Soy Milk. Has Anyone Heard It Can Be Dangerous?

Has anyone had any experience with Hemp Milk?
My husband and I have been using it for months now...
It seems high in protein and is fortified and organic...
The vanilla tastes pretty good!
I am 7 months pregnant

I have not heard that. However, my son is 19 months old and he drinks soy milk. If you happen to receive any more information could you please inform me? I would really appreciate it. Thank you

I was concerned also a while back- My pediatrician told me there was nothing to worry about- My son doesn't have any allergies so far, I simply preferred the vegetarian way. So far so Good.

I read a phamplet about soy milk being bad for you and causing fertility problems. But I don't know how much I believe it. It didn't show and concerte evidence, like studies, etc. in the phamplet and anybody can print them and hand them out. Who knows if its true or not. I'd say your kids are probably fine. Try doing your own reasearch on the web or at the library.

Chiming in late, but when my sister was little, she was plagued with allergies. Our aunt had goats, so we drank goat's milk for a while and that really seemed to help. It's a taste you have to get used to, but worth trying. It's good very cold. See if that helps.

I knew nothing about this, so I wrote to my friend Devra, who's into the whole holistic thing, here's her response. I don't decry vaccines; they may cause harm, but we know they prevent a lot more harm overall. Besides, if you're in the military, they don't like you not having your kids immunized! I know! Dev tends to be WAY to the left.

We should also note, though, that she's is the oldest of nine kids, so she knows a bit about them! She's probably got more experience than you and I combined already, and she's only working on #2 of her own. -S. K

Here's her two cents:

Unfortunately, that's true.

Store bought Soy milk is basically the left-overs of other processed soy products such as tofu - so it tends not to really have much nutritional value. Additionally, there is a hormone problem in that people who try to substitute it with their dairy intake (Americans tend to drink milk past their childhood which is also bad but that's another topic) which results in an excess in their system. So - Soy is NOT a good supplement for a baby. Better to find goat's milk or even try organic raw cow's milk. Often the allergies aren't really from the dairy but the processing the cow's milk undergoes to make is "safe" for preservation then consumption. If it is a true allergy I would always suggest goat milk over any other substitute. Soy and rice just mimic milk's nutrition and taste. Goat isn't as creamy so their isn't as much of the good fats the baby would use to get all plump, but it still provides a lot more nutrients than plant based milk, in my opinion. I have had experience with children raised on goat's milk [probably all her siblings! -S.] who are now healthy, thriving adults. I have also had friends in later years that had problems with soy adjusting their hormone levels and causing problems.

If you are switching to soy milk as an adult there is no problem - as long as you aren't drinking massive amounts of it daily. Some people make their own soy milk (my uncle and aunt have recently discovered this and do it) which is best since you aren't creating the soy milk by-product problem.

For more scary info this link has a brief overview of the dangers of soy http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/0....

I still eat soy products (I love soy corn dogs, I know, I'm a hippie) but I haven't done the soy milk thing in years.

P.S. I still believe the allergy problem is due to processing and chemicals in our foods causing our bodies to malfunction. I wouldn't put it past immunizations to imbalance things either. I'd be interested to know if that 4 month-old was on a vaccination schedule.

I'm also sending this link along in case you wanted to muse over the allergy issue.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/0...

Devra

Hi R.: I have used only soy milk for both my children (3 years & 4 months) since I couldn't breast feed. I also have been brought up on soy milk (36years old). It has been a great experience for us. All of us are healthy and strong. From research I've read, Soy is better than Rice milk. Make sure whatever you use it is fortified in Vitamins A & D. Good luck! T. White

I asked my daughters pediatrician because my daughter is both allergic to dairy and to soy so I asked her about rice milk- she said that there is not enough fat in rice milk for development of the mynelin (misspelled) sheath around the brain - aka it doesn't meet the requirements for brain development- but my daughter is only 11 months old so I would check with your pediatrician...

R., after doing some research on the benefits of soy, and also the dangers of soy, I've found that both share a similar finding. That is, that soy-based infant formulas are not recommended as the sole diet for babies. I have included two links, the first addresses the situation you're in, with a baby allergic to cow's milk, and discusses some alternative options. The second link is a lot stronger against using soy.

http://www.healthcastle.com/infant-formula.shtml
http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm

I hope this information helps you. Good luck, God bless, and thank you for the sacrifices you and your family make for our great country. -T.

