Truth About Soy - Book Reviews

Because the author discovered she was highly allergic to soy, she did research on her own and come to the conclusion that all soy products are taboo for almost everyone. While I would not go to that extreme, the information Gregg presents is very useful for anyone who even suspects he or she is allergic to soy.

In addition to her story and the soy stories of others, the author delves into the soybean industry, its proposed health claims, where soy is hidden, and soy-free recipes. Her allergy tips and information are helpful, as is her campaign for healthy living, which I applaud. Gregg lists fast food companies that are adding harmful ingredients to our foods, such as trans fats.

I do not agree with everything that Dianne Gregg has written, however, Gregg makes some interesting points with many testimonials and research, so her book may be helpful to those of you who may suspect soy is a problem."

"Four years ago Dianne Gregg, the author of The Hidden Dangers of Soy, went into anaphylactic shock in an emergency room. Doctors stabilized her condition but could not find the reason it had happened, even after many examinations and tests. Their tentative diagnosis was food poisoning. The author felt that food poisoning was not the answer, but she could not figure out what had gone wrong either.

When she began to cut soy and soy products out of her diet, she started to feel better almost immediately. But then she began to realize what those of us with soy allergies have to deal with. Soy is EVERYWHERE... in foods, personal care products, packaging, manufacturing materials. Eliminating your exposure to soy products is much easier said than done.

The Hidden Dangers of Soy contains twelve chapters and is basically divided into three sections:

The first section details the author's story and the stories of other people with soy allergies, young, old, male, female. One of the stories is about a teenage girl who died after soy exposure.

The second section presents background on soybeans and describes how the soy industry has promoted soy as a health food without really having any evidence to support those claims. As the book points out, the modern form of soy actually contains toxins that can cause adverse reactions even in people who are not allergic... it is not at all the same product that Asian cultures have eaten (in moderation) for centuries.

The third section talks about how to avoid soy and presents a partial list of aliases for soy that you might find on an ingredient label. For example, "Most of what is labeled 'vegetable oil' in the U.S. is actually soy oil, as are most margarines." This section also includes twenty-eight of the author's soy-free recipes, ranging from main dishes to dessert.

The book also includes many pages of testimonials and anecdotal accounts from people whose lives and health have improved after removing soy from their diets.

The United States government has named soy as one of the eight most common allergens (along with milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and wheat). So many people have adverse reactions to soy, it probably wouldn't be in such widespread use if it were not so cheap and backed by such a powerful lobby. Trying to avoid soy in your life is a full-time job, but as the author puts it:

"The good thing is that it inspired me to write this book and do my research about soy so I can pass this information on to you. Now you will be informed and decide for yourself. Based on the information in the following chapters, do you really want to take a chance and harm your health...?""

"I am one of those people who is always behind any current trend. I like it that way. By the time I have accepted a trend, if in fact I do accept it, that particular trend has been found tried and true. Heck, I still have never tasted margarine. And that caution on my part has definitely shown my fears were well founded. And I'm still wary of Canola Oil, Stevia, aspartame, mammograms and countless other praised things.

I'm pretty cynical, which helps in a world built on hype where money and market forces care more about sales than the health of the marketplace. Add to this personality trait of mine the wise words of a very grumpy and way-too-honest old woman acquaintance of mine, "Never trust anything that you see advertised on television" and well, you have someone who avoids all the great Newest Medical Miracle.

Everyone should read Dianne Gregg's book, The Hidden Dangers of Soy, published by Outskirts Press. The nutritional world and alternative medicine folks like to think they are more aware of food issues. And in many ways they are. But they are as much victims of advertising as folks who don't regularly listen to alternative media. Soy is praised everywhere as a super health food. Gynecologists tout it, as well as pediatricians.

Before her discovery of soy's hidden dangers, Gregg had no concerns about soy. She neither praised nor disparaged it. But when she bought the hype about soy's benefits to peri-menopausal women and started taking soy she began to see how dangerous soy could be. She gained weight, developed panic attacks, went into anaphylactic shock and almost died. All because she wanted to be healthy.

If she had been only mildly allergic to soy - after all she had eaten everyday foods all her life and the small amounts of soy in them hadn't affected her - her decision to add soy burger, soy nuts, soy drinks, and all the other specialized soy products to her diet tilted her body towards a full-blown extreme allergy.

Her book is filled with well-researched articles, website resources, and much anecdotal evidence, to show the problems she and other well-meaning-but-duped people have encountered because they believed in the health benefits of soy. The stories abound. Thyroid problems, for instance, abound among soy eaters. Breast issues and cancers, in male and female children, baldness in men and women. Weight gain, etc. One never knows, of course, if these issues relate to all people who eat soy. How many people are allergic to it? Does it only affect all those who are allergic to it? Or is it a more equal-opportunity poison?

Many people in the AMA are aware of the dangers of soy. Gregg explains that the Chinese people traditionally were aware of it and over the centuries have devised tried and true ways of removing the toxins. But the Chinese soaked the soy nuts longer than the hasty western companies. In addition, the typical Chinese diet contains less than 9% soy. The typical American diet, on the other hand, contains about 23% soy.

And for those who believe that soy is a health food, the percentage is even higher. Gregg lists many governmental and medical sites and articles - including articles by the FDA - that challenge the safety and supposed health benefits of soy. Yet the large food companies have not desisted in praising this very troubling legume. And why should they? They make a lot of money from it.

When my son was young the doctor suggested soy. I was never into soy but I bought the stuff. It was only later that I discovered that certain children who were slow-speakers or non-verbal began to speak when soy products were removed from their diets. Even then I merely removed my son from soymilk, I didn't go wild, though. Soy products are ubiquitous in food products. From the trickily named "vegetable oil" to health products to the average baked foods and snacks soy is everywhere. I didn't remove it entirely from his diet. I will definitely do so now. It's a tough commitment to make but The Hidden Dangers of Soy has made me believe that such a commitment should be made.

The book is a well-researched and easy read and I'm definitely going to put my copy into the hands of my fast-food-eating son.

"I must say I found this book thought provoking. I know of many different people that have a variety of food allergies. I had not known that some people had allergies to soy products. For years I have read up on health and nutrition, and never once read that soy may cause issues for some people. If you do have food allergies or experience any food allergy related symptoms this book may be worth reading.

While Dianne Gregg may not be a medical authority she has real life experience, and was willing to investigate what caused her food allergy. Her issue was soy and soy products. I am certain she isn't the only one. I think some of the most interesting topics she raised were the fact that soy is touted as being completely healthy without always having quantitative values on the health benefits. Another topic she brings up is that large industrial farming does not always keep the consumer in mind. It is about large business.

I liked that she did a good job of talking about where soy can be found. It seems much like salt; it can linger just about anywhere. I had never realized that soy was in things like breads, MSG, seasoned salt, frozen dinners, margarine, ice cream, and other baked goods. She gives many great ideas about being aggressive about what you put into your body.

You or someone you know may have the same problems. Peanuts do not bother many people, but those who are, can experience extreme problems with them. I think this book brings up many great suggestions in dealing with this, and I liked the added touch of including many recipes that you can make and not be worried about any allergic effect.