Discussion Board

Hey, Jeff. I was wondering what you thought of this quote from Dr.McDougalls December Newsletter.

"However, animal fats, animal proteins, vegetable oils, and vegetarian foods made with isolated soy proteins can promote cancer growth. Steve Jobs ate in restaurants often. His vegan diet was likely too high in vegetable oils and “fake” meats and cheeses (foods with high amounts of isolated soy proteins)."

Can you expound on the isolated soy proteins part? I purchase 'mock' meats but if they are basically in the same line as what real meat does to a person's health I might as well remove 'em from my diet.

Would you say a person (my dad) who had heart problems and had to get a stent and is trying to improve their health through this diet should stay away from the isolated soy proteins?

Avoid it.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/ ... 0pusoy.htm

In Health
Jeff

Thanks Jeff. Wow, guess that will be taken off the grocery list.

I'm weighing in a month late on this but it has been a month very relevant to this discussion. About a month ago my doctor found a polyp in my colon that he said has probably been growing for two years. I eat very healthy (nearly McDougall), two to three cups of fruits and three to four cups of vegetables every day, about 50 grams of fiber a day. I'm normal weight, and I exercise every day for 40-50 minutes. I'm also only 46. So I have been wondering about this--just an anomaly to have the polyp, or genetics (my dad had them too), or something else?

The key, I am wondering, might be in the fact that it's been growing for two years. I did make a big change about two years ago, because I was starting menopause--I began to have a shake every day with isolated soy protein powder. So many people tell you soy is the miracle for menopause if you don't want to do HRT. "Revival soy" and other products are all over the menopause self-help boards. But after I got the diagnosis of the large polyp I began to do research and found what Dr. McDougall says about soy and particularly isolated soy protein. Now I wonder if I may have caused my system harm from (1) too much protein in general; and (2) the isolated soy protein. There is a genetic factor at play--my dad had polyps early, about my age also. But he had a much different diet back then--very standard Western.

I have discarded the soy protein, of course--and I'm ready to endure hot flashes or whatever comes without it! I thank God I keep up on Dr. McDougall's advice and looked for what he says about soy, as I often do about other health issues.

(Colonoscopy is in two days--just finished my "last meal" and feeling sorry for myself but also overall very lucky for this discovery)

DoctorJ, what about getting your soy right from the source...edammame. Even tofu adn tempeh would be better than isp.

Hi Rachelle--

I'm glad you mentioned this because, as a matter of fact, I was wondering, particularly after a visit to Whole Foods. They had some delicious-looking tempeh strips that come in different flavors and they looked like they would work well in recipes and sandwiches. Am I right that tempeh and edamame, although a higher-fat food and thus a bit more limited on the program, is not a problem for the growth factor that the ISP has? Also what about tofu itself? I don't need to lose weight right now so a higher calorie food is okay in moderation but I am on high alert for the return of the polyps.

BTW, looking at so many so-called "healthy" products these days you see the ISP--lots of people who think they're eating healthy could be ingesting a lot of this stuff.