Protein - Soy?

[Jonjon]

Hey Guys,

Just moved to NZ, so I am very new to the forum. Anyway, I have been working out at the gym and I take RedBak V-Soy Protein powder. I have heard a lot of people saying that its not healthy, nor does soy protein do anything for your body.

The reason I take soy is because I have an unusual reaction to most whey/whey isolate proteins. Its somewhat hard to explain but sometimes its a reaction in my stomach or anaphylactic (much like my allergy to peaches, plums, apricots etc). I have tried various types of proteins and have found soy to be the only protein that avoids these reactions. The anaphylactic reaction is the major one - swelling of the throat, lots of saliva, chest pains...so ideally like to avoid at all costs. Havent heard of anyone else having reactions like me, but could anyone recommend an alternative protein powder (brand) than soy.

Ideally I want a powder because its cheaper and easier (in the long run) to have while being a full time student on a limited wage. Help is appreciated as I want to buy some more very shortly.

JonJon

[hhhh1]

i woudnt buy more. fish/chicken/red meat etc instead. im interested to know how much this stuff costs you though

Soybeans and processed soy foods are among the richest foods in total phytoestrogens (wet basis per 100g), which are present primarily in the form of the isoflavones daidzein and genistein

[vracula]

Egg protein?

[Pseudonym]

Hey mate, I'm actually editing an article on the various types of proteins now. I'll hopefully have it up in the next few days.

Like Vracula, I think egg protein would be your best bet if that doesn't trigger your allergies. Failing that, you can also get pea protein, rice protein, etc, but I think it's pretty expensive, and not so bioavailable.

[joey pineapples]

I recall hearing that soy can mimic the effects of estrogen and could have a detrimental effect levels in males. Not really clear on the details though.

[vracula]

http://www.shotgunsupplements.co.nz/sho ... otein.html

http://www.bodybuilding.co.nz/100-egg-p ... ition.html

[Jonjon]

i woudnt buy more. fish/chicken/red meat etc instead. im interested to know how much this stuff costs you though

Soybeans and processed soy foods are among the richest foods in total phytoestrogens (wet basis per 100g), which are present primarily in the form of the isoflavones daidzein and genistein

I bought a smallish back 500g-1kg (cant remember which size) for $24.95 AUD. Someone on a similar posted mentioned that soy protein was bad because it was genetically modified....

I was thinking egg or pea but wanted more opinions.

[Chemo]

Perhaps focus on whole foods, and buy some freeform EAAs/BCAAs if you feel u missing out on them from milk based products

[Jonjon]

At the moment I can not afford large amounts of meat, so need a shake during meals to keep up the protein intake - hence why I want to find a suitable one for me.

I have never tried an egg protein, so wont know if i have an allergy time i try it.

[etuate]

I recall hearing that soy can mimic the effects of estrogen and could have a detrimental effect levels in males. Not really clear on the details though.

2x. I heard this too. Any truth to it?

[Pseudonym]

Yes, it's true that soy contains phytoestrogens. But while that's certainly not a good thing, the jury is still out on how big a deal this really is. Check out this old topic if you're interested in a study on soy protein and sex hormones.

If you just want a quick overview, here's a sneak preview of the article I'm editing:

Soy Protein

Used mainly by vegetarians, this may offer some benefits over other proteins, especially to dieters. Soy protein is derived from a plant source and most people probably think of vegetarians and tofu when thinking about soy. Whole food soy products have been around in the health food market for a long time now but only recently have companies in the sports field developed soy protein supplements.

Soy protein isolate is very high in glutamine as well as being high in BCAAs. Also of benefit is the possible enhancement of the metabolic rate. Research has shown increases in Thyroxin (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and triiodothyronine (T3), all of which contribute to increasing the metabolic rate, helping to increase fat loss and maintaining a healthy metabolism whilst dieting.

There is some controversy surrounding soy protein, especially when used by males. Soy products contain “phytoestrogens”, plant chemicals that can have some of the same effects on the human body as the female hormone estrogen. This is useful for controlling symptoms of menopause, but for use by athletes and healthy women this is highly undesirable. Some proponents of soy protein say that in high quality soy protein isolates the levels of phytoestrogens are negligible so this problem is avoided, however there are also some that say soy in its pure form is better for you and that the filtering process causes more negative side effects among users.

