Below is a quote from a thread from March 2006. It seems to make sense. Yet many bandsters discuss soy Protein preferences and use soy protein supplements and drinks all the time. So, I'm "corn"-fused.

Is soy protein good for you? If anyone has any information or opinions on this topic I would appreciate hearing about it.

Thanks

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Soy Proteins are vegetable proteins. The body only absorbs about 30% of the ingested amount. whey proteins are animal proteins and the body absorbs about 80-90% of them.

Quoting the following article on isolates: http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/he...n-powder-1.htm

"Due to the nature of the ion exchange process, the most valuable and health-promoting components are selectively depeleted. Though the protein content is increased, many of the most important subractions are lost or greatly reduced."

So, you can see why soy isolates would have even fewer benefits. You are basically paying a lot for a whole lot of nothing.. except gas pains.

This is an excerpt from a NESTA certified training manual for personal trainer certification:

"Although considered complete proteins, the human body does not possess the necessary enzymes to break down vegetable proteins and most of it ends up in the colon where bacteria gain access to it. Research has shown that most of the gas once thought to come from the Fiber found in vegetarian sources of protein such as Beans, is now known to be caused by the undigested vegetable protein instead."

If you are interested in reading more on this subject, check out my post on this thread:

http://lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14199

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__________________

Mark

Banded 1/17/07

Dr. Kirshenbaum http://www.lapbandrockies.com/

340/330/190

I don't know about all the exact info on soy, but I did hear it helps tone the skin. The chinese do a lot of soy and they are extremely healthy people and thin!

I will see if I can research it later. Maybe during the week! You can also go to the complications thread and ask Dr. C

Thanks Audree. You are always so helpful. Everyone appreciates it very much.

I haven't heard "not" to use soy protein. I've heard that one of the best is whey protein. I try to stick to whey proteins. I like soy, but for me I find it harder to digest. I'm weird!

• Soy contains more Protein than milk without the saturated fat or cholesterol. Soya Beans are the only beans to be considered a complete protein because they contain all eight essential amino acids.
  
• Due to it's high fiber content, the addition of soy foods into a daily diet benefits any weight loss program.
  
• Soy protein contains high levels of a substance called Tyrosine, which helps to maintain our alertness and mental energy without the need for excess calories. This may be beneficial for weight control.
  
• Soy is a low-glycemic index food which helps regulate blood-sugar and insulin fluctuations. This helps you to feel more satisfied and less hungry until your next meal, which is beneficial for weight management and control.
  
• In Japan, where soy consumption is high, women have minimal menopause problems and only about 16% of Western rates of breast cancer.
  
• Clinical studies show significant reduction in pre- and post-menopausal breast cancers in women eating high amounts of soy.
  
• As little as 25mg of soy protein a day may decrease levels of LDL cholesterol and Triglycerides.
  
• Soya reduces "hot flushes" and incidence of osteoporosis. In one study, the addition of 45g of soya flour reduced the number of hot flushes by 40%.
  
  
• Certain studies into animal obesity seem to indicate that soy may stimulate the metabolism, which may assist weight loss.
  
• According to soy researchers at Iowa State University, "Isoflavone-rich soy may attenuate the increase in fat deposition and prevent loss in lean tissue during menopause." Thus soy may assist weight management and control during menopause.

Link to an article from Harvard School of Public Health

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/protein.html

Soy Protein

TRADE NAMES

Genisoy Protein shake (MLO Products), Genista Soy Protein (Biotherapies), Soytein (Solaray), Vege Fuel (Twinlab), Premium Soy Protein Booster (Naturade).

DESCRIPTION

In October, 1999, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved labeling claims for dietary soy protein stating that it may reduce the risk of heart disease. This is the 11th health claim allowed by the FDA. The health claim that can be used on labels of products containing soy protein states: "Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease." In order to carry the health claim, one serving of a product must contain at least 6.25 grams of soy protein and must also be low in total and saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

This latest FDA health claim was based on animal studies, epidemiological studies and human studies demonstrating that diets high in soy protein and low in animal protein lead to decreased levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides. The mechanism of the lipid-lowering effect of soy protein remains unclear.

Soy protein isolates have become popular items in the nutritional supplement marketplace. Most of these supplements also contain the soy isoflavones genistin, daidzin and glycitin.

ACTIONS AND PHARMACOLOGY

ACTIONS

Soy protein may have lipid-lowering, antiatherogenic, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and antiosteoporotic activities.

MECHANISM OF ACTION

Diets rich in soy protein have been found to reduce serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides and apolipoprotein B (apo :scared:. The mechanism of the lipid-lowering activity of soy protein is unclear. There are a few possible explanations. Soy protein is much richer in L-arginine than is animal protein, which is richer in L-lysine. Some animal studies indicate that dietary increases in L-arginine are accompanied by decreases in cholesterol levels. Further, some studies have demonstrated that, under certain conditions, e.g., hypercholesterolemia, high intakes of L-arginine could enhance endothelial-dependent vasodilation and nitric oxide or NO production (see L-Arginine). This could contribute to the possible antiatherogenic activity of soy protein.

