I repeat, there have been concentrated rat studies. There is no human
evidence of any problem with Soy. There is plenty of human evidence of
cardio vascular problems from eating animals.

wrote:
> What about claims made that eating tofu increases chances of getting
> dementia?
> Based on report from Japan.
> Ron wrote:
>
>>.
>>
>>
>>From: "Robert Cohen" <notmilk@e...>
>>Date: Sun Dec 12, 2004 11:33 am
>>Subject: I'm so confused about Soy
>>
>>
>>ADVERTISEMENT
>>
>>
>>
>>"I'm so confused about Soy."
>>That was the subject of Rob's letter to me:
>>
>>Rob <office@r...> wrote:
>>
>>"I don't trust what the media says about Soy.
>>There are only a few educated people that I
>>trust on this topic, and you and Dr. Mercola
>>are two of them, but you and he have opposing
>>views about soy. If Dr. Mercola is wrong, you
>>need to address some of the points he makes.
>>I know for a fact that there are many of your
>>readers who also subscribe to him. I look
>>forward to your reply. Thanks."
>>
>>http://www.mercola.com/2004/dec/4/soy_truth.htm
>>________________________________________
>>
>>Dear Rob,
>>
>>Dr. Mercola would have you drink raw milk in the
>>name of good health, and that advice is disturbing
>>to me. He is also a proponent of the Neanderthal
>>diet and would have you eat raw meat too. Somehow,
>>he took up with the wrong crowd and displays quite
>>a bit of ignorance regarding his negative comments
>>on soy and other unhealthy nutritional advice.
>>
>>Soymilk detractors (Sally Fallon, Price Pottinger,
>>Dr. Mercola, Soyonlineservice) would have you believe
>>that it is better to boil babies in hot oil than
>>serve them soymilk-based formula. Many people swallow
>>that unhealthy propaganda from the same folks who
>>receive financing from dairy famers and promoting
>>the consumption of raw milk.
>>
>>A paper in the May 2004 issue of the Journal of
>>Nutrition (May;134(5):1220S-4S) advises otherwise.
>>
>>After examining clinical evidence of the mechanisms
>>of isoflavones and bioflavinoids contained in soymilk,
>>scientists wrote:
>>
>>"Soy protein has been used in infant feeding in the West
>>for nearly 100 years. Soy protein infant formulas have
>>evolved in this interval to become safe and effective
>>alternatives for infants whose nutritional needs are not
>>met with human milk or formulas based on cow's milk.
>>Modern soy formulas meet all nutritional requirements and
>>safety standards of the Infant Formula Act of 1980."
>>
>>Is soy formula safe for your child? The Journal Nutrition
>>believes so. The article concludes:
>>
>>"Available evidence from adult human and infant
>>populations indicates that dietary isoflavones in soy
>>infant formulas do not adversely affect human growth,
>>development, or reproduction."
>>
>>Much of what Dr. Mercola says is based upon rat
>>research which I totally reject.
>>
>>Consider this. Half of the cancers that rats get,
>>mice do not get. Half of the cancers that mice get,
>>rats do not get. If scientific research from one
>>tiny four-legged long-tailed furry rodent cannot be
>>applied to another, how can any man or woman of
>>science attempt to arbitrarily apply such animal
>>research to humans? Nutritional rat research can
>>only be applied to rats, which have different organs
>>and enzymes from humans, and lack gall bladders.
>>Rats cannot digest soy proteins. Humans can.
>>
>>Mercola complains that soy contains isoflavones and
>>phytoestrogens. Well, Dr. Mercola should know that
>>brocolli contains isoflavones and phytoestorgens
>>too.
>>
>>Are phytoestrogens in soy and broccoli hazardous?
>>
>>According to Mercola.com and his group of soy-bashers
>>(soyonlineservice.com, Sally Fallon, and the Price
>>Pottinger Institute), broccoli is also a deadly poison
>>and must be avoided. So too, for that matter, should
>>you never again eat seeds, whole grains, berries, fruit,
>>vegetables, nuts, or sprouts. Let's explore why.
>>
>>Despite the fact that phytoestrogens (plant estrogens)
>>are not steroids like human estrogen, there are those
>>who would have you induce vomiting, if ever you
>>swallowed a soy product containing isoflavones. My
>>advice to you is to not swallow their illogical line
>>of reasoning.