My son is 20 months old and allergic to dairy. He has been on soy milk since he turned one. I buy the Silk with the added Omega 3, and he loves it. I did a lot of checking on the dangers of soy when he stopped breastfeeding at 10 months to decide if he should go on the alimentum or not. 3 different pediatricians assured me that soy is fine, if you look at people who have grown up using it (particularily in Asia), you can see that there are no wierd side effects. In the "studies" that you read about, see if you can figure out who's behind them... the majority of the ones I read about were from companies who make soy alternatives. If you are going to use rice milk, make sure it's fortified, for me soy was the better choice because it seemed more nutritious. Neither is very fattening though, and until they are 2 kids really need extra fat for their brains. For that, my son gets about 8 ounces of the Isomil next step formula. It's not cheap, but it lasts longer than infant formula because you don't need to use it all day long. That way I know he's getting all his calories and fat. :)

I have heard this about soy. However, I havent seen one piece of research about it. Thinking about countries that do consume soy milk - China is one of them - I dont see any data to support a higher level of breast cancer or hormonal problems.

Hi R.,
I am not very well versed in issues with soy milk as we do not use it. However my brother and his family went vegetarian for a few years and had their kids drink rice milk. The sugar content back then was so high it caused problems with their teeth. It might not be an issue now, this was a few years ago but I would definitely check the sugar levels of the rice milk you are using.
Good luck

The scientific evidence on the soy issue is not clear, there are some studies that show it can effect your bodies estrogen levels and some studies that say it can't. So far the major medical community hasn't stood up against, so there overall feeling is it can't be that dangerous, but some of that is they just don't know, hence why you could buy infant cold medicine for years and now you can't, because they finally saw that it wasn't worth the risk. That all being said, rice milk does not have those effects, if you buy the enriched rice milk, I use Rice Dream for my son, it is a good alternative to cow milk when they can't have cow's milk. There is no real debate about this, so that's what I'm sticking with and my pediatrician actually was the one who recommended it to me. Good luck and hopefully they'll out grow these allergies!! Also, as they get older if they don't outgrow the allergies, they my soy and rice based ice cream, so they're not always left out of that. I use rice milk in all of my cooking as well, it's just as good as milk!! Good luck!!

Hi R., My son was on a soy formula when he was little. He could not take the others, we tried every one of them on the market but could keep the soy formula down. I have never heard that it could be dangerous. In fact, I always heard the other way, that it was better for them. Anyway, my son was never sick and is now 24 years old and very healthy. Hope this helps! Thanks, C.

I used soy when I was pregnant with my daughter and she had boobs when she was born. Makes me feels bad when I eat it. So many of our foods encourage too much estrogen, that's hwy so many people suffer with female related problems and too much estrogen causing cycts in their breast among weight problems.
Consider using s good probitic that would help over all health and possible take care of your milk digestion problems.
Some have no where else to go but to soy. If you can find raw goats milk that is very high quality source of nutrition for little ones.
Where are you located?
Peace

Hello,

I have been drinking soy milk for years now and haven't notice ny changes. However I do feel we can over do anything. I would suggest you try it and see what it does for your body. Estrogen is a weird thing for us women, we really don't need more (until later). I notice that when I first stopped eating meat especially chicken my cycle changed for the better (less cramps, flow etc.). Although I stopped with the meat I was still consuming a lot of other junk which drove my body crazy again. Then a few years later I went vegan (no eggs,milk,animal products)and had the same experince. Now I feel great a lot less junk too!

My point is,there are issues with it all. Just try to find what works for you and your family. I personal do a combination of cow, soy, rice, and almond milk. I have five children and at least one is lactose intolerent.

The bottom line is cow milk is for baby cows. All Mammals make milk for their off spring and it is formulated for them.

By the way, why did you stop nursing?

Hi R.. My name is H.. I have a testimony I would like to share with you. However, I have one question first. Have you had an actual allergy test done on your little girl to make sure she is allergic to the milk and eggs? My testimony is about milk allergies not soy. I don't have any experience or knowledge about the soy based products.

From Green Magazine this is what is posted

The most serious problem with soy may be its use in infant formulas. Most of the fears concerning soy formula are around the high level of estrogens. Professor Richard Sharpe, head of the Medical Research Council's human reproductive sciences unit at Edinburgh University, recently completed studies on soya milk and testosterone levels and found a link between the amount of soy consumed and lower hormone levels. "Soya formula milk is a [recent] western invention. There is not the historical evidence to show it is safe," said Dr. Sharpe.

