Soy and Fructose: Spawns of Satan?

Because, in part, of a well-known doctor who makes his living selling products from his internet site, two questions still come up that I find myself addressing from time to time.  In the mind of this well-known internet marketer, Satan has two spawns: soy and fructose.  

The concerns regarding soy and fructose are common because of some of the widespread misunderstanding about these natural compounds.  But let's examine these two compounds from a different perspective.

Spawn #1: Soy

The misunderstanding here stems from compounds in soy known as phytoestrogens, which is an unfortunate name because soy contains no estrogen.  These compounds are estrogen mimics, yes, but unlike xenoestrogens (toxic chemicals that mimic estrogen), phytoestrogens are weak estrogen mimics, whereas xenoestrogens are strong estrogen mimics.  The result is that xenoestrogens increase the estrogen pool, whereas phytoestrogens lower the estrogen pool and have beneficial effects on the endocrine system.  Granted, there are allergies to soy, just like there are allergies to strawberries, eggs, and everything else under the sun, but allergies do not necessarily equate to an unhealthy food.  It is unfortunate that soy has been so misunderstood, and it should interest the reader that some of the "research" pertaining to the "dangers" in soy was funded by…..guess who….the DAIRY industry!  Hmmm.  

Anyway, if the concerns around soy are referring to GMOs, then that's different.  GMOs should be avoided.  

Spawn #2:  Fructose

Regarding fructose, that again is a very misunderstood ingredient.  It is not the same as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).  They are not the same at all.  HFCS does indeed lead to metabolic syndrome and many other maladies.  But fructose in its purest form is simply a fruit sugar and the body responds to it completely differently than HFCS.   Fructose is simply a carbohydrate, and a beneficial one at that.   You cannot eat fruit without getting fructose.  

Having said that, anything in excess is not good.  One can die from drinking too much water, as an example.  So fructose in excess added to an already carbohydrate saturated diet can be problematic.  But again, to lump fructose into the category of a man-made sweetener is categorically wrong.  Sucrose (white table sugar) and High Fructose Corn Syrup are both ultra-refined carboydrates that the body reacts to in a strongly negative way.  Fruit sugar (fructose) cannot be categorized like that, because it is not ultra-refined and the body responds to it as an energy source.  Fructose does not spike insulin and effect blood sugar like sucrose and HFCS.  In fact, following is a list of common foods and their glycemic index.  Note where fructose is on the list.

Glucose..............................100 glycemic index score
White bread........................ 100

Baked potatoe.......................95

carrots................................85

sucrose (table sugar)...............75

Beets..................................75

Honey.................................75

Watermelon..........................70

Banana................................60

Baked beans..........................60

Brown rice............................55

Apple .................................40

Ultra Meal medical food..........36

Fructose (from any source).......20

Research Supports the use of Soy and Fructose in Nutriceuticals

Taken together, soy and fructose can provide very beneficial effects on human health when administered in the form of nutriceuticals.  Study after study  on the Metagenics medical food, Ultra Meal, for example, consistently demonstrates profound benefits in metabolic syndrome patients.    Numerous studies also show that soy isoflavones (isolated compounds from soy) improve symptoms related to female hormone balance and cardiovascular disease.

Here are some additional resources to help you better understand the truth about soy and fructose:

1. Link to my blog article highlighting research showing soy improves breast cancer risk: http://www.quantumhealth1.blogspot.com/search/label/Breast%20Cancer%20and%20Soy
2. Dr. David Dahlman's article on soy, perhaps the single best and most definitive article on the subject I have ever seen.  http://www.drdahlman.com/benefits-of-soy.shtml
3. A paper on the benefits of fructose over other sweeteners: http://www.metaproteomicslabs.com/position_papers/MET746_fructose.pdf

The Bottom Line

I hear this phrase a lot among holistic naturalists: "If God made it, it's good.  If man made it, be cautious."  

Generally I agree with this statement.  I believe this is a good rule to live by for the most part.  Of course, I believe this can also be taken to an unreasonable extreme, such as suggesting that you shouldn't take vitamins because they are "man made."  

Why, then, is fructose -- one of God's ingenious creations added to foods from the vine -- so vilified among some of the same people who say that if God made something it is good?  Why then is soy -- a staple in societies all over the world for centuries and one that has been scientifically validated as having many health promoting properties -- gotten a bad rap?  

The negativity surrounding fructose and soy is not in keeping with the if-God-made-it-it's-good philosophy.