Is Organic Soy Milk Ok??????

D.,
As many other moms have said, rice milk is a great, safe, and healthy alternative. My son also had a milk allergy, which we discovered shortly after I discontinued breastfeeding. We started him on rice milk, and now at 3 1/2, he is still drinking it. He has outgrown the milk allergy, but he is allergic to soy. Often, if a child is allergic to milk, there is a good possibility that he/she may be allergic to soy, so the safest bet is to stick with the rice milk. We started on Rice Dream, but my son prefers Trader Joe's brand, and it's even a little less expensive. Good luck!
J.

If you have any concerns try Rice Miik. My daughter same had dairy/soy allergy and has since grown out of it, but I worried the same about soy. Doctor recommended the rice milk since she had the soy allergy anyway and I buy the Rice Dream brand. It comes in organic and enriched with calcium and vitamins. You can get it at any grocery store. She is happy healthy and very tall for her age so growing fine with it.

If at all possible do not give a young boy any soy, organic or otherwise. (Soy formula being the worst possible thing) It has something to do with the phytoestrogens in the soy. Google young boys and soy and you will find all sorts of information. In fact, it's not even great for young girls. I'm breastfeeding and I do not eat any soy for that reason. Try rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk or even goats milk.

rice milk or almond milk would be much better choices. soy milk, even if it is organic, contains anti-nutrients that aren't good for anyone, especially babies or toddlers. it is also an allergen. my daughter (2 and a half) drinks rice milk and loves it. sorry i don't know off hand all the scientific facts to flesh out the problems with soy, but what i have retained from the reading i've done this is that soy is best avoided.

all the best!

R.

Try almond milk. You can purchase at Trader Joes or whole foods. Try to get the vanilla with no sugar. My kids love it.

D. Merlin
mother/author
www.victoryoveradhd.com

Umm, okay. My son, age 2, is lactose intolerant. I tried a bunch of stuff, but at his age nuts have also an issue so Almond Milk didn't work and other stuff didn't have the same calorie base that Silk Soy Milk does.

When I finally asked my son's doctor he said, that Soy Milk is fine for him and that he had read studies about the hormones and so forth but there was not scientific basis for the claims. So, for now I choose Soy Milk for my son and hopefully eventually Organic Cow's Milk when he 'grows' out of this phase.

From what I have heard, if it's organic it doesn't have the estrogen in it. I would maybe ask someone who works at a healthfood store- do you have a whole foods nearby? Also, if it does contain estrogen, maybe rice milk can be a safe alternative. I have also heard that goat's milk has been used when kids are alergic to cow's milk.

Soy has plant-based estrogen, but I have never heard of it being an issue for kids. Because soy is a bean, however, flatulance is a common side effect!! Dr. Andrew Weil has a very informative website (I think it is askdrweil.com or something close), he is a highly regarded M.D. who believes in things like soy. See if your question is in his FAQs.

All animal milks have estrogen by nature. Soybeans, and LOTS of other foods (bananas, wheat, corn, etc) have PHYTOESTROGENS, which are plant "estrogens". It is not a true estrogen like what you would find in animal products, and is processed by the body differently, so it really is a misnomer. If you have to choose between animal hormones and plant phytoestrogens, definitely choose the plant based ones. There is a lot of misinformation and propaganda out there about soy, likely put out by the dairy industry that is losing money to the soybean industry. If you don't feel comfortable with soy, almond milk is a good substitute. Almonds are naturally very high in calcium, and almond milk is delicious! We have a daughter with eczema and milk allergy, and the Air Force doctors haven't been very supportive with her health issues. I've had to do most of the legwork myself. There are lots of dairy-free recipes online, and there is a support group in the pediatrician's forum at www.drjaygordon.com that I will use sometimes. They have a link library that is pretty good. Good luck!

Hi D., go on the enternet and look up soy products, everything I have researched and read says soy is not good for us, but check out read for yourself and make a decsion based on your own research. J. L.

as some of the other moms have mentioned, there is conflicting statements about soy. I have (in the past) been to a homeopathic doctor and he suggest to avoid soy at all cost for several reasons. Soy blocks other nutrients from getting into your body and can cause growths (boobs) on males. My friends mom had breast cancer and the oncology nutritionist told her to eliminate ALL soy from her diet immediately (along with pork, peanuts and sugar).

I do not give my family soy for fear of the worse. I figure better safe than sorry.

On the bright side, at least you have several options such as goat milk, rice milk, almond milk and hemp milk.

