Soya lecithin?

[Anniejw]

Hi,

I need some advice about Soya please

If you can advise about the 'dos & dont's' with regards to eating foods that contain any soya lecithin please ....avoid completely? ...or are they ok in small quantities ?

Many thanks. 😊

[shaws Administrator]

I don't know the answer but maybe this link will help:-

verywell.com/soy-and-the-th...

[Paula101 in reply to shaws]

Thank you for posting Shaws, I'll take a look at the link too 🙂

[Paula101]

I think a few here advise against it. It may have been Greygoose that commented Asian's won't entertain it, considering it a poison.

Since I've started looking for it on food labels, they are actually some items without it. I have a sweet tooth so have thankfully found some things I can have!

If memory serves me correctly it messes with your hormones.

Someone will be able to enlighten us both no doubt 🙂

[Anniejw in reply to Paula101]

Thanks Shaws and Paula101 for your replies 😊

Hi Greygoose....would you be able to give us any advice please? Thanks in advance 😊

[Paula101 in reply to Anniejw]

Weston Price Foundation website is a fantastic read regards soy. Found the site via Shaws link.

[phronsias]

Avoid completely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anniejw]

Really....it's in so many store cupboard staples 😯. ..can I ask how did you feel/your experience when you avoided it completely? Thanks for responding 😊

[phronsias in reply to Anniejw]

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[greygoose]

I'm not sure I've ever said anything about soy lecithin and Asians. I have read articles saying that it's bad for you, but can't remember why.

The waters are very muddy at the moment. I used to say that unfermented soy was poison, that's true. And I still believe that. And it's bad for hypos because it impedes the up-take of thyroid hormone at a cellular level, meaning that you can have good levels of T3 in the blood, but it doesn't get into the cells.

And, I used to say that fermented soy was OK, in small quantities. However, now, it's being said that even fermented soy is bad, because instead of fermentation getting rid of the nasties, it augments their nastiness! So, possibly best to avoid it all.

From personal experience, I react very badly to unfermented soy. It makes me quite ill. And I've never tried fermented soy because it just looks so disgusting! But, soy lecithin, I've eaten all my life. It's in chocolate! lol And it never appears to have done me any harm. And I used to work in a chocolate factory, and ate tons of the stuff! So, I really don't know.

I think, possibly, out of sheer confusion on the subject, I'll maintain my former position : avoid all unfermented soy like the plague, and restrict fermented soy to small quantities - it is only supposed to be a condiment, anyway, not a main meal. And, I think possibly that's the problem with unfermented soy - people eat too much of it! Soy steaks and soy milk, and soy flour, oil and protein are in almost all processed foods. It was just never meant to be eaten that way. But, soy lecithin, I have no idea. I would say that if it agrees with you, eat it - or rather the product that contains it. If it disagrees with you, leave it alone. You're never going to get a unanimous verdict, I don't think.

[Anniejw in reply to greygoose]

Thanks Greygoose and everyone ...I really appreciate all your comments and experiences 👍😊

[greygoose in reply to Anniejw]

You're welcome.

[Paula101 in reply to greygoose]

Sorry greygoose , it must have been someone else.

[greygoose in reply to Paula101]

No problem. Could have been anyone.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Regarding lecithin, there's a good read on thecompounder.com/what-is-l.... Larry Frieders, Ph.D and family own a compounding pharmacy outside of Chicago. Good objective information. You'll learn more from him than you will from many doctors.

[Anniejw in reply to Hidden]

Thank you...will enjoy reading about this 😊👍

[Hidden in reply to Anniejw]

You're welcome. Larry writes on many topics and he enjoys sharing what he knows, along with what he has learned. I just started back on a tiny dose of lecithin(400 mg) before bed, after talking with my urologist about the possibility of low growth hormone. Lecithin contains phosphatidylcholine which inhibits the release of a hormone that lowers growth hormone. I love being a lab rat. I'm 68 and my regret is that I didn't start self treating a decade ago. Hypo for years, now using 2 grains of Thiroid, 35,000 IU of vitamin D, 4 mg K2/Mk4, 50 mg DHEA, B2, zinc, vitamin C, dolomite powder. I'm comfortably warm all the time, lost a bit of weight and feel 'stirrings' of a younger man. I refuse to remain exhausted and depressed.

[Anniejw in reply to Hidden]

That's great and glad your doing well. Its all trial and error with us hypos. ..good to share knowledge with people on Thyroid UK 😊

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

What is the hormone that lowers growth hormone?

