The paradoxical reasons why sprouted soy contains more antinutrients than unsprouted versions and should be avoided in the diet to preserve gastrointestinal and hormonal health.
Great news abounds with regard to the public’s perception of soy.
There’s no doubt that more people than ever are getting the message that soy is not the “health food” that it is portrayed to be by conventional dietary authorities.
Soybeans in the diet pose a danger to health even in menopausal women.
This includes the innocuous green bean known as edamame.
The bad news is that a little information can sometimes be dangerous!
Sprouted Soy Myths
In this case, it appears that many who recognize that soy is an unhealthy food are under the mistaken impression that sprouted soy is fine to consume.
Or, just as bad, some believe that organic soy or soy that is certified GMO-free poses no problem to health.
Perhaps the healthy traditional practice of sprouting grains, legumes, and other seeds resulted in confusion about soy because it is a legume.
Or maybe it’s the GMO issue that is triggering confusion. Some seem to assume that the reason soy is bad is because nearly all of it is genetically modified.
Sprouting Soybeans Does Not Make Them Safe
Even food manufacturers are on the bandwagon of misinformation about this issue.
Some supposedly wholesome sprouted bread and pasta brands (like Ezekiel) include sprouted soy and actually market this as “healthy” on the label!
Some vegetarian and vegan websites are promoting recipes for sprouted soy milk as nutritious alternatives to (undigestible) regular soya milk and dairy.
Let’s set the record straight on this important issue.
Any form of soy with the exception of fermented nonGMO soy in small condimental amounts should be avoided in the diet.
Soy was an unhealthy food to consume long before the issue of GMO soy came into play.
The fact that most of the soy on the market these days is GMO just makes what was already an unhealthy food even worse!
With regard to sprouted soy, be on guard to avoid being fooled! It’s actually more harmful than unsprouted soy!
Traditional Uses of Soy Sprouts
Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story reveals why soy sprouts must be avoided in the diet:
Soy sprouts, by the way, are not healthy. Short-term germination increases the strength of soy‘s antinutrient fractions.[emphasis mine] In contrast, long-term sprouting plus fermentation will decrease and nearly eliminate them. (1)
She goes on to describe the historical usage of sprouted soy, which did not include regular consumption!
Soy sprouts are mentioned in historical accounts as useful, sometime pharmaceuticals, not as a daily food. (2)
Antinutrients Block Minerals
The Weston A. Price Foundation concurs, warning that high levels of phytic acid even in sprouted soy reduce the 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. (3)
Phytic acid also blocks mineral absorption, causes digestive distress, and can contribute to tooth decay. The late Rami Nagel details this important information in his bestselling book Cure Tooth Decay.
In short, soy that is organic, nonGMO, and sprouted is not safe to eat. This is the case despite some food philosophies that embrace it as such.
The Only Safe Way to Consume Soy
NonGMO, fermented soy in small, condimental amounts as practiced in traditional Asian cultures is the only safe way to consume this legume. Those who have thyroid conditions should still avoid it, however, due to the goitrogens.
One of the most popular examples of cultured soybeans is miso. Sushi restaurants in Western countries seem to always feature miso soup on the menu (though it is usually GMO).
Tempeh, natto, and traditionally brewed soy sauce also fall under the healthy soy category. The nutritional benefits of natto, in particular, are unequaled by any other soy food.
Everything else soy? Just pass!
(1-2) The Whole Soy Story
(3) Soy Alert!
Great discussion here! I enjoyed Link’s comment showing that Asians do consume more than just small amounts of soy. So many people say they only use tiny amounts of fermented condiments. But my observation in a Japanese restaurant shows the customers will eat large chunks of tofu. These guys are slim, heathy-looking, clear-skinned and smart! I’m putting my money on the non-GMO sprouted tofu. Thank you for this discussion!
Good discussions here which has helped me come to a conclusion! I enjoyed reading Link’s comments as so many people say that Asians don’t eat tofu or only eat fermented. This is not what I’ve observed in a Japanese restaurant where the Japanese customers eat large pieces of tofu! These guys are slim, sharp-minded and fine-looking. I’m sticking with eating the non-GMO sprouted tofu. Thank you for this discussion!
The meat industry is very much behind a mountain of this anti soy stuff, indeed. Do some googling. They work hard at disinformation and fear mongering.
Interesting – I would like to see a study of those people with diets high in whole grains, etc., and with lower rates of cancer to see what their energy levels (and rates of other diseases, tooth decay, longevity, etc.) are like compared to those who eat similar diets but grains and legumes only if GERMINATED/SPROUTED… (Pls excuse all caps – I wanted italics but that isn’t an option on interface).
Hi there – has anyone reading this also read this study at the NIH? ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24803698
Any thoughts?
thanks!
I would like to say, you people are just as rude as can be! this article only presents relevant facts, which should be taken into account with other facts. That’s all the lady claimed she was offering! As someone who has been researching beans, and the different phytic acid levels, given modern agriculture, I am perfectly aware of both sides of the issue. Cavities have been healed reducing phytic acid, look it up! This article is not without merit, it is very informative, and you all need to do some more well-rounded research before ripping anyone a new one on their own board. I’m sure Chinese people DO live a long time! As someone in the comments mentioned, every food could have a good or a bad case for it built. this is because every food has the properties of the whole food, the whole vegetable, the whole root, the whole bean; and we eat that food.
