Soy Milk and Thyroid

[bbduke]

What makes Soy Milk/products so bad for thyroid?   I have heard different information regarding this- I would appreciate any information anyone could give.  
Thanks!

[bbduke]

Thanks so much for the great information.   I have multinodular goiter and I always preferred soy milk over reg. milk because of hormones, anti-biotics etc.     Looks like I should try almond milk.   Thanks for responding.  

[chel 81]

I have done a TON of research on soy and have learned a lot about the negative effects of it.

Soy is among a group of vegetables & grains that are considered goitrogens- in other words they promote the formation of goiters- an enlarged thyroid gland. Studies have shown it to have an antithyroid effect where it can inhibit the production of t4 and t3 or cause autoimmune thyroid disease.

There have been lots of studies that show the good side to soy too but when you look closely you'll find most of those studies were done by the soy industry (no wonder they say only good things about it) or they are skewing the research and misleading the public.

One thing that these studies point out is the health of the Asian people who consume soy. They forget to tell us though that the recommendations for daily consumption of soy in the US is 10x's what the Chinese, Japanese, and other eastern Cultures consume.

Also, one thing to note is looking at the history of soy you'll find that originally it was not considered edible- it was used by the Chinese to prepare the soil for other crops. It was known to be toxic until they figured out a way to ferment it which got rid of the toxins. The fermented soy is the only soy they would eat and what you'll still find is eaten today in the Eastern world. Fermented soy products include Tempeh, Miso, Soy Sauce (not the kinds you'll find in most US supermarkets though), as well as a few other things. These are the soy products that are okay to eat- although they still should be done in moderation.

The problem though is that most of the soy products on US shelves are the nonformented variety- Tofu, Edamame, Soy flour, Soy Protein Isolate, Soy Milk, Soy Lecithin, Vegetable Oil (with soy). These nonformented products contain high levels of toxins which are the subject of controversy b/c of the studies showing they can cause cancer, diminish thyroid function, cause hormone imbalances, and on and on.

For me, I'd rather be safe than sorry. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in his early 20's, I've had thyroid disease since I was 19, and I know so many people who have had similar health problems at young ages just like us and I know part of it has something to do with the food we are given compared to what my parents had and my grandparents. It's always better to error on the side of caution.

Like LazyMoose said- almond milk is a much better way to go. I make it homemade and it's so good!

[LazyMoose]

Different effects on different people. I think what matters is if your thyroid is subject to inflammation from Hashimoto or Graves disease. With regular hypo oy hyper, there is no inflammation from antibodies.

I have read in numerous places that soy can temporarily add to the inflamation of the thyroid gland. This can result in hypo or hyper fluctuations. The more 'trashed' your thyroid is from antibodies may make this more evident for some people.  

I did read on some site all about the benefits of soy - four doctors said it was great stuff. I take that with a grain of salt. Doctors dont know everything, it they did MedHelp would not exist. Personal experience from real people with thyroid issues is where the truth is.

Soy milk? - I drink Almond milk, its just better all around, in taste and health.