I received this inquiry today and decided to answer in a post so the answers are archived. The question is about our recommendation to eliminate both soy and pasteurized milk form one’s diet. The two topics are actually related. Cows in confinement are routinely feed soy meal and other grains, which is not a natural diet for cows who were designed to eat grass, and people who have an allergic reaction to pasteurized milk often turn to soy milk.
“Nourishing Our Children,
Are you saying that it is best to eliminate all forms of soy from our diets? This would include eliminating tofu, soy sauce, bread that contains soy, cashew butter that contains soy, and all the myriad of other things that contain soy? Yes, we are!
It seems that you are promoting raw milk, but don’t really have an argument against organic pasteurized milk? Just that it may come from animals in confinement? So if we found an organic pasteurized milk from free range cows, that would be healthy too? No it would not.
But you are saying do not drink low fat, only whole milk? Yes, we are!
Thanks so much. Very interested in your research. Jenny N.”
The Ploy of Soy
Due to the increasing number of people who are having an allergic reaction to pasteurized milk products, soy dairy has emerged as an often sought out alternative. Although widely promoted as a health food, hundreds of studies link modern processed soy to malnutrition, digestive problems, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, immune system breakdown, and even heart disease and cancer. How could soy be linked to all this disease? Because the soybean contains many naturally occurring toxins. All legumes contain toxins but the problem with soy is that the toxins are found in very high levels and are resistant to the traditional ways of getting rid of them. Long, slow fermentation (as in the traditional production of miso, tempeh and soy sauce) gets rid of the phytic acid and other digestive inhibitors but not the phytoestrogens in soy.
Myths About Isoflavones
One of the most common myths is that soy estrogens (isoflavones) are beneficial for your health. Isoflavones are the estrogen-like compounds occurring naturally in soy foods. They act as the plant’s natural pesticides, causing insects to become sterile. Research has shown that isoflavones can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. As little as 38 mg isoflavones per day (less than the amount found in 1 cup of soy milk) can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue. The isoflavones in soy have been shown to cause reproductive problems, infertility, thyroid disease and liver disease in mice, rats, cheetahs, sturgeon, quail, sheep, pigs and marmoset monkeys.
Traditional Versus Modern Soy Foods
It is important to distinguish between traditional and modern soy foods. In Asia, traditional soy foods were consumed in small amounts, usually as a fermented condiment. Traditional fermented soy foods include miso, soy sauce, tempeh and natto. Tofu was prepared by a precipitation process that gets rid of some of the anti-nutrients, and tofu was often then fermented. Tofu was usually consumed in small amounts in fish broth, which provided lots of compensating minerals and compounds that support thyroid function. Soymilk underwent a very long preparation process to get rid of anti-nutrients and it was consumed with shrimp or egg yolk, ingredients that helped compensate for the many anti-nutrients that remained. Mostly a food for the elderly, it was sometimes given to nursing mothers but never to growing children.
Problems with Soy Protein Isolate
Modern soy foods are very different. Most are made with soy protein isolate (SPI), which is a protein-rich powder extracted by an industrial process from the waste product of soy oil manufacturing. It is the industry’s way of making a profit on a waste product. The industry spent over 30 years and billions of dollars developing SPI. Soy Protein Isolate is produced at very high temperatures and pressures. This processing does get rid of some of the anti-nutrients in soybeans, but unfortunately many of the proteins are denatured in the process, including lysine. That is why growing animals fed soy must be given a lysine supplement. In feeding studies, SPI caused many deficiencies in rats. That soy causes deficiencies in B12 and zinc is widely recognized; but the range of deficiencies was surprising. Although SPI is added to many foods, it was never granted GRAS status, meaning “Generally Recognized as Safe”. The FDA only granted GRAS status to SPI for use as a binder in cardboard boxes. During the processing of soy, many additional toxins are formed, including nitrates (which are carcinogens) and a toxin called lysinoalanine. It was concerns about lysinoalanine in SPI that led the FDA to deny GRAS status for SPI as a food additive. In spite of all these problems, SPI is the basic ingredient of soy infant formula and the FDA even allows a health claim for foods containing 6.25 grams SPI per serving.
The Dangers of Soy Infant Formula
Infants on soy formula receive dangerously high levels of soy isoflavones. On a body weight basis, this can mean ten times the level that can cause thyroid suppression in adults after three months, and eight times the level that can cause hormonal changes in adults after just one month. According to a Swiss report (see references), adult women consuming 100 mg isoflavones (about 2 cups of soy milk, or 1 cup of cooked mature soybeans) provide the estrogenic equivalent of a contraceptive pill. This means for a baby that weighs 6 kg (or just over 13 pounds), 10 mg provides the estrogenic equivalent of a contraceptive pill. Thus, the average amount of soy-based formula taken in by a child provides the estrogenic equivalent of at least four birth control pills. Because babies are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of dietary estrogens, the effects could actually be much greater than that of four birth control pills. Hence the statement, “Babies on soy formula receive the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day.”
Homemade Baby Formula
For adopted infants, or as a solution for mothers who aren’t physically able to breastfeed or who aren’t able to produce enough milk, we’d like parents to know that there are nutrient dense, homemade baby formula recipes in the book Nourishing Traditions which have been used with great success by parents all over the world since 1995!
- Homemade baby formula recipes, video and frequently asked questions:
- For sources and more information, read this article.
We recommend you eliminate all industrially produced soy from your diet.
Soy Dangers Summarized
- High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
- Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
- Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
- Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
- Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B12.
- Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
- Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
- Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
- Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
- Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.
Next Topic …
We do have an argument against pasteurized organic milk!
What harm is there in pasteurization? First lets define the process. The National Dairy Council states: “All milk intended for direct consumption should be pasteurized – it’s a matter of food safety.” They claim pasteurization is a simple, effective method to kill potentially harmful bacteria without affecting the taste or nutritional value of milk. With standard pasteurization, milk is heated to a temperature of at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit for no less than 15 seconds, followed by rapid cooling. For ultra-pasteurization, the temperature is 230 degrees, above the boiling point. What isn’t as widely published is the fact that pasteurization destroys enzymes. Enzymes are specialized proteins that assist in the breaking down and digestion of foods into useful elements that can be utilized, absorbed, or stored by the body. Without those vital enzymes, one cannot properly utilize the nutrients found in milk and many people develop an allergic reaction when the body rejects this altered substance. Pasteurization also diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer. Calves fed pasteurized milk do poorly and many die before maturity.
Raw milk sours naturally but pasteurized milk turns putrid; processors must remove slime and pus from pasteurized milk by a process of centrifugal clarification. Inspection of dairy herds for disease is not required for pasteurized milk. Pasteurization was instituted in the 1920s to combat TB, infant diarrhea, undulant fever and other diseases caused by poor animal nutrition and dirty production methods. But times have changed and modern stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks and inspection methods make pasteurization absolutely unnecessary for public protection.
Recommended Articles
- Raw Milk vs. Pasteurized Milk
- Abstracts on the Effect of Pasteurization on the Nutritional Value of Milk
- Pasteurization Harms Milk
Whole Milk
I captured a photo of whole, raw milk above at The Abbey Farm. The milk is not pasteurized, it is not homogenized. It is in it’s natural, unadulterated state. Milk and dairy products like yogurt and cheese can be very healthy foods, but only if the milk contains all the fat. The butterfat in milk provides important vitamins like A, D and K2, which are needed to help you absorb the calcium, phosphorus and other minerals in the milk. In addition, the butterfat in milk makes it much easier to digest and also less likely to cause illness. The best milk comes from cows that live outside and eat green grass, and that is unprocessed, that is, it has not been pasteurized or homogenized. Pasteurization is a type of heat treatment that destroys much of the goodness in milk and makes it very difficult to digest. Homogenization breaks up the fats in milk and makes the components of the fat less healthy. Unprocessed milk is called “raw milk.”
Read more about the diet we recommend.
I recommend this article that offers an overview on fats.
Personally, I would not consume or recommend that anyone else consume low-fat dairy. It isn’t what I consider to be real food. It has been denatured, meaning it isn’t found in nature that way. All of the vital nutrients are in the fat. I would consider low-fat dairy to be processed food. I completely trust that the way we are intended to eat is as food is provided in nature. Low-fat, pasteurized milk is not how it comes from the cow, the goat, the sheep, or the camel. It is made that way in a factory. Historically, we never ate such foods look at what has happened to us: Read How the teeth tell the tale.
Read more about raw milk in this books recommended via our Amazon affiliation:
- The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America’s Emerging Battle over Food Rights
- The Untold Story of Milk, Revised and Updated: The History, Politics and Science of Nature’s Perfect Food: Raw Milk from Pasture-Fed Cows.
Nourishing Our Children 
45 Responses to Why Eliminate Soy and Pasteurized Milk?
In the early 80’s, when we were starting our family, I was studying all the ‘studies’ about nutrition, and gave our kids soy milk and cheese instead of dairy, I was an earthy, crunchy, savvy mom, but I didn’t realize that the ‘science’ I was reading was funded by an evolving soy industry, trying to create a market.
Today, our 2 boys, ages 22 and 29, lift up their shirts to show me their “Man Boobs”, and say, “thanks, Mom….”
Thank God my research kept progressing, and I eventually found the Weston Price group. Here’s science you can trust. The proof is in the pudding; now that we eat bacon, butter and cream, etc., as recovered vegetarians, we are no longer hungry all the time, and experience health and vitality.
Thank you for your testimonial …
I could so relate to thinking that we were on a healthy path based on the propaganda: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.427492170171.211265.165679030171&type=1
I consumed soy milk, soy cheese, soy ice cream, soy hot dogs and other imitation meats, tofu, and the like for years. I had pimples on my face – on my buttocks, flatulence that I could not contain which would embarrass me, serious digestive distress, emotional instability … I was so relieved to have found resources that recommended a return to real food. Real cheese, rather than imitation cheese!
Appeal to nature fallacy.
Its also Anecdotal evidence as well
Thank you for this very informative post. My husband and I are slowly working to increase the quality of the foods we eat while eliminating foods we are recognizing to be bad for us. We recently transitioned to raw milk. We are going to try making our own yogurt but still eat full fat organic pasteurized yogurt and we eat regular pasteurized cheese. While I read a lot about the importance of drinking raw milk, I’ve seen less about yogurt and cheese. Do you suggest only eating raw milk yogurt and cheeses? Do you have any articles that could help me get more information about this.
Eliminating pasteurized milk from our diet literally relieved all our allergies for our whole family, they went away immediately. No more hay fever at all for the young ones, and I can actually be around horses again. BEST move we have made for our health.
