Today, I've been reading a lot about soy. I can't really explain how I get sucked into my multi-hour research sessions... but somehow I do, and I can't say I'm sorry about it! I love learning about the "things" in the world, mainly the "things" we put in and on our bodies and how they impact us. I was pretty shocked by what I read about soy. I'd not heard much about soy prior to today other than the fact that, if you're a menstruating woman, it can (will) change the timing of your cycle if you start drinking/consuming it. This actually happened to several of my close friends last year, and I passed it off as nothing more than an interesting fact.
However, after today, I find the phenomenon mentioned above more than simply interesting- I find it concerning. In an article written for "The Guardian," author Anthony Barnett writes this: "A woman drinking two glasses of soya milk a day over the course of a month will see the timing of her menstrual cycle alter" (source) (soya = soy). Why? Because soy contains a chemical that mimics estrogen. The strange effects of soy on a woman's menstrual cycle suddenly don't seem so strange in light of the fact that estrogen is a component of some birth control pills. Not to be overly obvious, but birth control pills are generally taken with the intention of somehow impacting a woman's menstrual cycle. I'm pretty sure women aren't drinking soy milk for the same reason... yet in some ways, they're getting the same effect.
In my mind, this is how it is: A woman might have never taken a birth control pill in her life, but if she's consuming even relatively small amounts of soy on a daily basis, she's essentially taking the equivalent of or some variation of a hormone-based birth control. That just astounds me! And perhaps the MOST disturbing bit of information I learned today is this:
"It has been estimated that infants who are fed soya formula exclusively receive an amount of oestrogen equivalent to five birth control pills every day" (source) (soya = soy, oestrogen = estrogen).
"It has been estimated that infants who are fed soya formula exclusively receive an amount of oestrogen equivalent to five birth control pills every day" (source) (soya = soy, oestrogen = estrogen).
I'm not sure about you, but I'm thinking I need to (1) do more research and (2) begin to reevaluate my consumption of soy... I'll post more as I learn more. For now... I hope you're excited to learn along with me :)
