It’s become the norm to label effeminate millennial men as “soy boys.” This derogatory terms stems from the assumption that seemingly androgynous young men born lack masculinity as they consume soy products laden with estrogen. According to a recent study, soy is problematic for reasons beyond its supposed estrogen. It appears as though soy products are also contributing to the obesity epidemic.
The Problem with Soy
The world’s largest agricultural companies are relying on soybeans for the production of all sorts of food products. From oils to animal feed and beyond, soybeans are used in an increasing number of foods.
Though soy has some health benefits, it also contains harmful linoleic acid. Medical researchers and food scientists have determined this form of omega-6 fat is tied to obesity.
Linoleic acid is typically consumed through dairy and meat derived from animals raised on industrial farms. These animals are fed copious amounts of corn and soy. The increase in animal soy consumption aligns with the rapid increase in obesity and other health issues across the past three decades.
The Rise of Soybeans
Soybean oil exploded in popularity back in the 1960s. Soybean consumption has outpaced just about every other food in the past half-century. In fact, the per capita increase in soybean oil consumption increased more than a thousand-fold since the 60s.
This rise in soybean consumption is partially attributable to the popularity of vegetable oils. These oils are primarily made of soy. Unfortunately, vegetable oils are used for more than cooking various dishes on the stovetop. Vegetable oils are used in an array of processed foods that line grocery store shelves across the world.
Aside from bottled vegetable oil and processed foods, soybeans are also used to feed livestock, farmed fish and chicken. These animals are commonly fed soybean oil and soybean meal regardless of their location.
The harmful soy components of such animal feed are passed on to humans through animal meat and by-products ranging from eggs to milk. This means consumers around the world are exposed to soy beyond tofu; soy is consumed in a secondhand manner through the consumption of industrial eggs, milk, cheese, farmed fish and meat.
Why Soy’s Linoleic Acid is Harmful
Soybean oil is loaded with linoleic acid. This acid is an omega-6 fatty acid tied to obesity. Unfortunately, the average human being living in 2018 consumes copious amounts of linoleic acid stemming from soy. Food scientists insist we consume upwards of a thousand times more soy than people did merely a couple decades ago. Nutritionists unanimously agree a diet with a disproportionate amount of omega-6 compared to omega-3 fatty acids causes inflammation.
Linoleic acid is not harmful in and of itself. Problems arise when too much of this essential fatty acid is consumed. When consumed in excess, linoleic acid creates an abundance of fat. A 2012 study shows lab animals provided with a diet in which 8% of their calories were derived from linoleic acid caused them to become fat. This is an important finding as this caloric level stemming from linoleic acid is representative of the average American’s diet.
The study also showed decreasing the lab animals’ linoleic acid consumption to merely 1% by substituting calories with those stemming from other fats made the animals lose weight. Such a diet with low linoleic acid is analogous to that of our ancestors.
The problems do not end there. It appears as though the consumption of linoleic acid causes long-term damage beyond obesity. Mice that became obese from the consumption of linoleic acid derived from soy bred successive generations that proved even fatter. There is a cumulative effect in animals that likely proves true for human beings who over-consume linoleic acid from soy.
Don’t be a Soy Boy: How to Reduce Your Linoleic Acid Intake
Decreasing linoleic acid consumption is easier said than done. After all, the average person consumes meat, fish and dairy products. Even vegetarians and vegans are susceptible to obesity spurred by the overconsumption of linoleic acid as these herbivores typically consume soy in the form of tofu or other meat substitutes. Furthermore, eaters of all varieties consume vegetable oil.
However, if you have the will to avoid soy, there is a way to fend off obesity. Consider replacing cooking oils with water. You read that right. Substitute water for vegetable oil and other cooking oils and your health will benefit in myriad ways. For one, it appears as though cooking oils are bad for heart health as they clog the arteries. Though food cooked in a pan of water certainly will not taste as delightful as food cooked in vegetable oil, it will help you keep the weight off and live a longer life.
It will also help to avoid processed foods as these unhealthy items contain vegetable oil rife with linoleic acid as opposed to the animal fats used decades ago. If you have replaced eggs, butter, lard and meat from pastured animals with vegetable oils and other products containing vegetable oils, it is time to reverse course.
Though the mainstream media, the USDA and the American Heart Association have long claimed vegetable oils are healthy, it is now clear these soy-based oils contribute to obesity. Shift back to pastured animals’ meat and by-products rife with important omega-3s and your diet will prove balanced and healthy.
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