I should add.. My exwife refused to breastfeed and she moved a 1,000 miles away when our youngest was 3 months old. We used soy formula as the girls were allergic to ‘regular’ formula. Now that I know what I know about formula in general, I would have hunted down goat milk….. But as far as the soy is concerned, both my girls started their cycles at 9 years of age… :/
Vince, thank you for sharing this! I am curious to know if your ex-wife and/or daughters are aware of the effect soy has had on them.
We switched to raw milk about 1 1/2 years ago. My husband has always had a problem eating anything dairy at night. He would wake up shortly after going to sleep almost gagging and then get sick. He can drink a full cup of raw milk before bed and not have any problems!
my youngest son had a mild case of eczema which developed when he was around 1 (pretty much the time he started to drink pasturised milk) We introduced raw milk and within a couple of weeks, the eczema had cleared up and hasn’t come back since. It is one of the best things we have done for our health and our childrens health!
Great article– thanks for posting this!
I consumed soy products for a good 6-7 years and was a vegetarian as a teenager and all through college. During this time I began developing severe acne, digestive issues (which I though were normal), low body temperature, hair loss (large clumps!), weight gain, and lost my menstrual cycle for 3 years! It took me years after all this began to find the works of Weston A Price, but since I have started a whole REAL foods lifestyle full of fat and animal products my health is finally starting to heal, my skin clear up and my cycle is finally regular! I unfortunately am still suffering with thyroid symptoms (truly believe this was soy related) though am devoted and constantly working towards healing my body through REAL food as nature intended. Thank you Sandrine for this post!
Common heart disease, or atherosclerosis, is the growth of raised lesions on the inside of arteries. These lesions, called plaques, are composed of overgrowing cells from the artery’s muscle layer, along with cholesterol, fat, and cellular debris. It is believed that this process begins when a low-density lipoprotein particle (LDL, the so-called “bad cholesterol”) is damaged by free radicals in the bloodstream. The cells lining the artery remove the LDL particle from the blood, leading to the accumulation of a fatty streak in the artery wall and the gradual formation of plaques.
There are many risk factors associated with the development of atherosclerosis like; high cholesterol levels, obesity, smoking, family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, “Type A” personality (a need to excel, bossiness, and impatience), sedentary lifestyle, chronic stress, diabetes and elevated levels of stored iron
Cholesterol is a waxy substance made in the liver for use as a biological raw material. It is used as a structural part of cell membranes and as a precursor to estrogen, testosterone, and other hormones. Cholesterol is not the same as fat. When cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream, it is packed into LDL and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles. LDL delivers cholesterol to various parts of the body. It is sometimes called the “bad cholesterol,” because, although it is necessary in limited quantities, high LDL cholesterol levels can dramatically increase the risk of a heart attack. When cholesterol is released from dead cells, it is picked up for disposal in another kind of particle called high density lipoprotein (HDL, the “good cholesterol”). The more HDL a person has, the lower the risk of a heart attack.
Ideally, total cholesterol levels should be below 150 mg/dl.* For 35 years running, not a single person in the Framingham Heart Study whose cholesterol level was below this value had a heart attack. However, for every 1 percent increase in the amount of cholesterol in the blood, the risk of a heart attack rises by about 2 percent. This association can be used clinically: lowering a patient’s serum cholesterol level is rewarded by a two-for-one improvement in risk. If a patient lowers his or her cholesterol level by 20 percent, for example, by dropping from 200 mg/dl down to 160 mg/dl, the risk of a heart attack diminishes by roughly 40 percent. (* In the U.S., most clinicians measure cholesterol levels in milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood serum (mg/dl), a system still reflected in government guidelines. Most other countries and medical journals report cholesterol levels in millimoles per liter (mmol/L). To convert cholesterol measurements from mg/dl to mmol/L, simply multiply by 0.02586. To convert triglyceride measurements from mg/dl to mmol/L, multiply by 0.0113.). If the total cholesterol level is 150 mg/dl (3.9 mmol/L) or below, heart disease risk is extremely low. If the total cholesterol is above 150, you should check how much of the cholesterol is in the form of high density lipoprotein (HDL). For most North Americans, only about 20 percent of their total cholesterol is HDL. This means that not enough of the cholesterol in the body is leaving. Ideally, the HDL level should be one-third or more of the total.
The figures from the Framingham Heart Study show how much of the total cholesterol is in the HDL form for various groups, the ideal according to them is near 33%.[1] HDL is the “good” form of cholesterol that is leaving the body. According to them an Average vegetarian has 34%, Average female without heart disease has 23%, Average male without heart disease has 20%, Average female with heart disease 19% and the Average male with heart disease 17%.
Triglycerides is a term that refers to the type of fat the body stores. After a meal, triglyceride molecules are assembled in the liver, packed into VLDL, and sent via the bloodstream to fat storage areas.Triglyceride levels above 150 mg/dl (170 mmol/L) are considered elevated. Some studies have linked high triglyceride levels to increased risk of heart disease, particularly if accompanied by low HDL levels. Triglyceride levels that are extremely high (greater than 1,000 mg/dl) are associated with other risks, such as pancreatitis, and medical treatment is necessary.
