Hi group,

Im vegan, and my wife is vegetarian. We have a 3 month old which we are
currently feeding soya formula.

My wife has recently heard that Soya formula may be harmful to the
future health of our child, due to certain hormones that it may contain.

Can anyone point me in the direction of any web references that address
this issue? Or does anyone have an information that they which to share.

Many thank in advance,

Red.

I had to swich my daughter to milk she did not do well when very young-bad
bones,growth and mental ablitites..drinking a little milk change all that..
she is 19 now and drinks very little she was about 6 when we added milk....
Michael
"Red" > wrote in message
...
> Hi group,
>
> Im vegan, and my wife is vegetarian. We have a 3 month old which we are
> currently feeding soya formula.
>
> My wife has recently heard that Soya formula may be harmful to the
> future health of our child, due to certain hormones that it may contain.
>
> Can anyone point me in the direction of any web references that address
> this issue? Or does anyone have an information that they which to share.
>
> Many thank in advance,
>
> Red.

Red wrote:
> Can anyone point me in the direction of any web references that address
> this issue? Or does anyone have an information that they which to share.



Jack Norris vegan R.D. answers Mothering Magazine
################################################## ################
The following is typed in by hand ( no online edition ) from issue #41
of VegNews ( the current issue pages 58 - 59 ). All spelling and
typographical mistakes are mine.

##########################################
Nutrition

Dear Jack;

The May/June 2004 issue of Mothering Magazine ran an article, "The Whole
Soy Story," by Kaayla Daniel. Daniel stated that soy has not been proven
safe for human consumption. What is the truth? - Still confused about soy.


How Safe Is Soy?
by Jack Norris, RD ( registered dietitian ).

Dear Still Confused,

There are two issues to be explored:
soy foods for non-infants, and soy-based formula for infants.

Daniel says, "The soy industry's own figures show that soy consumption
in China, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan ranges from 9.3 to 36 grams per
day.... Compare this with a cup of tofu ( 252 grams ) or soy milk ( 240
grams)... In short, there is no historical precedent for eating the
large amounts of soy food now being consumed by infants fed soy formula
and vegetarians who favor soy as their main source of protein."

Data provided by Mark Messina, PhD, editor of The Soy Connection, shows
that of seven studies in Japan, soy intake averaged about 57 grams per
day; one study in China estimated soy consumption at 135 grams per day;
and a study in Singapore estimated nearly 36 grams per day.

Thus, according to these studies, the Japanese actually eat over twice
as much soy as what Daniel reports. This should provide some relief,
though the average vegetarian relying on soy still might eat
considerably more than the Japanese. People who are concerned should
refer to my January/February 2004 column ( or VeganHealth.org ), which
concluded that two-t0-three servings of soy per day are safe for most
people.

Soy Formula
Soy-based infant formula should be considered a separate issue because
infants on soy formula will often be eating a much higher percentage of
their diet as soy than would an adult eating two or three servings of
soy per day.

I found three studies relevant to the question of soy formula. Daniel
mentions one, a study from 1990, in which infants who received soy
formula were followed into their twenties and thirties to see if they
developed more reproductive problems that those receiving cows' milk
formula.

There were tow statistically significant findings. Women who had been
fed soy formula averaged five days of menstrual bleeding versus 4.7 days
for those raised on cows' milk formula. The soy group also suffered more
discomfort during their menstrual period. It is not known if there is
any real damage from these differences.

In secondary analysis( items the study was not designed to investigate
but which were measured anyway), there were two differences between the
groups:

Twenty-eight percent of the women in the soy group used allergy or
asthma medication versus 19% in the cows' milk group. However because
the study was not designed to determine differences in allergies or
asthma mediation usage, the authors said that a second study is needed
before conclusions can be drawn. Women in the soy group were also more
likely to use weight control drugs, though there was no difference in
body mass between the groups.

Daniel found more to this than did the authors of the actual study. She
says, "Indeed, data left out of the headlines and buried in the report
revealed higher incidences of allergies and asthma and higher rates of
cervical cancer, polycystic ovarian syndrome, blocked fallopian tubes,
and pelvic inflammatory disease."

