The other concern is that a very high persentage of the worlds soy is GE. On 3/21/06, leanne wynne <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Studies Short on Soy Formula Risks > Experts See Little Health Danger With Formula > > By Todd Zwillich > WebMD Medical News > > Reviewed By Louise Chang, MD > on Friday, March 17, 2006 > > March 17, 2006 -- There is not enough scientific data to determine whether > or not soy formula consumed by millions of infants poses a health risk, a > government panel concluded Friday. > > Experts say they have little concern that an estrogen-like substance in soy > -- known as genistein -- poses a developmental risk to infants who consume > it or whose parents consumed it in soy-based foods. > > Still, very few studies have looked at the long-term health effects of soy > formula, which is used to feed an estimated 25% of all U.S. infants, the > panel says. > > Soy has raised concerns not only because of its exploding consumption by > U.S. infants and adults but also because studies have shown that genistein > can interfere with hormonal function in rats and their offspring. > > A variety of toxic effects, including stunted growth, sexual organ > abnormalities, and decreased fertilization, have all been observed in > laboratory animals. All of the effects appear to be caused by genistein's > ability to mimic the effects of natural estrogen. Some researchers also > suspect soy of playing a role in reduced breast cancer rates in Japan, where > soy consumption is very high. > > The committee says it had "negligible" concern that usual intakes of > genistein cause adverse health effects in newborns and infants who consume > soy formula, though one expert -- Ruth Etze, MD -- dissented from the > conclusion. Etzel, a pediatrician at the Alaska Native Medical Center in > Anchorage, could not be reached for comment. > > Human infants consume much lower genistein doses than laboratory animals, > and most of the chemical is not absorbed into the human bloodstream, says > Karl Rozman, PhD, a University of Kansas toxicologist who led NIH panel. > > But at the same time, few studies have looked at soy's effects in a > controlled way, he explains. > > More Study Needed > > "That means there are studies there, but they are not allowing us to come to > a firm conclusion one way or another. But it also means that we do not see a > problem," says Rozman. > > One study pegged infant formula feeding as a risk factor for premature > breast development in girls. Experts called for better research to determine > if that and other potential health effects are real. > > "Another case-control study to examine premature breast development in > females following exposure to soy infant formula is needed," the committee > concludes. > > Panelist Jatinder Mhatia, MD, says soy formula has not shown "a blip on the > radar screen" in terms of ill health consequences, despite use by an > estimated 40 million total infants. > > But Mhatia also says parents are up to 10 times more likely to give their > infants soy formula in the U.S. than in Britain. Some countries, including > Israel, have restricted formula use to prescription-only status for infants > who cannot consume milk. But American doctors are quick to recommend formula > for fussy infants, which parents are heavily encouraged by advertising to > use, he says. > > "Only in our country are we using [soy] in a free-for-all," Mhatia, a > pediatrician at the Medical College of Georgia, tells WebMD. "Soy has a > specific indication, and we tend to use and abuse in America." > > "Why should you use soy unless there's an indication?" he says. > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > SOURCES: NTP-CERHR Expert Panel Report on the Reproductive and Developmental > Toxicity of Genistein, Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human > Reproduction, National Institutes of Health, March 17, 2006. Karl Rozman, > MD, University of Kansas. Jitander Mhatia, MD, department of pediatrics, > Medical College of Georgia, Augusta. > > (c) 2006 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved > > > > Leanne Wynne > Midwife in charge of "Women's Business" > Mildura Aboriginal Health Service Mob 0418 371862 > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. >
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