Shaklee Soy Spin

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

We were looking at different sources of supplements and of course Shaklee

came up. They use soy in a lot of their products (see the list at the

bottom)- so we asked the rep about it and they sent us the company line on

soy.

Seems like more corporate spin...Any comments?

Titled: SOY ALERT?

There are a number of anti-soy articles being distributed over the Internet

and through various publications. They are often found under such headlines

as " Soy Alert, " " The Dark Side of Soy, " " The Dangers of Soy, " and so forth.

While the themes in these articles are provocative, it is our view that they

lack substantiation. Even if we give such articles the benefit of the doubt

as well-intentioned, they are nonetheless example of what one of the 20th

Century's greatest thinkers, humanitarians, and Nobel Laureates, Dr. Albert

Schweitzer, warned was mankind's greatest danger-loss of rational

thinking.[1]

Let's be honest. Were soy the notorious poison that it is claimed to be in

these articles, it surely would have been banned long ago.we would have

observed soy consumers suffering highly disproportionate rates of cancer,

dementia, physical deformities, myriad other diseases, and otherwise

dropping dead from consuming soy.

One anti-soy article tells us about a flock of commercial birds, some of

which died as a result of being fed soy, and asks, " If soy does this to

birds, what is it doing to us? " The connection is erroneous and illogical,

and it seems the bird keepers knew less than their flock. Birds do not seek

out soy for food, and sound science knows that animal data does not

automatically translate to humans. For example, Thalidomide, the drug that

caused tragic birth defects in humans, did not cause birth defects in test

animals; and as any dog lover knows, humans enjoy chocolate with no ill

effects, but it can be lethal to canines.

Another article says, " Preliminary studies (these are not referenced or

footnoted) indicate that children given soy formula go through puberty much

earlier than children who were not fed soy products, " and that " .the trend

toward lower male fertility may be due to environmental estrogens, including

soy phytoestrogens (again, no references). " The medical literature provides

no evidence of endocrine effects in humans from infant consumption of modern

soy-based formulas. Growth is normal, and no changes in timing of puberty

or in fertility rates have been reported in humans who consumed soy formula

as infants.[2]

Many anti-soy articles cite a Hawaiian study purportedly showing that soy

consumption caused accelerated brain aging and was associated with Alzheimer

's disease. The study, headed by Dr. Lon White, was an " observational "

study. While these articles would have readers believe that soy causes

Alzheimer's and brain aging, this type of study merely suggests a link

between a behavior (in this case tofu intake) and an outcome like brain

aging. It does not prove that one thing caused the other. Dr. White,

himself, added, " It is never proper to draw definitive conclusions from a

single study. It would be premature to advise anyone that they should change

their diets based on a single research study. In addition, there is evidence

that consumption of soy foods may have beneficial effects related to

improving blood lipid levels, and reducing risks for breast cancer. "

Indeed. A recent study of patients with high cholesterol who were given soy

protein showed significant reductions in LDL (bad) cholesterol, and that soy

protein did not increase the risk of hormone-induced cancers.[3] Soybean

compounds appear to also reduce the incidence of colon, prostate, and breast

cancer.[4] Of course, if one is being treated for cancer, or has a family

history of cancer, one should seek the advice of a physician concerning soy

or any food additions or modifications to diet. It just makes sense.

The Internet is a rich source of unsupported, unreliable data and opinions.

We encourage a skeptical approach to such information, and recommend a look

at such reputable sites as The American Council for Science and Health

(www.acsh.org), HealthCentral (www.healthcentral.com), or for the more

technically adept, The National Library of Medicine

(www.nlm.nih.gov/hinfo.html), to name a few. And for more on soy issues

from Shaklee's Health Sciences staff please visit the Reference Library and

Hot Topics in the Member Center at www.shaklee.net./members.

[1] Schweitzer, Albert. Out of My Life and Thought, New York: Henry Holt &

Company, 1933.

[2] Nutrition Reviews #56: Pg. 193-204, 1998; Journal of Pediatrics #124:

Pg. 612-620, 1994.

[3] Metabolism #49: Pg. 537-543. 2000.

[4] Journal Nutrition #125: Pg. 733-743S, 1995.

SHAKLEE PRODUCTS CONTAINING SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE

Carbo-Crunch Bar (Cocoa)

Carbo-Crunch Bar (Peanut Butter)

Energizing Soy Protein (Natural Vanilla)

Energizing Soy Protein (Creamy Cocoa)

Instant Protein® Soy Mix

Slim Plan Gold (Vanilla)

Slim Plan Gold (Chocolate)

Slim Plan Drink Mix (Natural Vanilla) (to be discontinued)

Slim Plan Drink Mix (Natural Cocoa) (to be discontinued)

PRODUCTS CONTAINING SOY FIBER, SOY BRAN, SOY OIL, SOY

LECITHIN, OR SOY ISOFLAVONES

B-Complex Tablets

CarotoMax Capsules

Carbo-Crunch Bar (Cocoa)

Carbo-Crunch Bar (Peanut Butter)

Energizing Soy Protein (Natural Vanilla)

Energizing Soy Protein (Creamy Cocoa)

EZ-Gest Capsules

Fiber Plan® Daily Crunch

Fiber Plan® Daily Mix

Fiber Plan® Tablets

Fiber Plan® Tablets

Fitness® Drink Mix

Garlic Complex (Tablets)

Immunity Formula I® (Capsules)

Instant Protein® Soy Mix

Lecithin Capsules

Liqui-Lea® Plus

Meal Shakes (French Vanilla)

Meal Shakes (Bavarian Cocoa)

Physique® Workout Maximizer Supplement

Menopause Balance Complex (Capsules)

Saw Palmetto Complex (Capsules)

Slim Plan Gold (Vanilla)

Slim Plan Gold (Chocolate)

Slim Plan Drink Mix (Natural Vanilla) (to be discontinued)

Slim Plan Drink Mix (Natural Cocoa) (to be discontinued)

Vita-E® 400 I.U. (Capsules)

Vita-Lea® with Iron (Tablets)

Vita-Lea® without Iron (Tablets)

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