Information on cervical cancer rates was not reported in the actual
study, but rather in a follow-up letter to the editors. In the soy
group, 3.1% of the women had cervical cancer vs 1.1% in the cows' milk
group. But the difference was not statistically significant( i.e., it
could be due to random chance ).

Findings that are not statistically significant should not be reported
as though they are real differences. If they are, then Daniel should
have pointed out that there was a case of testicular cancer in the cows'
milk group but none in the soy group.

Similarly, the differences in rates of polycystic ovarian syndrome,
blocked fallopian tube, and pelvic inflammatory disease were not
statistically significant, nor were many other findings, including
higher rates of endometriosis in the cows' milk group.


In a 1986 study, more children with diabetes were fed soy formula then
cows' milk, but this finding was also not statistically significant.

In a 1990 study, 37% of children with autoimmune thyroid disease(ATD)
had been fed formula containing soy while only 12% of their healthy
siblings had been fed such formula. The authors suggested two
explanations:[1] Infants with digestive problems are more likely to be
fed formula containing soy and have ATD, but with no connections between
soy and the disease. [2] Formula containing soy could increase the
chances of ATD for some children.

The authors conclude that more research on this is needed. I would
suggest that until more studies are done, infants who have a history of
autoimmune thyroid disease in their families might want to stay away
from soy formula or formulas containing soy.

--

Steve

Be A Healthy Vegan Or Vegetarian
http://www.geocities.com/beforewisdo...ealthyVeg.html

Steve's Home Page
http://www.geocities.com/beforewisdom/

"The great American thought trap: It is not real
unless it can be seen on television or bought in a
shopping mall"

> Im vegan, and my wife is vegetarian. We have a 3 month old which we
are
> currently feeding soya formula.

What's wrong with breast feeding?

> My wife has recently heard that Soya formula may be harmful to the
> future health of our child, due to certain hormones that it may
contain.

What about hormones in breast milk that soya formula does not contain?

Your baby needs breast milk from a woman........not from a cow.

wrote:
> Your baby needs breast milk from a woman........not from a cow.
>

Thanks for your valuable insight, but there are sometimes reasons (other
than convenience) why breastfeeding is not an option, hence my question.

Red.

Red wrote:
> wrote:
> > Your baby needs breast milk from a woman........not from a cow.
> >
>
> Thanks for your valuable insight, but there are sometimes reasons
(other
> than convenience) why breastfeeding is not an option, hence my
question.
>
> Red.

If for some reason a mother can't breastfeed her baby, she should
consider getting another woman to do it.

Red wrote:
> Can anyone point me in the direction of any web references that address
> this issue? Or does anyone have an information that they which to share.



Jack Norris vegan R.D. answers Mothering Magazine
################################################## ################
The following is typed in by hand ( no online edition ) from issue #41
of VegNews ( the current issue pages 58 - 59 ). All spelling and
typographical mistakes are mine.

##########################################
Nutrition

Dear Jack;

The May/June 2004 issue of Mothering Magazine ran an article, "The Whole
Soy Story," by Kaayla Daniel. Daniel stated that soy has not been proven
safe for human consumption. What is the truth? - Still confused about soy.


How Safe Is Soy?
by Jack Norris, RD ( registered dietitian ).

Dear Still Confused,

There are two issues to be explored:
soy foods for non-infants, and soy-based formula for infants.

Daniel says, "The soy industry's own figures show that soy consumption
in China, Indonesia, Japan, and Taiwan ranges from 9.3 to 36 grams per
day.... Compare this with a cup of tofu ( 252 grams ) or soy milk ( 240
grams)... In short, there is no historical precedent for eating the
large amounts of soy food now being consumed by infants fed soy formula
and vegetarians who favor soy as their main source of protein."

Data provided by Mark Messina, PhD, editor of The Soy Connection, shows
that of seven studies in Japan, soy intake averaged about 57 grams per
day; one study in China estimated soy consumption at 135 grams per day;
and a study in Singapore estimated nearly 36 grams per day.

