Danger of soy formula

Soy formula may inhibit intestinal development in babies


22/12/2004 - The soy isoflavone genistein may inhibit intestinal cell growth in babies, say US researchers, who have carried out tests on newborn piglets.

Their findings could have a significant impact on makers of soy formula, consumed by around 25 per cent of formula-fed babies in the US.
Researchers found that in newborn piglets fed a formula supplemented with genistein at the level found in soy formula, the number of proliferating cells in the intestine was 50 per cent lower than in piglets fed cow's milk formula alone.
The team from the University of Illinois point out that newborn piglets are a good model for human infants as they have a similar metabolism and physiology.
Concentrations of genistein in the piglets' blood were similar to those of babies fed soy formula, so these data may be applicable to human infants, said Professor Sharon Donovan, who carried out the research released on Pediatric Research online on 7 December.
She explained that although babies on soy formula appear to grow normally, these formulas contain very high concentrations of genistein, from 32 to 45 milligrams, which is higher than the amount found to affect menstrual cycles in women.
"I'm struck by the fact that these babies are receiving isoflavones at such high concentrations," Donovan said. "Formula is the sole source of nutrition for these infants for the first four to six months of life, when so many important organ systems are developing."
Donovan first reported in the June issue of the Journal of Nutrition that intestinal cells treated with genistein in the amount present in soy infant formula "basically stopped proliferating."
These findings were backed up by the second study on piglets. However although these data are the first to show that genistein is bioactive in the neonatal intestine, Donovan said these results do not mean soy formulas should not be fed to babies.
"Clinical data suggest that soy formulas are safe but even though they appear to be safe, they may not be without effect," she said.
The researcher plans to study the reaction between genistein and other soy isoflavones that likely affect genistein's actions in the intestine.
The study will be published in the February 2005 issue of the journal.
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Soy formula no more effective in allergy prevention

23/07/2004 - Soy-based formulas are often recommended for infants with food allergies, but a review of past studies suggests they should not be recommended for the prevention of allergies or food intolerance in infants at high risk.

Soy-protein based infant formulas have been used in the past to treat infants who have food allergies or intolerances. This raises the possibility that soy formulas might prevent food allergies in children at high-risk, such as an infant with family history of allergy.
But a recent review of the available literature concludes that there is no evidence to suggest that soy formulas are any more effective in preventing allergies than formula based on cow's milk.
In addition, the research showed that there was more risk of developing allergies if a soy formula was used rather than a hydrolysed protein formula.
"Feeding with a soy formula should not be recommended for the prevention of allergy or food intolerance in infants at high risk (for these conditions)," write the researchers from the Westmead Hospital in New South Wales, Australia, in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library Newsletter (Issue 3, 2004).

http://nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=53746-soy-formula-no

Soy formula needs to be reviewed, say UK scientists

02/05/2003 - The UK's independent scientific Committee on Toxicity (COT) is urging the government's health department, which has responsibility for infant health and feeding practices, to review its advice on the use of soya-based infant formulas.

It is possible that phytoestrogens could adversely affect people with hypothyroidism, concluded the group, who found that despite many claims that phytoestrogens have a beneficial impact on health, the evidence does not convincingly support this view.
Phytoestrogens are compounds produced naturally by some edible plants, most notably soya. In the body, they mimic or block the action of the human hormone oestrogen, although they are much less potent.
Extensive research worldwide on phytoestrogens has led to many conflicting reports on the risks and benefits of consuming phytoestrogen-rich foods. A recent study on rats found that exposure to large quantities of phytoestrogens damaged fertility, leading to concerns that similar effects could occur in humans, particularly babies fed soya-based infant formulas.
But other studies on populations that traditionally consume diets rich in phytoestrogens, such as the Japanese and Chinese, suggest that they may have a beneficial effect on osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
The COT working group claims to have examined all the available information on the possible health effects of phytoestrogens. Further research to address specific knowledge gaps is needed, the scientists say.
Such gaps include the potential for drug-phytoestrogen interactions, important for individuals consuming phytoestrogen dietary supplements while taking prescribed drugs with hormonal effects, and potential differences in the metabolism of phytoestrogens between Western and Easternpopulations, not yet determined. Such knowledge could aid assessmentof epidemiological studies.
The team says that future research should be conducted in humans where possible. A study of populations in the UK who ingest relatively large amounts ofphytoestrogens, such as infants, vegetarians/vegans and users of phytoestrogen-rich foods andsupplements, would allow a more informed view of the health implications of phytoestrogens.
It also said "there is a need for further research on the potential effects of phytoestrogens in infants fed soy-based infant formulae. It may be possible to use established cohortsof infants fed soy-based formula to investigate the possible long-term health effects of exposure tophytoestrogens during infancy."The full report is available from the FSA.

