Hi Jo44,
Like so many things medical, studies of soy have proved contradictory;
some studies have shown that soy may induce adverse health effects,
especially in infants, while other studies have shown positive
benefits, with little or no negative effects.
When considering information on soy and thyroid (or anything on
health, for that matter) it?s important to look at the source of the
information. Not to discount all information found on web sites that
sell supplements or offer alternative therapies, but sometimes the
information on these sites may be slanted or presented in such a way
that promotes sales of their products. Its doubtful that you will find
negative soy information on a site that sells soy powder or
supplements.
Soy and Hypothyroid:
?Research was published in January showing that a diet that consists
solely of soy formula can cause TSH levels to remain high in infants
who have congenital hypothyroidism, even when they are being treated
with levothyroxine.? The key words are ?in infants who have congenital
hypothyroidism?. The fact that soy may affect infants that already
are afflicted with hypothyroidism appears to be true, from this
article and other studies I have linked to below. It does not mention
infants with healthy, normally functioning thyroids.
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soysdownsides/a/soyformula.htm
This excerpt is from a study at the Department of Pediatrics,
Northwestern University Medical School
?Infants fed soy formula had prolonged increase of TSH when compared
to infants fed non-soy formula. These infants need close monitoring of
free thyroxine and TSH measurements, and they may need increased
levothyroxine doses to achieve normal thyroid function tests.?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14709499&dopt=Abstract
The problem with soy are two of its components, the isoflavones
?genistein? and ?daidzein?. These isoflavones are powerful inhibitors
of Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO); in fact genistein is a more powerful
inhibitor of TPO than common anti-thyroid drugs!
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/thyroid.htm
According to an FDA expert ?Additionally, isoflavones are inhibitors
of the thyroid peroxidase which makes T3 and T4. Inhibition can be
expected to generate thyroid abnormalities, including goiter and
autoimmune thyroiditis. There exists a significant body of animal data
that demonstrates goitrogenic and even carcinogenic effects of soy
products. Moreover, there are significant reports of goitrogenic
effects from soy consumption in human infants and adults."
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm
According to this Carmont Health site, soy is a supplement to be taken
with ?only with caution.?
http://www.caromont.org/15801.cfm
Per Dr. Andrew Weil, "?you're unlikely to get too many isoflavones as
a result of adding soy foods to your diet -- but you probably will
take in too much if you take soy supplements in pill form. At this
point, I can only recommend that you avoid soy supplements entirely."
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm
http://thyroid.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.drweil.com
"If you have a diagnosed or undiagnosed thyroid problem, or a history
of autoimmune disease, overconsumption of soy isoflavones can
potentially trigger a thyroid condition. Soy foods can worsen an
existing diagnosed thyroid"
http://thyroid.about.com/cs/soyinfo/a/soy.htm
According to this ABC article, soy may or may not influence our
health. ?Soy ? consumed in the form of tofu ? may have a connection to
accelerated aging in the brain, according to a three decade-long study
begun by the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Lon White of NIH says that he found greater brain aging and
shrinkage among elderly men ? all Japanese-American and living in
Hawaii ? who had eaten tofu at least twice a week during middle age.
?Their brains, looking at them in terms of how their brain functions,
memory cognition, their brains seemed to be showing an exaggeration of
the usual patterns we see in aging,? White says.?
http://www.abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000609_soy_feature.html
?A diet rich in soy proteins may reduce risk factors for heart and
kidney disease in people with Type 2 diabetes, the results of a small
study suggest.
In the study, cholesterol levels dropped and kidney function improved
in diabetics who substituted soy protein for some of the animal
proteins they normally consumed.?
http://www.lifescan.com/care/news/dn102003-1/
Alternates to Soy:
Whey
?Dairy source of protein (other than cassein), known for high levels
of BCAA's and high nitrogen retention. Made from milk curd, whey
protein is the Rolls Royce of proteins because it has a superior amino
acid composition (including high levels of leucine, arguably the most
important branched chain amino acid), superior biological value
(meaning that more of what you eat gets digested and into your
system), is very low in lactose (a milk sugar that most adults have
difficulty digesting).?
http://www.xetex.com/diabetes/Protein.html
?Almada warns that some of what passes for protein gospel today may
not be firmly grounded in science. Recent research from Nestle, for
example, seems to indicate that casein, derived from milk protein, is
a ?slow protein,? that is, digested relatively slowly, assimilated
slowly. Yet it may promote reduced protein breakdown. Whey, on the
other hand, is a ?fast protein,? easier to digest and quick to enter
the bloodstream. How the different protein types ultimately affect the
active body remains an open and ongoing investigation.?
http://www.nutrasolutions.com/CDA/ArticleInformation/features/BNP__Features__Item/0,1269,112867,00.html
These web sites sell whey protein shakes. (I?m NOT endorsing these
sites, and am providing these links so you can get an idea of what to
expect should you wish to make a purchase)
http://www.alacarb.com/product-detail.php?SKU=9388741100
http://www.powersupplements.com/protein.htm
Nuts, legumes, seeds
Many diabetics have good luck with a handful of nuts between meals. My
father, an insulin dependent diabetic, keeps containers of nuts in his
car and on his desk. He does a great job regulating his blood glucose
by munching on a handful of mixed nuts when needed.
?Despite being high in fat, nuts can help you lose weight if you keep
the portions small and use them to replace refined carbohydrate
snacks.
A Purdue University study found that peanuts kept participants' hunger
at bay for over two hours while a low-fat snack like rice cakes kept
them satisfied for only half an hour. Nuts can control your hunger
because of their high fiber, protein and fat content.
The Harvard studies found that the women who ate a serving of nuts
fives times a week were 20 percent less likely to develop type-2
diabetes than those who rarely ate nuts.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one serving
of nuts equals one ounce which is about: 28 peanuts, 22 almonds, 20
pecan halves, 18 cashews, 14 walnut halves, 7 brazil nuts, 20
hazelnuts, 12 macadamia nuts or 47 pistachios. One ounce of nuts has
approximately 7 g of protein, 14 g of fat and 160 calories.?
Don?t forget sesame and sunflower seeds, beans and legumes as an
alternate protein source! Low-fat cheese sticks or cubes are a good
source of protein too.
http://www.globalpinoy.com/pinoyhealth/ph_fitness/FI033103.htm
Additional Information
http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/2175.html
http://www.goddessdiet.com/Reports/NYDailyNews.htm
Switching to Armour Thyroid medication may benefit you too!
http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/rxdrugprofiles/drugs/arm1029.shtml
http://www.armourthyroid.com/
http://www.wilsonssyndrome.com/ArmourOrSynthroid.htm
http://www.drlowe.com/QandA/askdrlowe/diet.htm
Protein for Diabetics
http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/nutrition/nutr3310.html
To conclude, Jo44, with your history of hypothyroid disease, it would
appear prudent for you to avoid soy supplements and powders. Since at
this point, studies are not totally conclusive, and no safe soy intake
levels have been established, you may do better with some of the
alternatives listed above. If you do utilize soy as a protein source,
be sure to have your thyroid checked more often, as this will be the
best indicator of problems which may be caused by soy protein.
Discussing this concern with your physician may provide you with some
personal guidelines from someone who is familiar with your entire
health history.
Good Luck!
If any part of my answer is unclear, or if I have duplicated
information you already had, please request an Answer Clarification,
before rating. This will allow me to assist you further if possible.
Sincerely,
crabcakes
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