Soybeans are a cheap way to raise
protein levels in dog foods but soy
wreaks havoc with pet health. Here’s
how.
Nel Liquorman,
TheDogPress
Health
Editor
/
August 2010
Pet food makers substitute soy products
for meat proteins because they are
cheaper. But dogs and cats are
carnivores. Meat eaters, not bean
eaters. Our pets should not be eating
soybean protein powder, soy protein
isolate, or soybean meal. Nor should
they have the soybean oil and soybean
sauce that is now showing up in dog
food. Soy is also disguised as
vegetable broth, textures vegetable
protein, or TVP.
The
soybean industry fell short on promises
that it would bring about good health
for mankind and thus, America’s love
affair with soy is fading. Faced with
rejection and falling profits, soybean
growers found another market in the cat
and dog food industry.
“Soy”
may sound familiar – in products
intended for human consumption. But we
are omnivores; dogs and especially cats,
are meat eaters. They don’t need
soybeans in any form, yet it can be
added to already existing products that
were once soy free. Remember, pet food
manufacturers can change recipes and
simply list a new ingredient on the back
of the can or bag where it goes
unnoticed by most pet owners.
Soybeans were promoted by our own
government but most studies were more
about marketing position than about good
health. In 2004 there were nearly
700,000 soybean producers in this
country. The huge soybean industry has
the blessing of our government, but
soybeans and their derivatives now
permeate pet foods and harm our dogs and
cats.
Soybean crops helped to replace tobacco
crops in the USA. Although profits
could not compare with past profits from
tobacco crops, USDA programs provided
research to improve the production of
soybeans and increase their markets.
The hulls make great bedding in turkey
barns because the dried plant material
will not absorb anything and the “stuff”
just sifts through. But we have to
wonder why soybean hulls would ever be
used in pet food? Surely the hulls
serve only to bulk up the cat or dog
food as a tasteless colon irritant with
no food value.
The Chinese knew centuries ago that
soybeans were only edible when fermented
due to the toxic chemicals that can’t
just be cooked away. The beans cause
red blood cells to stick together,
hindering the body’s ability to use
oxygen. Soy proteins are hard to digest
and block mineral absorption.
By now most women know phytoestrogens in
soy mimic the female hormone estrogen.
Okay if given by your doctor but not to
your dog or cat, especially the males!
Known as flavones, phytoestrogens can be
the most risky component of the soybean.
Remember, these findings are in the
human population. Bad in the human food
supply translates into a much worse
outcome when added to pet foods! For
example, soybeans have the highest
pesticide concentrations of any food
crop!
Unfortunately, almost anything grown in
nature can be added to animal feeds
because plant life is considered GRAS,
generally regarded as safe. With the
exception of marijuana, which has been
declared illegal for use, there seem to
be few limits to the plant life that
finds its way into animal feeds and pet
foods.
Every cell in the body depends upon the
thyroid gland’s production of hormones
to regulate reproduction, growth, and
the use of oxygen and calories. Think
about this. Soybeans have been in our
food supply for years even though
experts have long been aware that
phytoestrogens in soy interferes with
and lowers thyroid function.
Decreasing the human population growth
may be an admirable goal for the WHO
(World Health Organization) and other
global groups but you just might not
want your family or your breeding stock
to be a part of that project.
In the short term however, you should
also know that seizures can be caused by
the ingestion of soybean products, which
can affect cats and dogs quickly.
Read
SOYBEAN BROTH IN TUNA GAVE MY CAT
SEIZURES
to
learn the risks for your dog or cat.
The FDA Amendments Act of 2007 required establishment of pet food
regulations and ingredient
standards/definitions, processing
standards, and nutrition and ingredient
information in standards for labeling.
The government grinds slowly and in the
meantime the FDA committee is not
rushing to take soy products and other
plant waste materials out of pet food.
Such ingredients help cut the cost of
production, bulk up pet foods and
stimulate the medical and veterinary
industry but that surely isn’t your
objective! Read cat and dog food labels
and take action by emailing the FDA,
USDA, and pet food manufacturers to let
them know you know and have voted with
your bucks.
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