It's the way they process the milks now adays that makes it so unhealthy. My son is allergic to milk also, and my natural doctor said that even soy wouldn't be a good substitute. I tried Rice milk & Almond milk, and he like the almond milk better. You can buy it online in bigger containers.
Good Luck!

When I did toe to toe comparisons of soy vs cow milk, their nutrition panels were suprisingly close. Yet, soy milk contains a lot of aluminum. And because I have a thyroid problem, I don't drink it any longer because of the estrogen effect.
You may do better with rice milk or almond breeze, if he likes drinking milk. If you are doing it for health, you can find protein in other sources.
As with anything, we want to do what's best for our children. Moderation is the key, because there will be some new info on some other common food being bad or dangerous, then soon after, it will get refuted. I personally do not eat organic, it seems frivolous. Honestly, we breathe the dirtiest air in the United States. Eat well rounded meals, eat good fats, keep the sweets out of the house, take your vitamins, and exercise. Think of the amount of stress food is causing, and ask yourself, how helpful can that be?

I'm sorry your son had surgery when he was younger, you didn't say why. I know how scary it can be.

Your sons allergies and asthma can stay under control with medicene. My 6 year old has the same thing, and I find him to be a picky eater. So, I make sure their are many fruits and veggies, and he picks what he wants off his plate. My mom was saying there is a suggested 'asthma diet'. I have to look into that.

Please stay away from Soy. My oldest daughter formed boobie knots and they stayed for two years. When her pediatrician found out that I was drinking soy milk and nursing her she made me stop drinking soy right away. My daughters pediatricians do not recommend soy formula or any type of soy for their patients. There is too much estrogen in soy. It is not good for anyone especially a baby to drink it.

Good Luck!

hey D.,

please don't believe that organic soymilk does not have estrogen. It is not the fact that soy beans are being pumped with estrogen or any other kinds of hormones (ridiculous! it's not like cow) but the fact that there are components within the soy bean itself that depending on the physiology of your body, (everyones body is different) your body can perceive the soymilk as an estrogen.

how this works is that small protein like structures that reside within the soybean have a similar shape to the estrogen hormone; so your body's receptors take up the soybean structures as being estrogen and then acts upon it accordingly . so in a way your body is being tricked, however for some this does not apply, because for some their bodies are able to notice the slight differences between the hormone estrogen and soybeans, respectively.

there are a lot of pros and cons to soybeans/milk. I personally cannot pass up the benefits of soybeans/milk, so for my daughter I alternate between soymilk, cow's milk, and goat's milk. I haven't heard anything bad about goat's milk and I think you can find it at any health food store, but ultimately the decision is up to you as a mother who knows her son the best.

wishing the best,
H.:)

D.,
there is some conflicting advice on here and so I suggest you do your own research instead. A good website is, as mentioned below, http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/. Another website to check out is www.realmilk.com . Good luck, and remember that you are ultimately the one responsible,regardless of what someone else told you so be sure to be convinced based on your own research. Great question to post, I hope a lot of moms are spurned on to seek the truth on this matter!

I prefer hemp milk as an an alternative for my 22 month old boy. It is a much better protein source than soy because hemp seeds naturally contain al essential amino acids, making it a "complete" protein. It is also one of very few sources of naturally occuring Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential for proper brain and eye development, not to mention cellular functioning. It also is rich in iron and a host of other minerals. Also, the brand I like, Living Harvest, has a few other added minerals and vitamins too, and more calcium than any soy or rice or cow milk have ever seen. And its so yummy and creamy! Sweetened with a small amount of Brown rice syrup instead of cane sugar, too. Comes in original, vanilla and chocolate. Its a little more pricey than some of the soy or rice milk but it is so much more nourishing I think it is well worth it. And I dont have to be concerned about the potential effects of phytoestrogens in my sensitive little boy. And he Loves it! Good Luck!

no i don't think organic milk has soy..they're discovering that soy and soy products really aren't the best for you..have you tried almond milk? or oatmilk? they have almond milk at Trader Joe's..also have chocolate and vanilla versions..hey regular milk isn't all that great either ..can your son get calcium other ways? cheese etc? or is he completely allergic?

Soy hs some estrogenic properties and I would not give it exclusively to a young child, especially a boy.
It doesn't matter if it's organic. It's in the soy bean. Try giving him rice milk. You can get the organic rice dream. The vanilla is a little sweet and tastes good. I gave my son (who is not allergic to milk, but I'm not a cow's milk fan) a combination of goats milk and vanilla rice dream. It works well. Goats milk is better tolerated than cows milk, so unless he has a real allergy, it might work for you. Sounds like with his eczema etc. he should be off all dairy-including cheese. You can buy almond cheese and melt it in a sandwich.
Good luck

I was raised on soy back in the day it was all they had other then breast milk and cows milk. And I am just fine.