>>
>>For each milligram of phytoestrogens that she eats
>>in soy products, the average American woman will also
>>consume an additional four milligrams of pytoestrogens
>>from fruits and vegetables. Advice to abstain from
>>phytoestrogens is insanity, and Internet hype and
>>hysteria has infected the good judgement of many
>>so-called health advocates. This includes many ignorant
>>physicians, who read one such article and assimilate
>>just enough information to offer erroneous and dangerous
>>health advice to their patients.
>>
>>Phytoestrogens are widely distributed in plants. There
>>are three categories of phytoestrogens--isoflavones
>>(which are found in soy), lignans (seeds, fruits
>>and veggies), and coumestans (broccoli and sprouts).
>>
>>So, if you take the advice of Internet soy-bashing
>>ignoramuses and do not drink soymilk because you fear
>>phytoestrogens, by all means, you must give up fruits,
>>veggies, nuts, and grains too.
>>
>>The only reason that phytoestrogens are considered to be
>>very dangerous is that the name sounds like estrogen,
>>even though they are not steroid hormones, and even though
>>their mechanisms of action do not mimic estrogen. Beware
>>of phytoestrogens, you are told. Like the "boogeyman,"
>>phytoestrogens in fruit and veggies are gonna get you
>>while you sleep.
>>
>>A publication in the February 2004 issue of the American
>>Journal of Clinical Nutrition (R. Ziegler, 2004;79:183-4)
>>suggests that women who eat high levels of soy isoflavones
>>have lower rates of breast cancer than those who consume
>>low levels of isoflavones.
>>
>>Dr. Regina Ziegler is a researcher with the National Cancer
>>Institute. She has taught health and nutrition courses at
>>Yale and Harvard Universities. Ziegler writes:
>>
>>"The daily intake of phytoestrogens in white U.S
>>women has been estimated to be <1 mg, with 80% from
>>lignans, 20% from isoflavones, and <0.1 from coumestans."
>>
>>************************************************ ******
>>In other words, according to Ziegler, an expert in her
>>field, Americans eat four times the amount of
>>phytoestrogens in fruit and veggies as they do from
>>soy products.
>>************************************************ ******
>>Ziegler continues:
>>
>>"Historically, breast cancer rates in the United States
>>have been 4-7 times those in Asia, whereas isoflavone
>>intake in the United States is <1% that in Asian
>>populations."
>>
>>So should you take Mercola's advice and eliminate soy
>>and all fruits and vegetables because of phytoestrogens?
>>Should you also follow his dietary advice by eating
>>raw milk and dairy products and raw meat? If you follow
>>Mercola, you will be led into a cave with other
>>Neanderthals.
>>
>>You might consider contrary advice. An apple a day
>>does keep the doctor away because of those magical
>>phytoestrogens. So too do brown rice and almonds,
>>broccoli, and fresh sprouts. Go heavy on the soy.
>>
>>Dead raw flesh and cooked animal parts should not
>>be served with body fluids from diseased animals.
>>Every cell in your miraculous body craves life, not
>>death. Cells and enzymes from carrots and oranges.
>>Green plants containing chlorophyll, and calcium
>>with magnesium in a proportion that is efficiently
>>utilized by the human body. A rose will never become
>>a dead chicken, even if it is so re-named. Neither
>>would a phytoestrogen become a steroid hormone, nor
>>act like one.
>>
>>Mercola has also criticized soy for the presence of
>>phytates.
>>
>>Are Wheaties (with soy milk) Hazardous to Your Health?
>>
>>Of course not, but Dr. Mercola urges you to believe otherwise.
>>
>>Wheaties cereal contains phytates.
>>
>>Dairy producers see soymilk as the new kid on the block, and
>>they are running scared. Their strategy is to spread rumors
>>about soy because it contains phytates. Perish the thought,
>>phytates? Quick, induce vomiting. Call Poison Control.
>>Where's the stomach pump?
>>
>>One bowl of cereal (portion size is defined on the side of a
>>box of Wheaties) is equal to: 3/4 cup of cereal and 1/2 cup
>>of milk.
>>
>>If the soy naysayers are correct, and if you enjoy a bowl of
>>Wheaties for breakfast, that single portion of cereal will
>>contain more than 2.5 times the amount of phytates as will
>>the soymilk used to moisten that breakfast of champions.
>>
>>Dr. Anthony Mercola writes:
>>
>>"Soybeans are high in phytic acid...It's a substance that
>>can block the uptake of essential minerals... Scientists are
>>in general agreement that grain- and legume-based diets high
>>in phytates contribute to widespread mineral deficiencies in
>>third world countries. Analysis shows that calcium,
>>magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant foods
>>eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of soy-
>>and grain-based diets prevents their absorption."
