utne reader: How Much (Soy) Is Too Much?, July/Aug 2007

http://www.utne.com/issues/2007_142/features/12608-1.html
Clinical nutritionist Kaayla Daniel on the Dos and Don'ts of soy consumption
—By Mary Vance, Terrain

This is a very good Q&A re soy. Go to the link to read more. Here is a snippet:

Q. How much soy does the average person consume in a day?
A. Someone on a junk-food diet is getting soy flour in the fast-food hamburger bun, soy protein in the burger itself, and soy oil in the fries; soy is in every one of these products because it's cheap and abundant. You'll find soy hidden in so many foods, and small quantities add up. People often start by drinking a lot of soy milk. If they are taking supplements, they can be getting really high doses. Even scientists working for the soy industry will say they support soy food but do not support use of soy supplements. It is so dangerous at such a high level, and it's harming many people.

Q. Which soy product is the worst?
A. The biggest problem is soy milk. Those with lactose intolerance think that soy milk is a great alternative, and they're drinking a lot and getting a huge dose of isoflavones. If you're drinking soy milk, you're going to have a problem, or most people will sooner or later. We're all different--some people will start having problems in a day, and some people will think they're fine and a year later things will start to go downhill. Drinking just one glass a day of soy milk will give someone the level of plant estrogens that has hurt the thyroids of healthy Japanese men and women. Most people are drinking several glasses, plus the soy protein energy bars and the bags of edamame.