***Disclaimer: All information contained in this group is
intended to help you navigate the difficulties of elimination diets, under the
advisement of your care provider. This group does not purport to give you
medical advice or direction. Do not take the advice given in this group as that
given in a professional medical capacity.
If you have learned that you need to avoid eating soy
because your baby is reacting to it, you may be a little confused. After all,
if you aren’t eating tofu, edamame or even drinking soymilk, you aren’t eating
soy, right? Unfortunately, that assumption is incorrect. Soy is a little
different when it comes to avoiding the ingredient. With some care and
research, you can readily avoid soy contamination, for you and your baby’s
health.
Signs of Soy Intolerance
Soy is a fairly uncommon allergy. Only about one percent of
children seem to be allergic to soy. However, there are many degrees of
intolerance. And, children who react to dairy often react to soy. The proteins
are similar, so cross-reactivity is fairly common. This is why intolerance to
milk proteins is often referred to as Milk-Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI). The
Mayo Clinic identifies signs that you or your little one is reacting to soy:
·
Tingling in the mouth
·
Hives, itching or eczema
·
Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat,
or other parts of the body
·
Wheezing, runny nose or trouble breathing
·
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
·
Redness of the skin
If left untreated, the allergy (in rare cases) may progress to
anaphalaxis, which presents itself with the following symptoms:
·
Constriction of airways, including a swollen
throat that makes it difficult to breathe
·
Shock, with a severe drop in blood pressure
·
Rapid Pulse
·
Dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of
consciousness
The good news is that eliminating soy (and possibly also
dairy) from your diet should reduce or eliminate these symptoms fairly quickly.
What to Avoid
While soy is occasionally eaten whole, it is usually
consumed in one of its many processed forms. You find soy in a variety of
ethnic cuisine, but also as a common emulsifier and way to add cheap protein to
processed foods, nut butters and even meat. So, be sure to check your products
to make sure they contain no added soy. These are the ingredients you should
look for:
Edamame
Miso
Natto
Shoyu
Soy (soy albumin, soy cheese, soy fiber, soy
flour, soy grits, soy ice cream, soy milk, soy nuts, soy sprouts, soy yogurt)
Soya
Soybean (curd, granules)
Soy lecithin
Soybean oil
Soy protein (concentrate, hydrolyzed,
isolate)
Soy sauce
Tamari
Tempeh
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
Tofu
Helpful Links:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/soy-allergy/basics/symptoms/con-20031370
http://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/soy-allergy