Cut it out you losers!
Luke, people here are not rude at all. You said this article only presents relevant facts. So people here are presenting relevant facts too, and these facts are based on their first hand experience, so it’s very valuable and important. Actually information in this article is very misleading and scars people away from a healthy food. The “relevant facts” you mentioned in this article are not all facts. The author of this article said: “Soy was an unhealthy food to consume long before the issue of GMO soy came into play. ” This statement is really ridiculous. D
I find it interesting that cultures that traditionally consume tofu, edamame and other soy products are not afflicted by the types and levels of disease that we in the western world are. I believe diet is a big picture issue. What makes us healthy is not simply one thing that we eat or avoid. It’s a matter of the entire diet. And a matter of the habits that we employ in consuming the diet. For instance in Vietnam, Korea, and Japan, you won’t find tofu traditionally made using anything plastic. In the west, you won’t find tofu stored and sold in anything that doesn’t contact the food with plastic. And the more eastern culture westernizes their infrastucture and their lifestyle, the more metabolic disease proliferates the populace. We produce and distribute food in America in a very toxic manner, and rather than looking at the means and the method for answers, we look for scapegoats to blame it on, soy being one. Open your eyes and look around at the cultures that are not chronically ill. There was a time in America when only 3% of the nation was chronically ill. Now something more like 70 or 80% of us are chronically ill. What changed? We’re so much more informed now, yet we’re sicker now than we’ve ever been. What gives?
Could all this anti soy just be negativity towards soy by the meat and dairy industry? 🙂 Come on, it is greedy corporate America, I’m thinking.
After reading your article and all the following comments, I was about to let go of the idea of sprouting mung beans … BUT
I decided to not fall in the panic and do some research to have a better portrait to be able to make my decision about sprouting beans.
So here’s what I found:
One comment (Adam in Dec. 2013), mentioned that sprouting activate the PHYTASE, which is the enzyme that neutralize the phytic acid. I started searching the subject. It is verified by scientific that soaking for 12 hrs + germination for 48 hrs reduce 60-73% of phytic acid.)
It is even more reduced if an acid is added to the soaking water (because this will boost phytase production in the bean). Here’s an article related to this info: idosi.org/aejaes/jaes10%281%29/20.pdf (I now add some apple cider vinegar to the soaking water.
This research was only for 48 hrs of sprouting, so it very possible that acid phytic reduction is even higher with longer germination (I have read somewhere else that you can sprout, until the first leaves appear).
Another interesting article, explain the PHYTASE action and development: healyourselfathome.com/HOW/NEWSTARTS/1_NUTRITION/ANTINUTRIENTS/PHYTATE/PHYTATE_phytase.aspx
Nature is well made, for any problem, the solution co-exists in itself.
Also, like another comment (from Greg, February 7th), phytic acid is much higher in other things, like almond and many nuts, oats (there is interesting info about oats in the above linked article).
I am no scientist, but what I understand when looking at larger portrait and both at research and testimonials of long time eaters of organic sprouted beans: This is not bad food and I will be sprouting some organic mung beans!
To conclude: I find it sad that sensationalism is often more present than full facts on heath/nutrition blogs. I wish people will do their homework and be more humble … But then, we have to possibility to do our search to find fuller information on any topic!
Be well!
Mung beans are not soy! Also, your comment could do without the judgment. Inappropriate! Write your own blog if you have something to say, but don’t denigrate what others have written on their own blogs in good faith. If you have come to a different conclusion, great. Leave it at that and move on.
Please accept my apologies,
I should have kept the last remark to myself.
The phytate is actually helpful and soy is actually anti cancer. See latest research presented by Dr Micheal Greger at NutricianFacts.org. I also wonder if Big Dairy is behind this site, since it seems a restatement of old theories since proven false.
Phytate is only helpful on a short term basis for removing toxins (it removes minerals too)! Not as part of the diet all the time!
Who do you think you are telling the world to be afraid of phytates? Phytates have good qualities, too. Those same molecules that you say bind with minerals also bind with heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, preventing them from building up in the body. Phytates may also protect against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. There is a nutritional supplement on the market called IP6 just for this purpose. You should at least encourage people to learn the whole story; it’s possible that even an apple has bad qualities.
Yes indeed. Phytates can be helpful in small infrequent quantities, but consumed in the large quantities that most people consume them (processed foods) is definitely a health hazard!
Do you have any data to back that up? According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, phytic acid is a potent anti-cancer agent, responsible in part for the lower rates of breast and colon cancer seen in people who eat plenty of whole grains and legumes (including soy).
preventcancer.aicr.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7499&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=res_
It seems that getting phytates in your diet regularly is a pretty good thing.
Hi, I have been consuming Soy (sprouted) with mung and chana for 20 years, I am 42 and my skin and energy level is far better than others, my age.