One of the most important recent innovations in heart disease was published in the July 21, 1990, edition of The Lancet. Research findings of Dean Ornish, M.D., demonstrated that heart disease can actually be reversed without surgery or medicines.[2] Dr. Ornish studied 47 patients, all of whom had atherosclerotic plaques that were clearly visible on angiograms. He assigned half the research subjects to a control group in which they received the standard care that doctors prescribe (e.g., a diet centered on “lean” meat, poultry, and fish, along with various medications and advice not to smoke). The remaining patients were assigned to an experimental group that followed a very different regimen, including the following four steps: Low-fat, vegetarian diet, Brisk walking for one-half hour per day or one hour three times per week, Avoidance of tobacco and Stress management exercises
The prescribed diet excluded red meat, poultry, and fish, virtually eliminating cholesterol and animal fat. It also minimized vegetable oils, because all oils contain at least some traces of saturated fats. One year later, all patients had a second angiogram to measure the blockages in their coronary arteries. The results showed that the control group patients, who had been following the more traditional medical routine, had not improved. In fact, the blockages in their coronary arteries were worse, on average, than at the beginning of the study. They still had chest pain and still needed medications. For the patients in the special intervention group, however, chest pain diminished within weeks. Their cholesterol levels dropped dramatically without cholesterol-lowering drugs. At the end of one year, 82 percent of the patients showed measurable reversal of their coronary artery blockages. These results gave doctors a new tool for reversing heart disease. It cost much less than surgery, had no side effects, was surprisingly easy to follow, and could help keep patients healthy over the long run.
Cholesterol is not needed in the diet at all, since the liver makes all the cholesterol that the body needs. The optimal amount of cholesterol in the diet is zero. However, all animal products contain cholesterol. Every 100 milligrams of cholesterol in a person’s daily routine adds roughly five points to the serum total cholesterol level. (Everyone is different, and this number is an average.) In practical terms, 100 milligrams of cholesterol are found in four ounces of beef, four ounces of chicken, half an egg, or three cups of milk. Most Americans consume 500 to 600 milligrams of cholesterol each day. Note that chicken has about the same cholesterol content as beef, approximately 25 milligrams per ounce[8], something that may you, because you may have heard that chicken has slightly less cholesterol. For poultry (without the skin), the figure is near 20 percent. In contrast, beans are only 4 percent fat, rice is between 1 percent and 5 percent, depending on the variety, and potatoes are less than 1 percent fat. Nearly all grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits derive less than 10 percent of their calories from fat, and none have any cholesterol at all. Fish vary, but like all other animals, contain cholesterol and fat. Of the fat in fish, about 15 percent to 30 percent is saturated fat. This is lower than beef and chicken, but much different from plant products, which never contain cholesterol and tend to be very low in fat.
Many patients have come to believe that if they switch from “red meat” to chicken and fish, they will keep their arteries clear. It is important for them to understand that such a diet does not usually lead to a major lowering of cholesterol levels nor does it stop artery blockages from progressing in most patients. The April 29, 1993, New England Journal of Medicine showed the weakness of the diets that many doctors and the popular press often promote for heart patients. In this case, the diet was the National Cholesterol Education Program Step II Diet, which recommends modest portions of fish and skinless poultry and non-fat cooking methods. Even among patients with good adherence, this diet reduces LDL by only about 5 percent.[3] For a patient with a cholesterol level of 250 mg/dl (6.5 mmol/L), for example, a 5 percent drop leads only to about 235 mg/dl (6.1 mmol/L), which is still far too high for safety. Not only does such a diet not lower cholesterol levels effectively, it does not reverse arterial blockages and, in fact, allows blockages to gradually worsen for most patients. Such diets are no longer justified for heart patients. Some doctors resist using more effective diets because of the mistaken idea that patients are unwilling to make more substantial changes. Recent studies have addressed this issue, as is discussed below. Animal protein may have an effect on cholesterol levels that is independent of fat. When researchers substitute plant protein for animal protein, while holding dietary fat and cholesterol constant, serum cholesterol levels fall. Soya protein, in particular, lowers cholesterol levels, independent of the effect of fat or cholesterol.[4]
A vegan diet is free of all animal products and yields the lowest risk of heart disease. One study showed that people who adopt a vegetarian diet reduce their saturated fat intake by 26 percent and achieve a significant drop in cholesterol levels in just six weeks.[5] Besides the very low levels of fat eaten in a typical vegetarian diet, vegetable protein also helps decrease risk for heart disease. Studies have shown that replacing animal protein with soy protein reduces blood cholesterol levels even when the total amount of fat and saturated fat in the diet remain the same.[6] Soluble fiber helps to slow the absorption of some food components such as cholesterol. It also acts to reduce the amount of cholesterol the liver makes. Oats, barley, beans,[7] and some fruits and vegetables are all good sources of soluble fiber. There is no fiber in any animal product. People can reduce their cholesterol levels dramatically by changing the foods they eat. Every time you reduce your cholesterol level by 1 percent, you reduce your risk of heart disease by 2 percent.[9] For example, a reduction from 300 mg/dl to 200 mg/dl (i.e., a one-third reduction) will yield a two-thirds reduction in the risk of a heart attack. For some people, the benefits are even greater.
Low-fat vegetarian diets are a vast improvement. The low-fat, vegetarian diet devised by Dean Ornish, M.D. provided the first hard evidence that heart disease could be reversed — that atherosclerotic plaques could regress — with diet and lifestyle changes alone. (10) Similar results were found by Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D. (11)
A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology, comparing the effects of dietary interventions on LDL cholesterol levels, a low-fat vegetarian diet reduces LDL by 16 percent, but a high-nutrient, vegetable-based diet including daily nuts and seeds reduces LDL cholesterol by 33 percent. (12, 13) This result suggests that if we improve the low-fat, vegetarian diet by making it more nutrient-dense, and include more greens, beans, seeds and nuts we may reverse heart disease even faster, and reduce heart disease risk even more.
