This “Healthy” Alternative to Milk Might Be Killing You

As science progresses and we learn more and more about our bodies, different nutritionists give us differing pieces of advice. However, one of the latest dietary fads might even be atrocious for us.

In a fight for the health of their families, a lot of people completely opted out using cow milk and started drinking soy milk. On the first glance, it is a perfect alternative for those who have reasons to avoid cow milk. If you are lactose intolerant, there is no problem as it has no lactose. If you are a vegan or a vegetarian, there is no problem as it is made from a plant. And if you are simply trying to lose weight, it even has fewer calories than any whole milk. However, newer research shows that it might not be all that it is cracked up to be.

If you simply take a look at the list of ingredients that can be found in your favorite milk substitute, you will mostly see all the usual suspects: soybeans, water, sugar, salt, flavor, vitamin B…  But on the ingredient list will pop out something that most people are simply not familiar with. Well, to be fair, it is commonly used in food production to thicken the product, and it is extracted from seaweeds. However, multiple studies have linked it to various forms of cancer.  While we still do not have definitive proof of it being a cause, we also don’t have a definitive proof of it being 100% safe.

 It contains a lot of phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are compounds found in plants. They can confuse your body and cause a hormonal imbalance. Some recent studies are still bringing in very different results in this regard. However, it is probably better to keep on the safe side of the matter at hand. Beware if you have current or past breast cancer as some studies have shown that consuming soy products can increase tumor growth.

 Soy is rich in phytic acid

Soybeans and, by extension, products made out of soy, contain relatively high levels of phytic acid. It can decrease your body’s capability to absorb calcium, copper, zinc, iron and magnesium. All of those are incredibly important for maintaining functionality of your body. Let us take calcium as an example. If you don’t provide enough of it for your body, you might develop serious diseases such as osteoporosis, hypocalcemia, osteopenia and others.

 GMO

While being genetically modified is not a bad thing by itself, the reason they did it to soy does make us wonder, and you should probably consider this too. The reason they do it is to make it ready for the powerful herbicide named “Roundup.”

This herbicide contains glyphosate. Glyphosate has been linked to serious health issues, one of which being B-cell lymphoma. While it was almost definitely concluded that glyphosate can cause cancer, it was deemed safe in the amounts that can be taken in by eating soy.

 Aluminum

Yes, soy is actually quite rich in aluminum. This is not good for our bodies. In fact, it is quite toxic. Soy milk will never push your aluminum levels above the tolerable amount. However, you will usually not know how much aluminum you consume with the rest of your diet. Since aluminum is linked to Alzheimer’s disease, you really do not want to accidentally cross that line simply because you failed to pay attention.

 Synthetic Vitamin D2

Companies that sell soy milk will commonly add in the synthetic version of Vitamin D to their products. This vitamin, however, doesn’t really help your body a lot as it is not the form your body is used to handle. First of all, good old Mother Nature has the sense to put Vitamin D into food sources that are rich in fats which we need to digest and absorb properly. And secondly, it is probably safer for you to get your Vitamin D from sunlight or by eating eggs.

 Goitrogens

Goitrogens are powerful chemicals that are capable of altering the rate at which your body produces thyroid hormones. This can even be linked to thyroid cancer. Therefore, using soy formula to feed infants has been linked with thyroid disease.

In the end, the soy milk you buy doesn’t usually have enough of these ingredients to cause harm if consumed in moderation. On the other hand, how much are you willing to risk on properly balancing the amount of a product that is potentially dangerous?