Dr. Joseph Mercola offers an overview on soy foods

January, 2006
Soy diet worsens heart disease in male mice: study
Heart conditions became worse in male mice carrying a genetic mutation for heart disease when they were fed a soy diet, a study published on Wednesday showed ...

June, 2004
The whole soy story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food
The possibility that an inexpensive plant food could prevent heart disease, fight cancer, fan away hot flashes, and build strong bodies in more than 12 ways is seductive. The truth, unfortunately, is far more complex ...

November, 2003
The Soy Food Industrial Complex Use of Hexane
Organic Consumers Association
A short eye-opener on the use of harsh chemicals in producing soy protein isolates.

October 20, 2003
AGP blast claims second victim
Sioux City Journal, By Julie Weeder
This is a tragic death caused from the soy industry's use of Hexane, a by-product of gasoline. How many more workers have to be poisoned, burned, and or killed before natural food consumers and producers just say no to hexane processed soy protein isolate?

August 29, 2003
Gas Explosion Rocks Iowa Soybean Plant
Associated Press / Reuters
These two stories show how dangerous the use of hexane is for soy plant workers. Natural food consumers can help shift market demand by asking food manufacturers if their soy protein isolate is made with the use of hexane, and also requesting such firms seek alternatives.

Concerns Regarding Soybeans
Rheumatic.org
History of Soybeans
Soybeans come to us from the Orient. During the Chou Dynasty (1134-246 BC) the soybean was designated one of the five sacred grains, along with barley, wheat, millet and rice. However, the pictograph for the soybean, which dates from earlier times, indicates that it was not first used as a food; for whereas the pictographs for the other four grains show the seed and stem structure of the plant, the pictograph for the soybean emphasizes the root structure. Apparently the soy plant was initially used as a method of fixing nitrogen. The soybean did not serve as a food until the discovery of fermentation techniques, sometime during the Chou Dynasty. Thus the first soy foods were fermented products like tempeh, natto, miso and shogu (soy or tamari sauce).