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Today’s generation of children could aptly be called Generation A where the “A” stands for allergies. Food intolerances and of all kinds are rampant with the very first frequently becoming apparent when a formula-fed infant demonstrates an allergy to commercial milk-based formula. The typical recommendation by a conventional doctor in this case? Put baby on a soy formula such as Isomil or ProSobee immediately.
About 25% of American babies are fed soy infant formula according to the website of Dr. Sears.
Elemental infant formula might also be suggested, but these are usually reserved for preterm infants and those with specific medical problems such as severe allergies to both milk and soy. Elemental formulas also tend to be foul-tasting compared with milk or soy-based formula and babies tend to reject them for this reason.
Many parents make the switch to soy formula in haste hoping to ease the digestive discomfort their child is experiencing on commercial milk formulas not realizing the full implications of their decision.
In some cases, parents may never even try a dairy formula at all if a milk allergy already runs in the family. There is no evidence that using soy formula reduces the risk of a dairy allergy later, however. For this reason, the Committee on Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against the use of soy formula in infants who are potentially allergic to cow’s milk. A milk-based formula should still be the first choice even in those situations.
The Three Reasons Why Soy Formula is So Bad for Babies
The primary problems with soy protein found in non-dairy commercial formulas are threefold: trypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, and phytoestrogens.
Trypsin Inhibitors
These are proteins found in plentiful amounts in soybeans that inhibit digestion and absorption of nutrients. They are large in size and require the application of high heat for appreciable periods of time to neutralize.
The industrialized process of producing soy infant formula deactivates the majority of trypsin inhibitors. Unfortunately, some remain and even in low amounts, they have been found to prevent normal growth in rats. Given that a baby’s brain grows at its most rapid rate the first year of life, growing to about 75% percent of adult size (it is 25% of adult size at birth), even slight retardation of growth could be devastating to the development of the brain and nervous system.
Note that protease inhibitors in soy are also an issue, as they greatly hinder the digestion of protein. Potential harm to the pancreas is another grave risk.
Phytic Acid
Phytic acid is an organic acid, which like trypsin inhibitors, is present in large amounts in soybeans. Phytates are present in the outer portion of all seeds and block the absorption of critical minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and particularly zinc. Phytic acid is also extremely irritating to the digestive tract.
Unlike other seeds, soybeans have extremely high amounts of a type of phytic acid. This anti-nutrient is particularly resistant to deactivation. Researchers testing soy formula in 1967 found that soy formula caused zinc deficiency in every single infant who received it. Again, this is due to the mineral blocking effect of phytates within the digestive system.
Zinc is known as the intelligence mineral because it is critical for the optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. As a result, deficiency of this nutrient in infants at a time when the brain is growing at its most rapid rate could have lifelong implications and possibly reduce IQ.
Phytoestrogens or Isoflavones
Phytoestrogens represent the most serious problem with soy infant formula. These estrogen-like compounds have the potential to disrupt the baby’s hormonal system for life.
According to the Weston A. Price Foundation:
Toxicologists estimate that an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day. By contrast, almost no phytoestrogens have been detected in dairy-based infant formula or in human milk, even when the mother consumes soy products. A recent study found that babies fed soy-based formula had 13,000 to 22,0000 times more isoflavones in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula.
Soy Formula Health Problems for Boys
Flooding of an infant boy’s bloodstream with female-like hormones has the potential to cause serious developmental problems at puberty. During the first few months of life, a baby boy has testosterone levels that could be as high as that of an adult male. This “testosterone surge” readies the baby boy’s hormonal system for puberty both for normal development of the sexual organs and also patterns of male behavior.
Could soy infant formula be responsible for the increasing problem of boys where physical maturation is delayed or even completely absent with retarded development of the sexual organs?
Soy Formula Health Problems for Girls
Baby girls fed soy infant formula may suffer negative hormonal impact as well from early soy exposure. In a 2011 published study, time-to-menarche was assessed in nearly 3,000 girls.
Those girls identified as early soy-fed via soy infant formula had a 25% increased risk of menarche specifically in early adolescence.