>>
>>Sally Fallon director of the Weston Price Foundation echoes
>>Mercola's lack of wisdom (almost word for word):
>>
>>"Soybeans are also high in phytic acid or phytates....which
>>blocks the uptake of essential minerals-calcium, magnesium,
>>iron and especially zinc-in the intestinal tract. Scientists
>>are in general agreement that grain and legume based diets
>>high in phytates contribute to widespread mineral
>>deficiencies in third world countries. Analysis shows that
>>calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant
>>foods eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of
>>soy and rice based diets prevents their absorption."
>>
>>A website registered in New Zealand offers similar
>>disinformation. Soy Online Service (should be re-named Soy
>>Offline Disservice). In a column titled "SoyToxins," they
>>write:
>>
>>"There's plenty yet that you didn't know about soy! Soy
>>contains several naturally occurring compounds that are
>>toxic to humans and animals...soy toxins such as phytic
>>acid...have the ability to target specific organs, cells and
>>enzyme pathways and their effects can be devastating....As
>>with any toxin there will be a dose at which negative
>>effects are not observed. Soy Online Services have examined
>>the scientific data on the soy toxins and have uncovered
>>several alarming truths...There is no legislation to protect
>>consumers from soy toxins in raw soy products...all soy
>>products, no matter how well treated, contain low to
>>moderate levels of soy toxins; processing cannot remove them
>>all of any of them."
>>
>>Since soymilk is the bone of contention, I chose its phytate
>>content to serve as a baseline for comparison to wheat
>>products.
>>
>>Charts contained on pages 30-34 of Food Phytates (edited by
>>Rukma Reddy and Shridhar Sathe, CRC Press, ISBN # 1-56676-
>>867-5) reveal:
>>
>>The percentage of phytates in soymilk is listed as 0.11%.
>>
>>Wheat has been called the "Staff of Life."
>>
>>Durham wheat contains 8 times more phytates than soymilk
>>(0.88%).
>>
>>Whole wheat bread contains almost 4 times more phytates than
>>soymilk (0.43%).
>>
>>Wheaties, contain nearly fourteen times more phytates than
>>soymilk (1.52%).
>>
>>Let's use common logic here. If wheat contains more phytates
>>than soymilk, then wheat should not be eaten either, right?
>>What a silly claim soymilk detractors make. It is without
>>merit.
>>
>>A typical portion of breakfast cereal consists of two
>>ingredients, cereal & milk. The proportions: three-quarters
>>of a cup of Wheaties weighs 22.5 grams. One-half cup of
>>soymilk weighs 122.5 grams. Ergo, the wheaties contain 342
>>milligrams of phytates. The soymilk contains 135 milligrams
>>of phytates.
>>
>>Now, let's get to the point of this. In their introduction
>>and summary of the scientific substantiation to follow, the
>>authors of Food Phytates write:
>>
>>"Recent investigations have focused on the beneficial effect
>>of food phytates, based upon their strong mineral-chelating
>>property...The beneficial effects include lowering of serum
>>cholesterol and triglycerides and protection against certain
>>diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, renal stone
>>formation, and certain types of cancers."
>>
>>So you see, phytates are healthy for you. Phytates represent
>>a prime example of using food for medicine.
>>
>>Of course, if you happen to believe all of the negative soy
>>hype, skip the Wheaties. Skip the soymilk. You can always
>>have a corn muffin, right? Let's go to the phytate chart.
>>What percentage of corn bread is phytates? Oh, no. Corn
>>muffins contain twelve times the percentage of phytates as
>>soymilk, or 1.36%. An extra-large 6-ounce corn muffin (168
>>grams) contains 228 milligrams of phytates, midway between
>>the (3/4 cup) Wheaties and (1/2 cup) soymilk.
>>
>>So, take your pick. All of this anti-phytate rhetoric is
>>either A) serious stuff B) ridiculous propaganda.
>>
>>For health, eat isoflavones and phytoestrogens. In that
>>regard, no fruit, vegetabhle, grain, or legume is more
>>blessed with nature's healing chemicals than soy. My best
>>advice to you would be to reject Mercola's suggestion
>>to eat raw milk and raw meat. Your body will thank you.
>>
>>Robert Cohen
>>http://www.notmilk.com
>
>