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Soya: the health protector - The health effects of SoyaAllergies
Around six per cent of children under three years old are affected by food allergy, the most common culprits being cow’s milk and eggs. The number affected by allergies tends to decline with age. Around four per cent of adults are affected, shellfish and nuts being the most common causes (Department of Health, 2006).
A small number of foods are responsible for 90 per cent of all allergic food reactions. These include cow’s milk and dairy products, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (including Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts), fish, shellfish (including mussels, crab and shrimps), wheat and soya (FSA, 2010b). The symptoms of soya allergy are similar to those of cow’s milk allergy and include rashes, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and breathing difficulties. Very rarely, soya can cause anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially fatal ‘toxic shock’. Since November 2005, food labelling rules require pre-packed food sold in the UK to show clearly on the label if it contains soya (FSA, 2010c). It has been suggested that genetically modified (GM) soya may be more likely to cause an allergic reaction than non-GM soya (Lack, 2002). The theory is that the GM plants are engineered to produce either more of a particular protein or an entirely new protein that may cause the allergic reaction. These concerns have been met by biotechnology companies producing GM soya with the specific proteins thought to cause the allergic reactions removed (Kleiner, 2002). If you want to avoid GM foods then choose foods that are certified organic or check product labels to ensure ‘non-GM’ is stated.
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The Soya Story - ContentsResources:
Myth-Busting Soya and the Environment FAQs Soya research |
The Soya Story
The Safety of Soya 
Soya-Based Infant Formula 
The Soya Saga  |
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