Early sexual development in girls can herald serious problems with the reproductive system later in life such as unexplained infertility and breast cancer.
Research from 2012 published in Biology of Reproduction’s Papers-in-Press describes the effects of plant estrogens found in soy on the mouse oviduct. The study was specifically designed to model the effects of soy-based baby formula on human infants. The results of the study suggest that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to negatively affect a woman’s fertility as an adult.
Organic Soy Formula No Protection from Soy Dangers
Some parents mistakenly believe that genetically modified soy is the main problem and that buying organic soy formula is protective for their infant.
Nothing could be further from the truth. While organic soy formula does indeed provide a better quality source of soy, organic soy still has the same problems as GMO soy. Trypsin and protease inhibitors, high levels of phytic acid, and large amounts of hormone-disrupting plant estrogens can devastate the baby’s digestive development and hormones potentially for life!
Healthy Options to Soy Formula
Parents wishing to provide the highest quality formula for their baby should breastfeeding not be an option should consider a homemade formula made from grass-fed raw cow milk.
If cow milk is a problem, goat milk formula can be tried instead. Goat milk has a slightly different fat composition and protein profile that is easier for some babies to digest. Please note that powdered goat milk is not recommended. The powdering process denatures the fragile proteins in goat milk. Powdered goat milk is not as nutritious as whole raw goat milk. Moreover, the chances are high that it will cause an allergenic response in the baby at some point.
If all dairy even if unprocessed and grass-fed is still problematic, a homemade nondairy formula based on homemade bone broth can be utilized instead.
Thousands of mothers have successfully used these homemade formulas with their babies in recent decades with excellent results!
Weaning after Formula
One more point of note. When your child is ready to be weaned off homemade formula at one year old, skip the soymilk! Soy as a food or beverage is not any more appropriate for toddlers than it is for babies! If your child is allergic to raw milk from pastured animals (best choice), wean him/her onto a nutritious milk substitute instead.
Sources
How neonatal plant estrogen exposure leads to adult infertility
Soy Formulas?
More Information
Estrogenic Foods, Herbs, and Supplements
Soy Lecithin in Baby Formula
I’m wondering if the side effects of soy formula are as bad on an older baby who is also eating more solid foods? I am hoping to wean my son at about 10 months old and he has a milk allergy so milk based formula is not for him. I’ve tried giving him the amino based formula but he hasn’t been a fan even when mixed with breast milk. I feel like only being on it for two months can’t be that bad right?!
I have NEVER in my life come across a more judgemental article or responses to concerned parents who have fed their children soy based formula! My daughter and son were both on soy formula as infants at the recommendation of their pediatrician. While I am sick to my stomach with worry now about any adverse effects what good does this all do me now? Both of them are extremely athletic, top of their class, wonderful and gorgeous children. This article basically has me sitting here looking into every little normal health issue that has popped up over the years and now worrying if it was the soy I gave them! Both made it thru puberty just fine and any bloodwork has been great! Thank you for making me sit here and worry about my future grandchildren! Your standard response of glad your children are fine but many are not lacks empathy for all the parents you just set into a panic attack! We all did the best we could and no one fed their child soy formula knowing it could harm their baby!!
I am sorry for your situation and glad your children are well … but, it is not judgmental to post about an issue just because some people take it personally! It’s good that you know the truth so that if a health problem crops up, you can inform your functional MD of that important piece of medical history.
Your reaction to the information does not mean it shouldn’t have been written! This article has prevented many people from making the mistake of feeding their babies soy formula, and that was the original intent. It certainly was not to make parents feel guilty.
So what are parents supposed to do who can’t afford goats milk or rely on WIC?
I didn’t make a “hasty” decision going to soy. I made that decision after weeks of my daughter in inconsolable PAIN, projectile vomiting everything she ate and nothing else working. We had her on nutramigen, which worked wonders, but it’s too expensive. So we went to soy. I found goats milk formula for half the price of nutramigen, but you said it’s not a good alternative?
