Are soy foods good for us?

The health benefits of soy have been a topic of great debate over the last few years. Many researchers and nutritionists believe that soy poses serious health risks if consumed regularly, while food industry advertisements promote highly-refined soy products as low-fat, protein-rich health foods. Others claim that soy can be eaten safely after it has undergone a long fermentation process.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, of mercola.com, recently wrote an insightful article about soy, explaining many of the problems associated with it. Here's a brief sample from his website:

"If you were to carefully review the thousands of studies published on soy, I strongly believe you would reach the same conclusion as I have—which is, the risks of consuming unfermented soy products FAR outweigh any possible benefits.

Notice I said unfermented soy products." Read the full article.

My Thoughts

I've read many articles and books that discuss soy, and I'm entirely convinced that refined, modern soy "foods" are not good for our health or the environment. As Dr. Mercola states in his article, there are certain fermented soy products that are acceptable to eat in moderation, including miso, tempeh, and naturally brewed soy sauce.

Genetically modified soy and corn are common ingredients in feed for livestock as well. Cattle, for example, were not designed to consume large quantities of any kind of grain. Therefore, many consumers are seeking quality meat sources that are pasture-based. Healthy grass is an essential component in producing good beef, lamb, chicken, and eggs. I recommend sourcing your protein from growers who raise their animals humanely, on pasture, with no added hormones, no antibiotics, and no corn or soy.

High Quality Meat in the Willamette Valley

Cattail Creek Lamb- grass-fed lamb, Junction City
Fitts Seafoods- wild, regional seafood, Salem
McK Ranch- pasture-based beef products, chicken and eggs, Dallas
Rain Shadow El Rancho- naturally raised buffalo, Scio

Grass-fed, soy-free, drug-free beef from McK Ranch.