Alternatives To Soy

[Tatalp]

Ok, I have a problem. My mom was reading a book about hypothyroidism, and heard that soy can cause throid problems. That's a MAJOR concern for me, as I'm a vegan who eats lots of soy, and hypothyroidism runs in the women of my family. So right now I want to work on changing from soy foods to other animal product alternatives(LMAO, alternative foods to alternative foods so I'd like some tips on good brands and such.

Rice/Almond milk: Any good brands you know of?
Fake Meats: What kinds? I've tried some asian thing(forget what it is..) and that was nasty. All rubbery!
Protein Suppliments: Do non soy/whey ones exist? Do you know any good ones?
I'm also curious about whether you think this is something I should be concerned about.

[Susan9608]

I really wouldn't worry about it. From everything I've read and heard, these studies against soy are not totally conclusive and are not widely endorsed, at least not yet. The major problem relating to the thyroid, again from my understanding, is that the isoflavones can bind to iodine and prevent you from absorbing it. Iodine is necessary for you to make your thyroid hormones.

However, these isoflavones are not very concentrated in soy food - they are most prevalent in soy supplements - isolflavone supplements dervied from soy to help with various things from menopause to anti-aging. So unless you are eating twice your weight in soy products every day and taking isoflavone supplements, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

You get plenty of iodine from the food you eat. Nearly all salt in the US is iodized salt, and you find salt in almost *everything* except totally natural, raw foods. As long as you're eating a well balanced diet, you don't have anything to worry about it.

If you're still concerned, ask your doctor to check your Free t4 and TSH levels every year at your physical. The results should help you set your mind at ease.