Other Plant Based Proteins

With improved technology brings extraction of protein from new sources. Rice protein, Artichoke, Amaranth, Quinoa, and Pea (Golden Pea often referred to as Gemma Protein) are now widely available. Whilst they may not be as well recognized as whey protein for their muscle building properties, all of these plant based proteins represent suitable and effective sources of complete protein sources for anyone that can’t use dairy based proteins due to allergy/intolerance, or through social and lifestyle choices (vegan, vegetarian etc).

[etuate]

Interesting! Thanks

[hhhh1]

Yes, it's true that soy contains phytoestrogens. But while that's certainly not a good thing, the jury is still out on how big a deal this really is. Check out this old topic if you're interested in a study on soy protein and sex hormones.

If you just want a quick overview, here's a sneak preview of the article I'm editing:

Soy Protein

Used mainly by vegetarians, this may offer some benefits over other proteins, especially to dieters. Soy protein is derived from a plant source and most people probably think of vegetarians and tofu when thinking about soy. Whole food soy products have been around in the health food market for a long time now but only recently have companies in the sports field developed soy protein supplements.

Soy protein isolate is very high in glutamine as well as being high in BCAAs. Also of benefit is the possible enhancement of the metabolic rate. Research has shown increases in Thyroxin (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and triiodothyronine (T3), all of which contribute to increasing the metabolic rate, helping to increase fat loss and maintaining a healthy metabolism whilst dieting.

There is some controversy surrounding soy protein, especially when used by males. Soy products contain “phytoestrogens”, plant chemicals that can have some of the same effects on the human body as the female hormone estrogen. This is useful for controlling symptoms of menopause, but for use by athletes and healthy women this is highly undesirable. Some proponents of soy protein say that in high quality soy protein isolates the levels of phytoestrogens are negligible so this problem is avoided, however there are also some that say soy in its pure form is better for you and that the filtering process causes more negative side effects among users.

Other Plant Based Proteins

With improved technology brings extraction of protein from new sources. Rice protein, Artichoke, Amaranth, Quinoa, and Pea (Golden Pea often referred to as Gemma Protein) are now widely available. Whilst they may not be as well recognized as whey protein for their muscle building properties, all of these plant based proteins represent suitable and effective sources of complete protein sources for anyone that can’t use dairy based proteins due to allergy/intolerance, or through social and lifestyle choices (vegan, vegetarian etc).

not sure about the others but as far as i am aware pea protein and rice protein are not complete proteins.

Pea protein is often combined with rice protein to achieve a superior amino acid profile than either protein alone. Pea protein is low in the sulfurous amino acids (cysteine and methionine) but rich in lysine; in contrast, rice protein is deficient in lysine but has high levels of both cysteine and methionine. The combination of rice and pea protein (RPP) also helps mitigate the strong, chalky taste of rice protein on its own. This combination is considered by many to be among the best tasting protein powders.

[Pseudonym]

Cheers hhhh1 - I had half-wondered that myself. I'll make a note to check it with the author before publishing it properly.

[Diab0lic]

Almost all vegetable protein sources are deficient in one or more of the essential aminos. Ancient grains, soy or spirulina being your best choices. Still not as good as dairy or meat though. Can always take BCAA supp too but unless you have allergies or are a vege then not worth the expense imo

[Pseudonym]

Cheers hhhh1 - I had half-wondered that myself. I'll make a note to check it with the author before publishing it properly.

And here's his reply:

Typically a lot of vegetarian protein sources are considered incomplete in their whole form. This is mainly due to the fact that as a percentage of the whole food, the protein content can be very low – eg 5g protein per 100g, so some amino acids can be at unbeneficial levels. However as the filtration process isolates the protein, a lot of vege proteins that were considered incomplete in their whole form do actually contain all essential aminos.

Brown rice protein is complete; gemma protein is complete but low in sulphur-containing amino acids so for most benefit could be combined with something that contains a lot of sulphur-containing aminos like whole eggs. Vegetarian proteins often use a blend like this to balance out the areas where an individual protein may be a bit light.

[hhhh1]

interesting. i think ill still play it safe and stick to animal-sourced proteins though