The healthy alternative
Fermented soy products, on the other hand, ARE good for us in moderation. These include miso, tempeh, natto and tamari sauce. The fermentation process removes the phytates, trypsin inhibitors and heaglutinin. Fermented soy foods have long been a staple in Asian diets and are generally beneficial when combined with other foods such as rice, sea foods, fish broth, organ meats and fermented vegetables. The traditional Asian diet contributes to lower levels of cancer, heart disease, and increased bone density.

Moderation is important
While there are benefits to organic fermented soy moderation is recommended. As explained by Dr. Marina Zelenovic, a nutrition consultant, North American soil is full of aluminum, and soybeans has the unique ability (for a plant) to uptake it from the soil and pass it on to the consumer where it is toxic to brain function and the kidneys.

I have two little girls and did studies on this a while ago and decided it was not worth the risk to do soy.
This article might help you decide. I vote for better be safe than sorry!

http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/darkside.html

just an interesting thought to consider... Eastern diets tend to be much higher in soy content (both during pregnancy and breastfeeding) than American diets and no one ever seems to address why on the whole Asian populations tend to be healtheir (less obesity, diabetes, etc) than us. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a soy milk drinker and soy is not a mainstay of my diet, but it's not due to any fear I have of it. I just don't like the taste! But I think if you examine the fact that soybean derived products are a large part of eastern diet without increased occurrence of these health issues people seem so alarmed about causing here, I am sure using normal servings of soy milk is not going to cause any major issues in a non-allergic child.

Check the web for babycenter.com. There seems to be no proof of any harm to children or adults who drink soy milk. The estrogen in soy is an estrogen like substance, not real estrogen. Also there are many reviews and discussions, if you google the question: Is the estrogen like substance found in children, harmful to them? My husband and children drink soy all the time and they are fine.

Soy is bad news for children and adults! My toddler loves almond milk. It's more nutritious than rice milk.

Here's some info for you http://westonaprice.org/soy/infant.html

~L.

My son was diagnosed with allergies to peanuts, wheat, eggs, milk and bananas at twelve months. I continued to breastfeed him (eliminating those foods from my diet) until about 17 months. I alternate between rice milk and soy milk. When I cook, I always use Rice Milk. My son likes them both. I also only buy the organic stuff because the I read that something like 80% of soybeans are genetically modified...and that just weirds me out! Also, depending on the level of the milk allergy, you may want to avoid SILK MILK as it is processed on Dairy Equipment.

I've heard positive things about Almond Milk, however, we do not use that. Since my son has a peanut allergy, I avoid all nuts. Actually, with the exception of Soy, I avoid all of the top 8 allergens. I don't want him to develop more allergies!

There is a wonderful book entitled Sophie Safe Cooking by Emily Hendrix(sophiesafecooking.com). This book has recipes which are free of the top 8 and all of the recipes are amazing--and easy!

Good luck!

Soymilk has more nutrition than rice milk. I would recommend it for your children. You need not worry about the estrogen fuss. If soy were that rich in estrogen we menepausal woemn would not be having hot flashes. AF

Hi R., I worked at a herb and wellness center with a very good naturalpath Dr., if she told me to eat dirt i would, that is how much respect i have for her. Facts are: human bodies cant digest soy beans, just like sugar. However, the human body can digest soy bean easier when it is in the form of tofu, and miso. The beans ferment enough so our bodies can easily digest them. As far as the Soy milk, research is still in process. Rice, and Almond milk are good choices, and alot healthier than cows milk. Goats milk is an option too. Information can be found on the internet, just remember how our society works, money talks, people mumble.....hope this helps.

Hello R.,

My son is allergic to casein, which is the protein found in milk. For some reason, he is also sensitive to soy as well.

Because he loves milk so much, I had to quickly find a "safe" replacement. I found "dairifree" by Vance's Food. http://www.vancesfoods.com/

Good luck,
M.

