most milk also have the highest rates of osteoprosis. If we get high levels of calcium from dairy then why do we lose it, and develop osteoporosis? If soy in normal consumption blocked calcium intake, then why do Asian populations have lower numbers of women with osteoporosis?

Animal studies have shown these things you talk about, but animals are not human, and do not process foods like humans.

Answer 12

No. It won't do you any harm.

Answer 13

No.  I don't consume soy everyday.  I don't drink soy milk.  I do rice milk instead and I fix meals that contain lentils, beans, split peas, chick peas, etc.  I eat tofu every now and again but not every week.  There are ways of getting around becoming a soy-a-terian. Good luck with the  transformation of your diet.

Email me if you have any questions and think I can be of help.