Researched
online by
Raj Pal Verma
Experts
say a new study on soya-based
formula neglects to mention
the products’ serious side
effects.
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The
soyabean has been at the centre
of the debate on genetically modified
(GM) food. Soyabeans are found
in 60 per cent of our processed
food from margarine to tofu.
A recent study giving infant formula
made from soya a clean bill of health
was biased and white washed evidence
that proves the baby products can
hurt children, say nutritional
experts.
In the study, researchers ignored
higher rates of reproductive disorders,
asthma and allergies in those who
received soya formula, said Dr.
Mary Enig, president of Maryland
Nutritionists Association. “This is in line with a number
of reports in the scientific literature,”
said Enig. “The research team glossed
over negative findings and omitted
them from the abstract and conclusions,
noting only that women who had
been fed soya formula reported slightly
longer duration of menstrual bleeding
and greater discomfort with menstruation.” Other serious problems, Enig noted,
included higher rates of cervical
cancer, polycystic ovarian syndrome,
blocked fallopian tubes, pelvic
inflammatory disease and hormonal
disorders. Also, soya-fed women reported higher
rates of sedentary activity and
use of weight-loss products, which
could be indicative of thyroid
disfunction, said Enig. The study, published in the Aug.
15 issue of the Journal of American
Medical Association, was conducted
by drawing on telephone interviews
with 282 adults fed on soya formula
and 563 adults fed milk baby products
during controlled research at the
University of Iowa between 1965-1978. Medical experts point out that
soya contains a constituent that
is chemically similar to the human
hormone estrogen. Dr. Kenneth Setchell, a professor
of pediatrics at the University
of Cincinnati, said that babies
receiving soya formula get a daily
exposure to plant-based estrogen
that is 13,000 to 22,000 times
higher than babies fed milk-based
formula. This is the equivalent to receiving
at least five birth control pills
a day, Setchell said. “The amount of phytoestrogens
in soya formula can vary as much
as tenfold, depending on the way
it is processed,” said Dr. Naomi
Baumslag, professor of pediatrics
at Georgetown University. “The
soya used today is genetically engineered,
which means it has more isoflavones
in it than the soya they were using
20 years ago.” In the United States, approximately
750,000 infants receive soya-based
baby formula, more than any other
country in the world. Concern over the effects of soya
formula is so high in Britain and
New Zealand, the two countries’
governments issued warnings on
the use of the products. Experts cite a 1986 study in Puerto
Rico which concluded that the use
of soya formula was strongly linked
to premature maturation in girls.
Other adverse reports included
“extreme emotional behavior, learning
difficulties, immuno-deficiencies,
irritable bowel syndrome and disrupted
sexual development in boys.” “The question we should be asking
is why are so many of our babies
on soya?” said Baumslag. “In the
UK and New Zealand, only 1 percent
of babies get soya. In the United
States, at least 20 percent get
soya. It can only be because of
massive influence of the soya industry,
because there is scientific evidence
that soya formula can be damaging
to newborns.”
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