What About Soy?

Soybeans can be especially tough to digest since they contain sub­stantial amounts of protein, fat, and starch. A meal high in soybeans

Food Combining Principles 23

could be compared to a meal with three foods separately dominant in protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Foods with such codominant nu­trients don't necessarily have to be completely avoided, but you should be aware of them, since they can sometimes cause persis­tently poor digestion. When all else fails in the pursuit of good di­gestion, you should then proceed to completely eliminate such foods from your diet.

Soybeans and soy products can also inhibit digestion by addi­tional mechanisms. These foods are high in a substance called phytic acid. Phytic acid is an organic acid, and we have already noted how organic acids, such as those produced by fruit that fer­ments rather than digests, can impair production of digestive acid and enzymes by the stomach. Soybeans also contain enzyme in­hibitors that directly block the ability of the gut to properly digest protein. Ordinary cooking does not eliminate either the phytic acid or the enzyme inhibitors of soybeans. Only well-fermented soy products such as tempeh and miso are significantly reduced in phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Unfortunately for the general health of the population, the fermented soy products are consumed in substantially smaller amounts than the non-fermented soy prod­ucts such as tofu and bean curd.

The phytic acid contained in soybean products does even further damage to the nutritional status of the consumer. Several very im­portant minerals, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, bind readily to phytic acid, which substantially lessens their effec­tive absorption and utilization. Remember: It's not enough to eat mineral-rich foods if the body cannot effectively extract the mineral content from them. And remember that every meal you eat that does not deliver adequate vitamin and mineral content to you will result in your body "stealing" such needed nutrients from internal storage sites. When these storage sites eventually become severely depleted, disease processes can be expected to start, and existing diseases can be expected to worsen.

24 Optimal Nutrition for Optimal Health

This concept of internal nutrient theft also applies to any food that has been substantially or totally depleted of vitamin and mineral nutrients. Examples of such foods include white flour, refined sugar, and polished white rice. Every time a depleted food is eaten in the place of a nutrient-rich food, some degree of this in­ternal nutrient theft can be expected to occur. Your body can only borrow from these storage sites for a limited time before replenish­ment must take place to avoid sowing the seeds of disease.