The soy isoflavones may also contribute to the lipid-lowering activity of soy protein as well as its antiatherogenic activity. Most soy protein products contain the isoflavones genistin, daidzin and glycitin, which have weak estrogenic effects and also may have antiestrogenic activity (see Soy Isoflavones). Oral estrogens have been shown to decrease total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. The soy isoflavones may have similar actions.

Interestingly, a few studies have shown that when the isoflavones are removed from the soy protein, the protein itself has little hypocholesterolemic activity. Soy isoflavones themselves do not have the same hypocholesterolemic activity as the combination of soy protein and soy isoflavones. There are probably synergistic effects of these substances that are not understood at this time.

There are also other substances associated with soy protein, including saponins, trypsin inhibitor and bioactive peptides, which may also contribute to the lipid-lowering activity of soy protein. The soy isoflavones are antioxidants, and their antioxidant activity may contribute to the possible anti-atherogenic effect of soy protein.

The antioxidant, anticarcinogenic and antiosteoporotic activities of soy protein are probably due, in large part, to the soy isoflavones (see Soy Isoflavones). Soy protein has been found to reduce intestinal mucosa polyamine levels in rats, which may be another anticarcinogenic mechanism. Also, a bioactive peptide has recently been isolated from soybeans and has been found to have potent antimitotic activity.

PHARMACOKINETICS

The digestion, absorption, distribution and metabolism of soy protein occurs by normal physiological processes. See Soy Isoflavones, Genistin, Daidzin and Glycitin for the pharmacokinetics of these substances.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

The FDA has allowed the following health claim for soy protein: "25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease." The isoflavone constituents of soy protein may confer some additional benefits. See Soy Isoflavones.

RESEARCH SUMMARY

The FDA-approved health claim—see Indications above—that soy protein, in adequate amounts, may help protect against heart disease is based upon numerous in vitro, animal, epidemiological and human studies. Evidence has accumulated over many decades showing that soy protein, but not animal protein, has significant cholesterol-lowering properties in animal studies.

In a meta-analysis of clinical studies, most of them well-controlled, investigators concluded that soy protein significantly lowered serum concentrations of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides without significantly altering HDL-cholesterol concentrations.

Since the meta-analysis cited above was conducted, other clinical research has continued to confirm the lipid-lowering ability of soy protein. Recently it was demonstrated that administration for six weeks of as little as 20 grams of soy protein per day, in place of animal protein, achieved significant reductions of non-HDL-cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) B in moderately hypercholesterolemic men.

CONTRAINDICATIONS, PRECAUTIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Soy protein supplements are contraindicated in those who are hypersensitive to any component of a soy protein-containing product.

PRECAUTIONS

Pregnant women and nursing mothers should avoid the use of soy protein supplements pending long-term safety studies or unless these supplements are recommended by their physicians.

Women with estrogen receptor-positive tumors should exercise caution in the use of soy protein supplements and should only use them if they are recommended and monitored by their physicians.

INTERACTIONS

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS AND FOODS

Soy contains phytic acid, which may bind with certain minerals, such as Calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper and Iron, reducing their availability.

OVERDOSAGE

There are no reports of overdosage.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

There are several soy protein supplements available. Typically the soy protein supplements contain soy isoflavones. Dosage is variable.

A total intake of 25 to 50 grams of soy protein and 50 milligrams of soy isoflavones daily may have cardiovascular and other health benefits. This can come from nutritional intake, as well as supplemental intake.

Complete article from the FDA:

http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/2000/300_soy.html

Excerpt from above article:

Soy Benefits

Soy protein products can be good substitutes for animal products because, unlike some other beans, soy offers a "complete" protein profile. Soybeans contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition, which must be supplied in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the human body. Soy protein products can replace animal-based foods--which also have complete Proteins but tend to contain more fat, especially saturated fat--without requiring major adjustments elsewhere in the diet.

While foreign cultures, especially Asians, have used soy extensively for centuries, mainstream America has been slow to move dietary soy beyond a niche market status. In the United States, soybean is a huge cash crop, but the product is used largely as livestock feed.

With the increased emphasis on healthy diets, that may be changing. Sales of soy products are up and are projected to increase, due in part, say industry officials, to the FDA-approved health claim. (U.S. retail sales of soyfoods were $.852 billion in 1992 and are projected to rise to $3.714 billion in 2002. See attached chart.) "We've seen this before with other claims FDA has approved," says Brian Sansoni, senior manager for public policy at the Grocery Manufacturers of America. "It brings attention to products; there are newspaper and TV stories and information on the Internet."