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Somatostatin. I was doing some research, this morning, which seems to infer that taking thyroid medication can blunt somatostatin and upregulate the output of growth hormone. As I posted, I took a tiny amount of lecithin before bed and I had strange dreams related to arguing with my wife about my bipolar illness as I was desperately trying to contact a former doctor about treatment. Too real. I've read other accounts of lecithin before bed inducing strange and bizarre dreams.

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

But, surely, Somatostatin only reduces HGH if excess is being produced. Not on normal production.

It's quite common for hypos to have low HGH because you need good levels of T3 for the pituitary to produce HGH. But, don't you think you would be better to get your HGH tested, to see if it is really low, before taking something which upset the whole delicate balance of the system? If it's really, really low, you could probably be prescribed HGH injections. If it's just a little low, you can do things like not eating after 8 pm and sleeping in the dark, and above all, concentrating on raising your FT3 to increase production of HGH.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Correct. If one in injecting HGH and exceeding recommended dose, somatostatin level will increase. HGH shots are expensive; between $600 and $1000 USD per month, though not expesive if a person has the financial means to bypass their health insurance plan. That's not me. But there exists a way to buy research grade HGH, sans an rx. Not going that route right now, but I won't rule it out.

I try not to eat late in the evening. My diet consists of seafood, salads, olive oil and fresh fruit. Sleep is the one factor that has degenerated over the past four years, due to untreatable bipolar and my urologist speculates if low HGH could be a factor. He recommended the IGF-1 blood test. Medicare might not pay for the test, so I could see a large bill in the mail from the government, LOL. Normalizing my thyroid function seems to be the most sensible and easy way to bring some balance to my dysfunctional endocrine system.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

I gave up all obvious soya a long time ago, but chose to ignore soya lecithin, as it's in so many things, especially daily chocolate!

Anyway two years ago, I decided to bite the bullet and give up ALL foods with soya lecithin in too.

Didn't really expect to notice any improvements. But after two to three weeks I felt noticeably warmer, hands and feet especially

If you look hard enough, you can find chocolate without soya lecethin in ......

[Rmichelle]

Hi, i dont touch the yakky stuff either it's just horrid😲 it is in most food items but mostly in sweet produce-i gave it up 6 months ago.☺

[Rmichelle]

If you like chocolate-montezumas brand does not contain soya, you can buy from sainsburys and also holland and barratt moo bars dont contain it either.xx

[Nanaedake]

In countries such as Japan where soy products are eaten traditionally they are part of a balanced diet and it's mostly fermented soy in small quantities. So, for example, Japanese (not Chinese) soy sauce is fermented and used in small quantities to flavour a soup base for vegetables, meat, noodles and so on. It is not poured over rice. Various beans are eaten, not soy bean to exclusion. Tofu is eaten in small quantities with other vegetables and provides calcium in a non dairy diet, or a few small dice sized squares are added in soup with seaweed and a fish base. Soy is not eaten as a substitute for other foods such as flour or meat. The main focus of food is most asian countries where soy is eaten is very fresh seafood, fresh in season vegetables, mushrooms of a wide variety, sea vegetables, poultry, egges and fermented pickles.

Lots of information about Natto here sciencedirect.com/topics/ag...

A small quantity of natto beans are eaten on rice habitually in Japan. Most cultures have some fermented foods. In Germany it's saurkraut and in Japan Natto and various pickles, in Eastern Europe it might be kefir. It seems that fermented foods contain K2 due to fermentation processes which is thought to be beneficial.

Japanese people suffer from thyroid conditions too but as far as I know, soy products eaten as part of a balanced diet are not avoided.

Soy lecitin is usually contained in packaged foods so it probably depends on your attitude to packaged and ready made products. If you eat those types of products it's probably unavoidable.

I agree that WestonAPrice.org is an interesting website. In particular I found the article on aboriginal food fascinating. It shows how varied foods are around the world but that all cultures derive the same nutrients somehow. In particular the challenge for people living in extreme environmental conditions was getting enough fat in the diet. Maybe keeping soy to a minimum is best but perhaps avoiding it altogether is overkill?

[Angel_of_the_North]

Lecithin (the supplement) might be OK, but you can usually find sunflower lecithin instead. Fermented soya is generally considered OK, so natto, but not tofu and tamari (wheat-free) but not ordinary soy sauce - and never those fake meat and cheese substitutes.