Thus, according to these studies, the Japanese actually eat over twice
as much soy as what Daniel reports. This should provide some relief,
though the average vegetarian relying on soy still might eat
considerably more than the Japanese. People who are concerned should
refer to my January/February 2004 column ( or VeganHealth.org ), which
concluded that two-t0-three servings of soy per day are safe for most
people.

Soy Formula
Soy-based infant formula should be considered a separate issue because
infants on soy formula will often be eating a much higher percentage of
their diet as soy than would an adult eating two or three servings of
soy per day.

I found three studies relevant to the question of soy formula. Daniel
mentions one, a study from 1990, in which infants who received soy
formula were followed into their twenties and thirties to see if they
developed more reproductive problems that those receiving cows' milk
formula.

There were tow statistically significant findings. Women who had been
fed soy formula averaged five days of menstrual bleeding versus 4.7 days
for those raised on cows' milk formula. The soy group also suffered more
discomfort during their menstrual period. It is not known if there is
any real damage from these differences.

In secondary analysis( items the study was not designed to investigate
but which were measured anyway), there were two differences between the
groups:

Twenty-eight percent of the women in the soy group used allergy or
asthma medication versus 19% in the cows' milk group. However because
the study was not designed to determine differences in allergies or
asthma mediation usage, the authors said that a second study is needed
before conclusions can be drawn. Women in the soy group were also more
likely to use weight control drugs, though there was no difference in
body mass between the groups.

Daniel found more to this than did the authors of the actual study. She
says, "Indeed, data left out of the headlines and buried in the report
revealed higher incidences of allergies and asthma and higher rates of
cervical cancer, polycystic ovarian syndrome, blocked fallopian tubes,
and pelvic inflammatory disease."

Information on cervical cancer rates was not reported in the actual
study, but rather in a follow-up letter to the editors. In the soy
group, 3.1% of the women had cervical cancer vs 1.1% in the cows' milk
group. But the difference was not statistically significant( i.e., it
could be due to random chance ).

Findings that are not statistically significant should not be reported
as though they are real differences. If they are, then Daniel should
have pointed out that there was a case of testicular cancer in the cows'
milk group but none in the soy group.

Similarly, the differences in rates of polycystic ovarian syndrome,
blocked fallopian tube, and pelvic inflammatory disease were not
statistically significant, nor were many other findings, including
higher rates of endometriosis in the cows' milk group.


In a 1986 study, more children with diabetes were fed soy formula then
cows' milk, but this finding was also not statistically significant.

In a 1990 study, 37% of children with autoimmune thyroid disease(ATD)
had been fed formula containing soy while only 12% of their healthy
siblings had been fed such formula. The authors suggested two
explanations:[1] Infants with digestive problems are more likely to be
fed formula containing soy and have ATD, but with no connections between
soy and the disease. [2] Formula containing soy could increase the
chances of ATD for some children.

The authors conclude that more research on this is needed. I would
suggest that until more studies are done, infants who have a history of
autoimmune thyroid disease in their families might want to stay away
from soy formula or formulas containing soy.

--

Steve

Be A Healthy Vegan Or Vegetarian
http://www.geocities.com/beforewisdo...ealthyVeg.html

Steve's Home Page
http://www.geocities.com/beforewisdom/

"The great American thought trap: It is not real
unless it can be seen on television or bought in a
shopping mall"

Red wrote:

> Im vegan, and my wife is vegetarian. We have a 3 month old which we are
> currently feeding soya formula.

> Can anyone point me in the direction of any web references that address
> this issue? Or does anyone have an information that they which to share.

http://www.newscientist.com/article....mg17823951.000

The hormones you are referring to are phyto-estrogens, common in many
plant foods including soya.. They mimic female hormones and are
implicated in early puberty in girls and low sperm counts in males.

I am sure similar references can be found on other news sites - it has
been big news in recent times and of some concern to those of us who
have replaced meat with soy.

....W