A high-nutrient, vegetable-based diet with beans as the preferred carbohydrate source decreased triglycerides, lower blood glucose and accelerate fat loss. (12, 14)
Some studies suggest that cholesterol-lowering drugs carry serious side effects, and there is no evidence that statin use reduces risk of death in individuals with elevated cholesterol when used as primary prevention. [15-17] Most patients who undergo stent and bypass procedures have not removed the cause of their disease, and so they continue to experience progressive disability and most often die a premature death as a result of their heart disease. [18] Nevertheless, drugs and surgical procedures are still the standard care for treatment of elevated cholesterol and coronary artery disease.
Seeds and nuts are indispensable for cardiovascular health. The protective properties of nuts against coronary heart disease were first recognized in the early 1990s, and a strong body of literature has followed, confirming these original findings. (19) In spite of this wealth of data and all of the press on healthy fats, a “low-fat” diet is still viewed in a positive light. Certainly adding fats in the form of oils is fattening and unhealthy, but naturally fat-rich foods like nuts and seeds have profound cardiovascular benefits. Moderate use of nuts also encourages weight loss, not weight gain. (20) By avoiding nuts and seeds you may be missing out on these benefits. A recent meta-analysis of 25 clinical studies that compared a nut-eating group to a control group solidified the LDL-lowering effects of nuts. (21) According to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, nut consumption reduces coronary heart disease risk far more than can be explained by cholesterol lowering alone — 35 percent reduction in risk for five or more servings of nuts per week. (22). These additional effects are only beginning to be discovered — recent data has shed light on the protective properties of almonds and walnuts on vascular health. (23, 24) The Physicians Health Study demonstrated that eating nuts and seeds regularly protects against sudden cardiac death caused by arrhythmia
References:
1. Castelli WP. Epidemiology of coronary heart disease. Am J Med 1984;76:4-12.
2. Ornish D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW, et al. Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? Lancet 1990;336:129-33.
3. Hunninghake DB, Stein EA, Dujovne CA. The efficacy of intensive dietary therapy alone or combined with lovastatin in outpatients with hypercholesterolemia. N Engl J Med 1993;328:1213-9.
4. Anderson JW, Johnstone BM, Cook-Newell ME. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein intake on serum lipids. N Engl J Med 1995;333:276-82.
5. Masarei JR, Rouse IL, Lynch WJ, Robertson K, Vandongen R, Beilin LJ. Vegetarian diet, lipids and cardiovascular risk. Aust NZ J Med. 1984;14:400-404.
6. Carroll KK, Giovannetti PM, Huff MW, Moase O, Roberts DC, Wolfe BM. Hypocholesterolemic effect of substituting soybean protein for animal protein in the diet of healthy young women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1978;31:1312-1321.
7. Swain JF, Rouse IL, Curley CB, Sacks FM. Comparison of the effects of oat bran and low-fiber wheat on serum lipoprotein levels and blood pressure. N Engl J Med. 1
8. Pennington JAT. Bowes and Church’s Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. New York: Harper and Row, 1989.
9. Lipid Research Clinics Program. The Lipid Research Clinic’s Coronary Primary Prevention Trial Results, II. JAMA. 1984:251(3):365-374.
10. Ornish, D., et al., Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? The Lifestyle Heart Trial. Lancet, 1990. 336(8708): p. 129-33.
11. Esselstyn, C.B., Jr., et al., A strategy to arrest and reverse coronary artery disease: a 5-year longitudinal study of a single physician’s practice. J Fam Pract, 1995. 41(6): p. 560-8.
12. Barnard, N.D., et al., Effectiveness of a low-fat vegetarian diet in altering serum lipids in healthy premenopausal women. Am J Cardiol, 2000. 85(8): p. 969-72.
13. Jenkins, D.J., et al., Effect of a very-high-fiber vegetable, fruit, and nut diet on serum lipids and colonic function. Metabolism, 2001. 50(4): p. 494-503.
14. Sarter, B., T.C. Campbell, and J. Fuhrman, Effect of a high nutrient density diet on long-term weight loss: a retrospective chart review. Altern Ther Health Med, 2008. 14(3): p. 48-53.
15. Ray, K.K., et al., Statins and all-cause mortality in high-risk primary prevention: a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials involving 65,229 participants. Arch Intern Med, 2010. 170(12): p. 1024-31.
16. Hippisley-Cox, J. and C. Coupland, Unintended effects of statins in men and women in England and Wales: population based cohort study using the QResearch database. Bmj, 2010. 340: p. c2197.
17. Sattar, N., et al., Statins and risk of incident diabetes: a collaborative meta-analysis of randomised statin trials. Lancet, 2010. 375(9716): p. 735-42.
18. Esselstyn, C.B., Jr., Resolving the Coronary Artery Disease Epidemic Through Plant-Based Nutrition. Prev Cardiol, 2001. 4(4): p. 171-177.
19. Fraser, G.E., et al., A possible protective effect of nut consumption on risk of coronary heart disease. The Adventist Health Study. Arch Intern Med, 1992. 152(7): p. 1416-24.
20. Mattes, R.D., P.M. Kris-Etherton, and G.D. Foster, Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults. J Nutr, 2008. 138(9): p. 1741S-1745S.
21. Sabate, J., K. Oda, and E. Ros, Nut consumption and blood lipid levels: a pooled analysis of 25 intervention trials. Arch Intern Med, 2010. 170(9): p. 821-7.