I have 2 wonderful girls who were also raised on soy formula and soy milk! I also used lactose free milk that is rbest free due to the actually scientific proof it can harm young kids.

I also had one of my kids for health reasons who is growth hormone deficient (she was born with a tiny pituitary gland we found out at age 1 yr and they said it was due to her medical conditions not soy. ) on soy formula tell age 2 1/2. Shes just fine no boobies nothing, hell she didn't get HAIR until we started growth hormone shots. ( We choose to wait tell age 2 1/2 yrs to do this due to the negative stuff from those.) So yes soy is fine for a boy, as my brother was raised too on soy and hes 28 married and no bobbies either. Some kids yes cant have soy or shouldn't from a medical point of view but if his dr who has taken care of him it sounds great if he was able to diagnose the things you say in the about me, then he should know. But if the dr says not to then listen. Like if it aint broken why fix it? :)

But I do understand how you could be concerned but I would ask his dr if I were you. And research it threw the sites.

I also used with my kids the silk fortified very vanilla soy milk when they want it now. And I asked my other lactose intolerant daughters dr about it he said he if she will drink it honestly its better for her in moderation for extra vitamins and I make them both smoothies with it and they love it I also add protein powder (dr asked me to, to replace the lost proteins from soy.) and they dont notice it. (I think this is why, http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/)

But ultimately its your choice do you wanna continue and give him the soy or change to something else. Just do your research with REAL scientific facts is all I ask.

I hope this helps, also try this site (http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm)

Also organic is nice but really its not much better or worse. Maybe in some things like veggies (pesticides.) or milk (cows and growth hormones and bad feed.) and so on. Soy beans are your least worry when you think about it. Hell even meat can be bad due to what farmers give the cows now. (personal opinion.)

Other options if you choose not to use soy -
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/08/17/soy-milk-rice...

http://www.natural-family.com/3nut-62-soy-milk-alternativ...

Dear D.,

If it is not on the label, then it isn't supposed to be in the product. I think that it is o.k. check with lots of others, I really am not an expert, I just know that soy milk is very good for babies. C. N.

I've read up on this after reading what other moms wrote as well. It turns out that Soy in it's natural form is rather toxic, but there are certain methods that can remove the toxins. Eastern cultures use a special fermentation method to do this. The problem is, supposedly the big soy companies are not monitored or given any type of guidelines as to whether they are using any methods to remove the toxins or not. Once I read that, I (who was a big soy drinker) started drinking rice milk instead and trying to avoid soy as much as possible (good luck avoiding it altogether - it's in everything these days, especially soy lecithin).

Here are just a few links for you:
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
http://www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/basics/soy.htm
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/soy.htm

Oh, and just found one more link that is really helpful as to what is safe and what you should avoid:
http://www.soyinfo.com/

D.,

All soy has the plant estrogens in it. My son is allergic to both dairy and soy so he drinks Similac Alimentum even though he's almost 2. I know kids can survive without a "milk source" but it sure is a convenient way to make sure he's getting enough calcium, protein and fat in his diet.

There are a lot of questions but not many answers as to how healthy soy is for you in the forms we eat it. Cultures that have eaten soy for generations tend to eat it fermented (as in tofu), not drink it as a milk and eat it in flours added to their foods.

:-)T.

Yes, it does. Have you tried Rice Milk? Enriched Vanilla Rice Dream is delicious!

Hi D.,
I can't speak to the estrogen in soy milk. The information I've seen seem conflicting.
I just wanted you to be aware that all soy milk is not equal. Read the label to make sure it contains enough calcium. My son is allergic to the protein in milk and drinks soy milk from Trader Joes, as that is his favorite brand and has as much calcium as in regular milk. He's 15 now and is healthy. If you decide not to give him soy milk, I would be interested to know what you chose as an alternative.
The best to you and your son,
Linda

I would also ask your pediatrician what would be best, because generally children need the fat in whole milk for brain development,so you'd need another source for that.

My son LOVES almond and rice milk. I would stay away from too much soy because there has been a lot of research done and more to come showing that it could have side effects down the line. Also try the vanilla rice and almond milk. Surprisingly it has the same basic amount of sugar as the regular milks and it's really delicious, even on healthy types of cereal.-www.weelicious.com

The estrogen is naturally occurring--not added or anything to do with being organic. It is okay for everyone--unless you're trying to get pregnant and you are too low in progesterone.(and certainly don't need any more estrogen).

You're fine.