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Soy milk linked to ADHD

07/10/2002 - Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have discovered that a mineral found in high levels in soy milk appears to be linked to behavioural problems

There has been much speculation on whether soy-based infant formula leads to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but so far little evidence to back up the concerns.The new study on rats, one of the first scientific inquiries into soy milk and ADHD, indicates that the mineral manganese may cause behavioural problems if consumed in high doses. The study appears in the journal NeuroToxicology.
Francis Crinella, professor of paediatrics, and his colleagues at UCI and UC Davis found that giving rats increasing levels of manganese during infancy resulted in behavioural changes at higher doses. The researchers also found that manganese exposure resulted in lowered levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which plays a key role in inhibiting behaviour seen in cases of ADHD.
"Manganese is a mineral that's essential for life. But past studies on manganese miners have shown that it causes a number of behavioural problems," Crinella said. "Soy milk formula contains about 80 times the levels of manganese found in breast milk, posing the risk that infants could receive too much manganese in the first weeks of life. While we've shown that behavioural problems can result from manganese exposure, we don't know if these problems are permanent, or result in ADHD among humans."
Crinella and his colleagues found that at lower doses, manganese did not result in any significant changes in behaviour in the infant rats. However, at the experiment's highest doses of manganese, researchers saw that the rats were much more inconsistent at completing tasks than they were at lower doses.
In addition, the researchers found significant decreases in dopamine with higher doses of manganese. Previous research had shown that dopamine decreases occurred in areas of the brain that are critical for performing problem-solving tasks. These areas of the brain co-ordinate what is called the brain's "executive function" and are known to be deficient in ADHD.
"While this study shows a definite correlation between high manganese and lower dopamine levels, we still need to see whether high manganese doses result in permanent behavioural problems, including ADHD," Crinella said. "Although soy milk by itself is not harmful, manganese can be removed through a laborious and expensive process. Only more scientific research will determine whether or not removing manganese would provide any prevention of ADHD in infants."
Manganese is in the Earth's crust and is found in nearly all cereals and grains, including soy. The mineral is important for enabling cells to obtain energy. High doses of industrial exposure have been known to produce a syndrome called "manganism", marked by tremors similar to Parkinson's disease and spasmodic, often violent, behaviour.
Crinella and his team are now working on simulating human doses of soy milk formula to test whether they have any connection to behavioural problems.

http://nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=36453-soy-milk-linked

Phytoestrogen safety under scrutiny

11/10/2002 - Britain's Food Standards Agency (FSA) reports this week that the Committee on Toxicity (COT) is consulting on a draft report that looks at the implications for human health of phytoestrogens in our diet. The group recommends more research and a greater check on infant formulae.

Present to varying extents in our diet, phytoestrogens are chemicals naturally produced by some edible plants, notably soy. In the body they can mimic or block the action of human oestrogens, although they are much less potent, writes the FSA.


Evidence suggests that phytoestrogens could cause fertility problems in animals ingesting phytoestrogen-rich diets. There is also concern that phytoestrogens in soy-based infant formulae might have adverse effects on the sexual development of infants, adds the agency.
But there are no reports of adverse effects in populations, such as the Japanese and Chinese, whose traditional diet includes phytoestrogens and a body of scientific thought suggests that phytoestrogens may have beneficial effects on particular diseases.
COT, an independent committee that advises the Food Standards Agency on toxicological risks of chemicals to humans, set up the Working Group on Phytoestrogens in April 2000 to review the Agency's research programme on phytoestrogens and scientific research published on the subject.
Key points investigated were whether soy-based infant formulae pose a risk to infants; if there are health implications for other groups of people from dietary phytoestrogens, and whether there are benefits from consuming phytoestrogens.
The Working Group's recommendations include that soy-based infant formulae should only be given to infants for clinical reasons, and that doctors and other health-care workers are made aware of the potential interactions between phytoestrogens in these formulae and thyroid function.
The consultation will run until 3 December 2002