Goat milk by itself is not a replacement for formula. But, if you make it into a homemade formula per this PhD nutritionist’s recipe, then it is fine. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/goats-milk-formula/
You have made me feel like an awful mother. With all the pressures in our world for parents now it’s sad for me to come across this article and now I feel like I have ruined my son’s life. He is one and I won’t know the effects for years and if something is wrong I will know that it was all my fault.
Yes, I understand how you feel! My oldest drank soy milk after he was weaned for about a year before I wised up and got him off that poison. Fortunately, he is now almost 20 and thankfully totally fine. It is a difficult thing as a mother to realize you have done something terribly wrong for your child with the best of intentions.
OMG I wish I had seen this article sooner! My baby is 2 years old and was fed soya formula for a year before being weaned to soya milk. Is there any way to reverse the damage that may have been done to him? No more soy for us!
Taking great care to avoid all soy foods going forward (so many processed foods contain it these days!) and feeding the child a nutrient dense diet is your best bet. Since soy formulas contains excessive manganese and risks potentially heavy metal buildup in the child, you may wish to have him/her seen by a functional MD that specializes in heavy metal toxicity.
If soy is soooooo bad, why is it still on the market?????? My babies were fed soy the first six months, and now, as adults, are perfectly fine. It saved my sanity, and they were content, happy babies.
There are a lot of dangerous foods on the market that the FDA inexplicably allows. Glad your kids are ok, but MANY are not.
My neighbor became vegetarian eating lots of soy during her second and third pregnancies. Her second child has autism, her third is adult and is gay. This prompted me to do soy research. And I found hundreds upon hundreds of NIH Pubmed studies confirming innumerable adverse soy effects due to estrogenic hormone disruptors plus soy contain multiple developmental poisons! I also have a large collection of FDA and NIH testimonials concurring adverse developmental “concern”…and countless more adverse soy facts! The NIH, CDC and the FDA confirm developmental exposure to Soy is of extreme risk to developmental body and brain health, yet they refuse lawful public disclosure! PLEASE tell me how to demand a congressional investigation, and especially past due lawful public disclosure! The FDA and NIH clearly acknowledge developmental soy plant-poisons contaminate fetus, infants, and children, but refuse public disclosure! They can NOT prove soy safety or That soy phytopoisons are developmentally survivable! They simply play a game of undisclosed health roulette on American babies! Does anybody care? This IS criminal!
My partner was raised on soy formula and we have 3 sons, one of whom is a father, and a daughter. Two of them were fed soy formula and both turned out fine. This includes the one who is a father.
Glad you are all fine! So many babies unfortunately are not. Studies as referenced in the article show that hormonal damage is widespread for babies fed soy formula … both boys and girls.
We had to switch my son to soy milk at 5 months. He was on regular cows milk formula and every time he drank it his reactions became so severe I had to take him to the er and now carry an epi pen. We also tried nutramigein formula and still severe reactions. I don’t know what to do because I don’t want him on soy but he is so much healthier and happier now. I suggested goats milk formula to his allergist and he said the proteins in goats milk are very similar to that of cows milk. It seems dangerous to make home made formula from raw milks I don’t want to gamble my sons life. Any other suggestions?
If his reactions are that severe, I would suggest considering this hypoallergenic homemade formula. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-hypoallergenic-baby-formula/
Isnt milk just as harmful? Cows milk is made for calves not humans… i am not sure the hormones in it and the ones injected on cows as well as the antibiotics are any better for a baby…nothing is safe nowadays
The “cow milk is for baby cows not humans” is a misguided vegan argument. Humans have herded cattle and consumed the milk as various dairy products LONGER than they have cultivated plants as crops. You and I would not be here today if it were not for dairy.
That said, the garbage milk at the supermarket is not healthy. Processed milk is a denatured food loaded with toxins from the horrible way conventional dairies treat the cows. The best formula if a mother cannot breastfeed is made from unpasteurized, nonhomogenized, grassfed milk like humans have consumed for over 10,000 years. Here’s how to make it. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-homemade-milk-based-baby-formula/