Hi R.-
My daughter is 19 months old. She was nursed for 4 months and then started on a milk based formula, which landed her in the ER. Our Dr. put her on a soy based formula until she was one, which worked fine for her. We tried milk again and it really tore up her digestive track. We put her on Soy milk, and this did the same thing. After allergy testing and two specialists, they told us that until the age of three, allergy/sensitivity tests are really inconclusive (sometimes giving false positive/false negative readings) and to play it safe, switch her to Rice Dream Enriched Rice Milk (she likes the Vanilla flavor. You can find it in the half gallon size at Whole Foods and at some Bloom stores in the Organic Dairy section). We switched my daughter to that and within two weeks, she was gaining weight again and her system is back up and running. None of the specialists we spoke with had anything negative to say about Soy milk. The only thing we've been cautioned with regarding Rice milk is that it does not have as much fat, vitamins or protein in it that growing kids need and to make sure she makes up for it in her diet and with Poly-vi-sol drops (for the missing/decreased vitamins) in one serving of her milk.

You're doing what's right for your child.

Be safe and God Bless to your husband for all that he is doing to keep us safe so we can sleep peacefully at night!
L.

Hi Racehl,

Here is a web site: http://Parents.berkeley.edu/advice/eating/soymilk.html

Hope this helps. D.

HI,

I have to disagree that soy is bad. I drink Soy milk have been for years. Soy is NOT bad....as the millions of asians can atest too. There are differences though so I would suggest asking your pediatrician about which is more nutritous for you child.

Mandy

I have read about estrogen containing foods, because of health concerns I had for myself. There seem to be conflicting reports with soy. Some say it would raise your estrogen levels because of the estrogen contained in it, but others say it is different than other foods that produce estrogen in your bodies, so it is okay. High estrogen levels ARE a problem, or can lead to problems, so I believe that balance in everything we eat and drink is good. Adding foods that block or contain no estrogen to our diets is a a wise thing to do, because most of what we enjoy eating produces estrogen or keeps oru bodies from getting rid of it. I'd recommend an internet search for those kinds of foods. They're usually the healthy ones that many people don't care to eat, you know, like green veggies.
For little children and babies who drink a lot of milk, it is difficult to be moderate or sneak in enough estrogen blocking foods, so switching to rice milk was probably a smart thing to do. Almond milk is also suppose to be very healthy, and it tastes pretty good, too. Haven't stumbled upon solid scientific answers for sure, but it sounds like you're on the right track from what research I have done.

From the research I've done (my son had dairy issues early on which have, thankfully, resolved), there's no actual compelling scientific evidence about the estrogen/soy connection. The poster who mentioned that it's not estrogen, it's an estrogen-like plant compound, is right. That much we do know.

As far as who is doing the studies, it is true that most of them are funded by industries that have a vested interest in reducing soy's currently growing market share in the US. That alone doesn't make them bad studies (or good ones), but it's important to know.

As far as babies being born with boobs, that's a natural occurrence that can affect boys or girls without any influence from drinking or eating soy (and I'm surprised her pediatrician didn't comfort her about that); our babies are exposed to the estrogen in our bodies, and for some women the estrogen levels skyrocket during pre-labor, labor and delivery, and so kids can be born with breast-like material on their chests from the estrogen they get from us through the umbilical cord. It's completely harmless, completely normal, goes away fairly quickly, and has nothing to do with soy consumption. So as far as that's concerned, there's nothing to worry about (and she doesn't need to feel guilty either!).

Ultimately, our kids should be getting their nutrition from a varied diet anyway. If you can do it, just make sure that your baby is getting nutrition from a variety of sources; soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, goat's milk and sheep's milk are all good things to try (but note that rice milk is seriously lacking in a lot of what your little girl needs, so you shouldn't rely on it for more than a glass or so a day, and you need to make sure it's not the only thing you're giving her). Your daughter will also have something to say about this stuff, because she'll have taste preferences. Also remember that there are raw, whole goat's and sheep's milk yogurts out there, which my son liked, and also other yogurts and cheeses which open up your options as well. You can find them at Whole Foods, I think at Trader Joe's, and at My Organic Markets (MOMs stores) in the area.

It is kind of a pain having a non-dairy kid, I totally know what you're going through, but there are a lot of options and I found that variety was the key to getting my son what he needed while being able to tune out a lot of the worrisome and inconclusive "evidence."

I hope that helps!

Not every soy milk is organic so whomever said it was a battle b/t the 2 is mistaken. If it's not organic, chances are there may be horomones in it. I know that the Silk products are organic. I'm not sure which other ones are out there. We only buy organic products for our kids, including baby food, etc...