22. Kris-Etherton, P.M., et al., The role of tree nuts and peanuts in the prevention of coronary heart disease: multiple potential mechanisms. J Nutr, 2008. 138(9): p. 1746S-1751S.
23. Jenkins, D.J., et al., Dose response of almonds on coronary heart disease risk factors: blood lipids, oxidized low-density lipoproteins, lipoprotein(a), homocysteine, and pulmonary nitric oxide: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Circulation, 2002. 106(11): p. 1327-32.
24. Ma, Y., et al., Effects of walnut consumption on endothelial function in type 2 diabetic subjects: a randomized controlled crossover trial. Diabetes Care, 2010. 33(2): p. 227-32.
The American Heart Association estimates that 102.2 million (almost 50%) of adults in the United States have total cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dL, placing them at risk for cardiovascular disease – elevated cholesterol is one of the most important risk factors for heart disease. (1) High cholesterol and heart disease deaths are more closely associated with saturated fat intake than any other part of the American diet. (2) If you have heart disease or significantly high cholesterol, avoid animal products altogether. Animal protein consumption directly increases heart disease risk. (3)
(1) American Heart Association. Cholesterol Statistics. 2011.
(2) Mozaffarian D, Micha R, Wallace S. Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS Med. 2010 Mar 23;7(3):e1000252
(3) Menotti A, Kromhout D, Blackburn H, Fidanza F, Buzina R, Nissinen A. Food intake patterns and 25-year mortality from coronary heart disease: cross-cultural correlations in the Seven Countries Study. The Seven Countries Study Research Group. Eur J Epidemiol.
Studies document a definitive relationship between diets higher in saturated fat and elevations of LDL cholesterol. 4-8
(4). Hodson L, Skeaff CM, Chisholm WA: The effect of replacing dietary saturated fat with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat on plasma lipids in free-living young adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 2001;55:908-915.
(5). Abbey M, Noakes M, Belling GB, et al: Partial replacement of saturated fatty acids with almonds or walnuts lowers total plasma cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. Am J Clin Nutr 1994;59:995-999.
(6). Barr SL, Ramakrishnan R, Johnson C, et al: Reducing total dietary fat without reducing saturated fatty acids does not significantly lower total plasma cholesterol concentrations in normal males. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55:675-681.
(7). Ginsberg HN, Kris-Etherton P, Dennis B, et al: Effects of reducing dietary saturated fatty acids on plasma lipids and lipoproteins in healthy subjects: the DELTA Study, protocol 1. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 1998;18:441-449.
(8). Siri-Tarino PW, Sun Q, Hu FB, et al: Saturated fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease: modulation by replacement nutrients. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2010;12:384-390.
Also a saturated fat-rich diet may promote insulin resistance. 9
(9)Riccardi G, Giacco R, Rivellese AA: Dietary fat, insulin sensitivity and the metabolic syndrome. Clin Nutr 2004;23:447-456.
I have been drinking raw milk for over 6 years and have no digestion issues at all. It also has helped my whole family get over sicknesses like colds. We will never go back. Every time I pick up raw milk from our local farmers I look at like gold, because I know of it’s numerous health benefits and it’s TASTE! It is so good! I remember when I drank pasteurized milk how gassy I would get.
I used to be a soy milk and tofu junkie in the early 2000s! It never occurred to me to associate this with the extreme gassiness I was experiencing.It was when I decided to study holistic nutrition that I was introduced to the Weston A Price Foundation and raw milk. Talk about an AHA moment! I’ve been drinking raw milk since 2005 (usually cultured) and like many of you, have not turned back. Oh, and you can be sure that soy based anything is a thing of the past for me.
I’m new to the food/nutrition research on GMO and soy, but I have always researched food and diet trends. I could read and write about food all day! I’m curious to find out why cow’s milk is recommended at all? We are the only species who drinks another animal’s milk after infancy. Don’t get me wrong, I love a big glass of milk, so am going to try raw – especially for my kids – but I wondered what the views are on drinking milk at all.
One more quick note – even if humans were the only species to drink milk after infancy, I’m not convinced that would be a valid argument as humans are the only species who do a lot of things, such as cook.
In the early 2000s, Harvard researcher Ganmaa Davaasambuu (an expert on milk-related illnesses, in a 2006 talk at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, she say “it may not be nature’s perfect food.” Now an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition) began investigating why the rate of prostate cancer in Japan, while much lower than that of the United States, had increased 25-fold over the past 50 years. She and a colleague, the Japanese doctor Akio Sato, examined 36 years of dietary data in Japan and found that the incidence of, and mortality from, prostate cancer correlated most closely with the consumption of milk. Dairy products weren’t widely available in Japan until after WWII, when it imported American cows and dairy techniques, and a new law, enacted in 1954, mandated that schoolchildren drink 200 milliliters of milk at every school lunch.
In a follow-up study, Davaasambu found that milk consumption strongly correlated with the rates of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers in 40 countries. Part of the problem, she believed, was that milk contains high levels of sex hormones such as estrogen. It’s well known that estrogens can induce prostate cancer in rats, and some epidemiological studies (but not others) have associated higher blood levels of estrogens in humans with prostate cancer risk. Estrogen imbalances have also been linked to breast cancer, and milk may be a delivery vehicle for the hormone. A 2004 study published in the International Journal of Cancer found that rats fed a diet of milk developed more and larger mammary tumors than those fed a diet of artificial (non-dairy) milk.
