Alternative Health Magazine, Issue 41, May 2001

Sexual Health by Michael Gerber, MD, HMD

Infant Soy formula:  A safe replacement for mother's milk?

Could soy isoflavones with their estrogen-like actions, affect your
child's hormonal health?

Most doctors today would agree that breastfed babies are the healthiest.
But if--for whatever reason--the mother opts not to breastfeed, what are
her choices?  Some infants demonstrate an intolerance or even an
allergic reaction to cow's milk.  Soy formulas seem to present an
obvious alternative.  But as the practice of feeding soy formula to
infants has become an accepted part of the culture, a number of
undesirable trends in our society that run parallel to the upsurge in
the use of soy may be more than a coincidence.

Giving infants soy formula might be a time bomb that could affect the
health of both baby boys and girls.  (Even for adults, eating soy
products other than in condiment form may turn out to be detrimental to
sexual and overall health.)  This article is based on a series of
excellent writings on the health consequences of eating soy, presented
by Sally Fallon ad Mary G. Enig, Ph.d., at the Third International Soy
Symposium in 2000.  These articles were published in the July and
August/September 2000 issues of the Townsend Letter for Doctors and
Patients.

Soy was known in China as far back as the Chou Dynasty (1134-246 B.C.)
but only the root was used--for improving the soil.  When the Chinese
discovered fermentation, they made tempeh, miso and soy sauce from the
bean.  They did not eat unfermented soy because of its natural toxins.
(For example, soy has potent enzyme inhibitors that can cause chronic
deficiencies in amino acid uptake and digestion, among other things. For
more details, see "Soy is Not a Health Food," page 51.)  Much of the
toxic substances are removed by high heat or the fermentation process,
but not all.  Soy processors have worked diligently to get the toxins
and anti-nutrients out of soy and have developed a product called soy
protein isolate, which is the key ingredient in soy foods that imitate
meat and dairy products, including baby formulas.

Soy also has known goitrogens, substances that depress thyroid
functioning.  This in turn can cause growth retardation and sexual
malfunctioning.  (In fact, celibate monks in Japan leading a vegetarian
lifestyle may intentionally consume larger than average quantities of
soy because it greatly dampens the libido.)  Scientists have known for
years that soy formula can impair thyroid function, with lingering
effects for up to three months after stopping soy.  Later studies in
rats found that genistein (a soy isoflavone--a powerful phyto-estrogen)
caused irreversible damage to the enzymes that synthesize thyroid
hormones.

Another point of great interest is that soy protein isolate additives to
food have never been granted approval under the GRAS (generally
recognized as safe) status.  It was not grandfathered under GRAS status
because it was not in common use before 1958.  The scientific literature
was clear about the many anti-nutrients in factory-made soy proteins,
including trypsin (digestive enzyme) inhibitors, phytic acid and
genistein.  An FDA
review dismissed discussion of the adverse impact of these components of
soy, stating that adequate processing would remove them.  Genistein
could be removed with an alcohol wash, but it was an expensive process
and manufacturers avoided doing it.  Evidence showed that the trypsin
inhibitor could be removed only with long periods of heat and pressure,
but the FDA made no requirements for manufacturers to do so.

**************************************************************************
Soy protein was introduced into infant formulas in the early 1960's.
Because soy protein did not have GRAS status, premarket approval was
required.  This was not and still has not been granted. Thus, the major
ingredient of soy baby formula is not recognized as safe.
**************************************************************************

The American Academy of Pediatrics also admits that such early exposure
to soy through commercial infant formulas may be a leading cause of
allergies among older children and adults.  So if your baby has any
allergies of asthma whatsoever, soy is the last thing you want to use as
formula.

Soy and Sexual Development

Soy-based formula and soy foods contain high levels of isoflavones,
which behave like estrogens (female hormones) and so may alter hormonal
balance. In 1998, investigators found that infant exposure to
isoflavones in soy formula is six to eleven times higher (based on body
weight) than the dose found to cause hormonal effects in adults
consuming soy foods.  Toxicologist Mike Fitzpatrick estimated that the
babies fed only on soy formula received the estrogen equivalent of at
least five birth control
pills per day.  About 25% of bottle-fed children in the U.S. receive
soy-based formula--a much larger percentage than in other parts of the
Western world.  What are the possible hormonal effects of this heavy
estrogen burden?

Male babies have a testosterone surge during the first few months of
life, when testosterone levels may be as high as an adult male's.  At
this time, the template is set not only for the expression of male sex
characteristics, but also male behavior.  In primates, lack of
testosterone impairs spatial perception, learning ability and
discrimination tasks such as reading.  Sexual orientation may also be
affected by early hormonal environment.

Baby girls are also having an alarming increase in sexual abnormalities.
Premature puberty from excess estrogen is becoming more common.  In a
recent article in the Journal of Pediatrics, investigators found that 1%
of all girls now show signs of puberty--such as breast development and
public hair--by the age of three.  By age eight, 14.7% of Caucasian
girls and almost 50% of African-American girls had these
characteristics.  (Soy
formula is commonly given to African-American babies because of a fear
of milk allergy.)  Early puberty has been associated with failure to
menstruate, infertility and breast cancer.

Parents of children of both sexes fed soy formula have noticed other
problems.  These include extreme emotional behavior, asthma, immune
system problems, pituitary insufficiency, thyroid disorders and
irritable bowel syndrome.

Learning disabilities and behavioral problems have reached epidemic
proportions.  Soy infant formula feeding, which became popular in the
1970's, must be examined as a possible cause of these tragic
developments.

What should you feed infants who can't be breastfed?  I advise
whey-based or goat milk formulas.  Clearly soy is not a good choice.
The potential dangers of denatured proteins, toxic hormone blockers to
the thyroid, excess estrogens and carcinogenic compounds from the
unregulated manufacturing process give me great concern for our
country's health.  Please read the full text of the articles by Fallon
and Enig for their diligent studies in food science.

Contact:  Michael Gerber MD, has practiced orthomolecular medicine,
chelation and nutrition therapy for 28 years.  He is director of the
Gerber Medical Clinic, which employs acupuncture, neural therapy, Sanum
Therapy, homeopathy, herbology and detoxification modalities.  He is
President of the Nevada Homeopathic and Integrative Medical Association.
The Gerber Medical Clinic, 670 Grant Dr. Reno NV  89509
Tel:  775-826-1900,  www.gerbermedical.com

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