Why soy is bad if you want to conceive

For many adults, soy milk and other soy products have become extremely popular. I even switched from milk to soy milk for a while, but because I hated it, I switched to rice milk. Now I am back to real, unpasteurized milk, and I'll tell you why.

Soy is junk protein. It is very cheap, and it does have protein, so it is a popular ingredient in protein bars, and soy milk has exploded on the market. But soy is not just a protein. It has other properties that are undesirable.

Let's step back a moment. There are two types of soy: unfermented and fermented. Soy milk and tofu are unfermented, as is the protein in protein bars and infant formulas. Miso and natto, on the other hand, are fermented, and they are fine. Fermenting neutralizes the phytic acid in soy, which is the bad actor.

Phytic acid can bind calcium and iron, preventing absorption. But that's not the worst it can do for women.

Unfermented soy is a phytoestrogen, or a weak estrogen. It can interfere with normal estrogen binding to estrogen receptors, and when you're trying to conceive, you want that estrogen to bind the estrogen receptors! You want your hormones working the way they should without interference. The phytoestrogen activity is also bad for your thyroid, and proper function of the thyroid is essential for fertility as well.

I know we hear all the time about how healthy the Chinese are because they eat soy. Actually, they don't eat that much soy. They certainly are not drinking soy milk. And if they do eat soy, it's more likely to be fermented than unfermented, like miso soup, and that is fine.

I have said this before, but I am going to repeat it. The best diet when you want to conceive is to keep it simple--eat real, unprocessed foods. Try to eat organic, or at least avoid genetically-modified foods. Don't be afraid to eat some fat--you need fat to make hormones. Definitely avoid trans-fat, though. Eat yogurt and kefir for the beneficial intestinal microbes they provide.