Estrogen itself, located within dairy-products [1-2] and meat [3-4]. A Japanese study conducted in 2010 looked directly at hormone levels in men before and after drinking a pint of milk [5]. Milk consumption increased estrogen in men by about 29%, followed by a 18% decrease in testosterone, a 25% decrease in LH and a 7% decrease in FSH.
Dioxins are industrial chemicals and environmental pollutants that are considered endocrine-disruptors or “gender-benders”. Dioxins are known for their estrogenic-effects and are antagonistic towards androgens. These xenoestrogens are fat-soluble and are highly attracted to fatty-tissues. For this reason, the main source of dioxins exposure in humans is consumption of animal-fat [6]. Fish seems to be the greatest contributor to dioxin exposure than any other food source, followed by, milk, beef, cheese, eggs, pork and poultry.
Refs:
[1] J Dairy Sci. 2010 Jun;93(6):2533-40. Estrone and 17beta-estradiol concentrations in pasteurized-homogenized milk and commercial dairy products. Pape-Zambito DA, Roberts RF, Kensinger RS.
[2] J Dairy Sci. 2012 Apr;95(4):1699-708. Comparison of estrone and 17β-estradiol levels in commercial goat and cow milk. Farlow DW, Xu X, Veenstra TD.
[3] Med Hypotheses. 2005;65(6):1028-37. The possible role of female sex hormones in milk from pregnant cows in the development of breast, ovarian and corpus uteri cancers. Ganmaa D, Sato A.
[4] Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2010;(195):355-67. Hormonal growth promoting agents in food producing animals. Stephany RW.
[5] Pediatr Int. 2010 Feb;52(1):33-8. Exposure to exogenous estrogen through intake of commercial milk produced from pregnant cows. Maruyama K, Oshima T, Ohyama K.
[6] http://www.epa.gov/pbt/pubs/dioxins.htm
Unfortunately in all that studies they used industrial milk…
I raised this very question on our Facebook page a while back. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150326770660172
I think you’ll find the responses of interest.
Amy Love wrote, “Just because we are the only animals that do it, does not mean it isn’t a healthful food. As far as I know, we’re the only animals to grow, harvest and cook vegetables and serve them with fat, but they are much more healthful like that. I don’t know of other animals that ferment or culture foods, but that gives us superior nutrition. So, yeah, I don’t buy that argument … at all.”
Theresa Armit wrote, “It always frustrated me when I read that humans are the only species that consumes milk into adulthood, or humans are the only species that drink the milk of other species. This is simply not true. If it were true, would cheese be a good bait for mouse traps?”
Jennifer McGruther of Nourished Kitchen wrote, “I tell people that just because a food is intended for something else doesn’t mean it’s not suitable as food. Pumpkin seeds are meant for growing pumpkins, does that mean we shouldn’t eat them? Eggs are for hatching chicks, does that mean they’re not suitable for eating? Honey is for feeding bees during cold winters, does that mean it’s not food? Every food we consume has another intended purpose.”
Baking Diva, full grown cats love milk. I think this is an urban myth that we are the only species that drinks milk after infancy!
On soy, I drank soy for a year or so, when I was dieting. I had unbelievable gas and had no reason why. Now I know the truth, soy protein isolate is the toxic waste product of the soy oil industry. It is not food, and is totally indigestible.
Just read about the soy prison diet and how it is hurting inmates:
http://hartkeisonline.com/food-politics/former-prison-inmate-suffers-high-soy-diet-damage/
So true, Kimberly! Full grown cats do love milk! Thank you for the article about soy in the prison system!
Ten years ago, I used to consume soy as tofu and (non-traditional) soy sauce. Thought it to be health food. HA!
Here’s what all that “health food” did to me–
1. was implicated in the stillbirth of our first son.
2. gave me estrogen dominance, which I manage as best as I can but I still have.
3 finally, created a full blown allergy. I now cannot consume even the oil.
4. has adversely affected my thyroid.
Soy is THE Poison Bean. Grassfed animal meat is much better for the environment than CAFO meat (most of the stats about the horrors of animals on the environment apply only to CAFO meat– grassfed animals are never fed corn, for example. They generally utilize range that is unsuitable for crops anyhow. If not for grassfed animals, the land would not be used at all. Plus grass range is home to wildlife as well as cattle. A ranch 15 miles east of me is not only a working cattle ranch but a birding “hot spot” with a staff ornithologist.
Everything you said makes sense, but I wonder how the only “blue zone”/centenarian population that exists in the US and Canada is the vegetarian (soy consuming) Seventh Day Adventists community in Loma Linda, CA? If soy is that poisonous, and eating a diet with animal fats in it is so important, then how could these people live a LONG healthy life as vegetarians?
Thanks for a very informative and well researched article! I have been searching for some substancial evidence to prove how bad soy is and how it effects our oestrogen levels. I have linked to your blog from mine! Thanks heaps!
[…] Some awesome information about Soy: https://nourishingourchildren.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/why-eliminate-soy-and-pasteurized-milk/ […]
I am a big fan of raw milk. I drink it and sing its praises. I personally have a cow and goats to fulfill my love of raw milk.
You said, “Inspection of dairy herds for disease is not required for pasteurized milk.” And this is simply not true. I don’t know why people like to say this but I think it really hurts the “raw milk” arguments to spread these kinds of mis-truths about conventional dairy.
My son struggled with chronic inner ear fluid (with very few “true” infections)….he never complained, but we found out when he failed a preschool hearing test and had been noticing late speech development (which was originally attributed to the fact that he’s a boy and has a big brother).