To qualify for the health claim, foods must contain at least 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving and fit other criteria, such as being low in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. The claim is similar to others the agency has approved in recent years to indicate heart benefits, including claims for the cholesterol-lowering effects of soluble fiber in oat bran and psyllium seeds.

FDA determined that diets with four daily soy servings can reduce levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), the so-called "bad cholesterol" that builds up in blood vessels, by as much as 10 percent. This number is significant because heart experts generally agree that a 1 percent drop in total cholesterol can equal a 2 percent drop in heart disease risk. Heart disease kills more Americans than any other illness. Disorders of the heart and blood vessels, including stroke, cause nearly 1 million deaths yearly.

FDA allowed the health claim for soy protein in response to a petition by Protein Technologies International Inc., a leading soy producer that tracks its origins to soybean studies sponsored by Henry Ford in the early 1930s. The company was acquired by E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (DuPont) in 1997. In considering the petition, FDA reviewed data from 27 clinical studies submitted in the petition, as well as comments submitted to the public record and studies identified by FDA. The available research consistently showed that regular soy protein consumption lowered cholesterol to varying degrees.

One of the studies, conducted over nine weeks at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999, found that soy protein can reduce plasma concentrations of total and LDL cholesterol but does not adversely affect levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, which at high levels has been associated with a reduction in heart disease risk. Another often-quoted study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995, examined 38 separate studies and concluded that soy protein can prompt "significant reductions" not only in total and LDL cholesterol, but also in triglycerides, another fat linked to health problems when present at elevated levels.

Other studies hint that soy may have benefits beyond fostering a healthy heart. At the Third International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease, held in late 1999, researchers presented data linking soy consumption to a reduced risk of several illnesses. Disorders as diverse as osteoporosis, prostate cancer, and colon cancer are under investigation.

Soy's Many Faces

Though soy may seem like a new and different kind of food for many Americans, it actually is found in a number of products already widely consumed. For example, soybean oil accounts for 79 percent of the edible fats used annually in the United States, according to the United Soybean Board. A glance at the ingredients for commercial mayonnaises, margarines, salad dressings, or vegetable shortenings often reveals soybean oil high on the list.

But the health claim only covers the form that includes soy protein. This form can be incorporated into the diet in a variety of ways to help reach the daily intake of 25 grams of soy protein considered beneficial.

While not every form of the following foods will qualify for the health claim, these are some of the most common sources of soy protein:

Tofu is made from cooked puréed soybeans processed into a custard-like cake. It has a neutral flavor and can be stir-fried, mixed into "smoothies," or blended into a cream cheese texture for use in dips or as a cheese substitute. It comes in firm, soft and silken textures.

"Soymilk," the name some marketers use for a soy beverage, is produced by grinding dehulled soybeans and mixing them with Water to form a milk-like liquid. It can be consumed as a beverage or used in recipes as a substitute for cow's milk. Soymilk, sometimes fortified with calcium, comes plain or in flavors such as vanilla, chocolate and coffee. For lactose-intolerant individuals, it can be a good replacement for dairy products.

Soy flour is created by grinding roasted soybeans into a fine powder. The flour adds protein to baked goods, and, because it adds moisture, it can be used as an egg substitute in these products. It also can be found in cereals, pancake mixes, frozen Desserts, and other common foods.

Textured soy protein is made from defatted soy flour, which is compressed and dehydrated. It can be used as a meat substitute or as filler in dishes such as meatloaf.

Tempeh is made from whole, cooked soybeans formed into a chewy cake and used as a meat substitute.

Miso is a fermented soybean paste used for seasoning and in Soup stock.

Soy protein also is found in many "meat analog" products, such as soy sausages, burgers, franks, and cold cuts, as well as soy yogurts and cheese, all of which are intended as substitutes for their animal-based counterparts.

Since not all foods that contain soy ingredients will meet the required conditions for the health claim, consumers should check the labels of products to identify those most appropriate for a heart-healthy diet. Make sure the products contain enough soy protein to make a meaningful contribution to the total daily diet without being high in saturated fat and other unhealthy substances.

I hope this helped!!!:hungry:

Thanks, Audree, that is really helpful. I guess it is pretty hard to say soy is bad when you look at how much they use it in Japan and the overall good cardio health and lack of obesity of most of the Japanese.

It's still confusing to see the other posts that quote from other nutrition sources that say soy is bad. I guess that's just the way it is in health matters. Different experts have different opinions.

I think what I will do is use both soy and whey. I like the taste of soy a little better but I can live with both. Then I'll see how I feel when I eat them and go with that.

Thanks again Audree. I really appreciate your assistance.

Blended proteins that contain soy, milk and whey are best. I recommend Isopure and Muscle Milk. Muscle Milk has a little fat and a little sugar but it tastes awesome. Isopure is lowest in fat/sugar. (ZERO to be exact) Check your local GNC. For any of you in the DFW area try the GNC at Frankford/Tollway. They're the best!:clap2:

No prob!!!!