When we were being asked to schedule his 3rd round of tubes, I put the brakes on and asked the doctor to help us to find the cure – they looked at me like I have two heads.
After much searching and investigation, we found out that milk was one of the culprits. We eliminated milk and milk products and what a difference – I noticed the other day that his face and hands don’t look as puffy as they did.
I’m amazed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both educative and amusing, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The issue is something which too few folks are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy I stumbled across this during my search for something concerning this.
I, too, thinking I was doing the “healthy” thing years ago went all-out Soy. I had been told since I was a teen that I am one of the “lactose intolerant” but I love dairy, so I was looking for alternatives. I never really noticed at the time, but these days I can look back and say yes, soy really messed with me physically, if not mentally and emotionally, and it definitely didn’t seem to be improving the “intolerance” I suffered in the “plumbing”. A few years ago I finally purchased a small plot of acreage with the sole intention of keeping and growing my own foods and working toward being as self sustaining as possible… I’ve been quite fed up with the BS of supermarket “foods” for quite some time, and have always seemed to have a natural mistrust of what’s lurking behind the wrapper. A few insights into feedlots and a few too many “food poisonings” also resulted in a deep desire to really KNOW my food, or know the local farmer. I also tried unpasteurized cow’s milk, difficult to find, and worth it’s weight in gold, and found to have NO intolerance issues. It may sound a little funky, but when I drink it, I can almost literally *feel* my body sucking up the nutrients as it goes down.
Along with my sheep, chickens and rabbits, I keep dairy goats and have no problems drinking their milk or eating the glorious cheeses, etc that I make with it, either. Non homogenized, non pasteurized milk is wonderful stuff!
Soy is everywhere and in everything. I am continuously disgusted that I can not seem to find a “health food” label that doesn’t include soy in one form or another. I recently read an article on soy detected in eggs from hens that were fed feeds with soy products and was shocked (and then enraged) to find soy an ingredient of the chicken feeds I give to my hens. Scratch and Peck feeds is the ONLY one I have found that is anti GMO and anti soy.
It’s a shame that such diligence has to be exerted in order to ward soy from the diet… but then I guess nothing of much benefit has ever been achieved with being lazy. I’m pretty sure my feeling so much better since is not just “in my head”.
[…] Why Eliminate Soy and Pasteurized Milk? […]
[…] I was talking with a woman the other day who also mentioned that I should look into pasturazation and how that particular process is also harmful and can cause intollerances. I found this if you are interested: “What isn’t as widely published is the fact that pasteurization destroys enzymes. Enzymes are specialized proteins that assist in the breaking down and digestion of foods into useful elements that can be utilized, absorbed, or stored by the body. Without those vital enzymes, one cannot properly utilize the nutrients found in milk and many people develop an allergic reaction when the body rejects this altered substance.” from Here. […]
Spot on with this write-up, I truly think this web site needs much more attention. I’ll probably be back again to read more, thanks for the advice!
How about using pasterized milk for kefir and yogurt making? Is that acceptable?
What about just warming up raw milk? Sometimes I overheat it and sometimes I just want it hot to make cacao
I am personally not a proponent of pasteurized milk under any circumstances. Even if you heat it, even if you culture it. Most of that milk, if not all, even organic, comes from Holstein cows in confinement feed grains such as corn and soy, which is an unnatural diet for them. It is not just about the milk being pasteurized, it is also about the diet, life and type of the cow.
I only recommend raw milk. Even if you heat it high enough such that the enzymes will be killed, at least you know that the raw milk came from sture-raised cows, and was otherwise unprocessed.
What diet do you recommend for my 3 1/2 year old son who has a severe dairy allergy. He has been consuming soy milk since 1 year old. We buy unsweetened organic soy milk. Now I’m worried and stressed that I may be harming his little body by this choice. How do I make sure he gets all the fat and nutrients he needs without him being able to consume any dairy-raw or otherwise. We use a lot of coconut oil, avocados and eggs. I get overwhelmed and would love guidance or info other than what is unhealthy or bad. What do I do instead?
Homemade chicken stock and beef stock are packed solid with nutrients found in milk, such as calcium, magnesium and many more. Also cod liver oil is one of the most important foods one should consume, especially children.
i just found that silk , ususally soy based milk has started making coconut milk and we love it. It’s thick and creamy and just a hint of coconut flavor…maybe could be an alternative….also…many who have milk allergies do extremely well on goats milk…worth a try, he is still young so there is time to reverse any potential damage..
You wrote “According to a Swiss report (see references)” yet I am unable to find any references. Can you please provide references to human research studies in regards to soy?
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert – you will find lists and lists of studies here!
http://www.westonaprice.org/soy-alert/soy-formula-birth-control-pills-for-babies
[…] Why Eliminate Soy and Pasteurized Milk? | Nourishing Our … – Mar 11, 2012 · I received this inquiry today and decided to answer in a post so the answers are archived. The question is about our recommendation to eliminate both …… […]
[…] Why Eliminate Soy and Pasteurized Milk ? | Nourishing … – Mar 11, 2012 · In the early 80′s, when we were starting our family, I was studying all the ‘studies’ about nutrition, and gave our kids soy milk and cheese instead …… […]
[…] I do want to add that the Juice Plus+ Complete Shakes‘s first ingredient is soy, which we don’t recommend. Lastly, I haven’t investigated their processing methods which may be another concern […]