It was in 1700 that soy bean was first introduce to Europe and made its way to North America in 1775 they grow this crop primarily to feed livestocks and made its way on the human dining table in 1900 and today North america produces 55% of world supply.But data shows that soybean that is grown today is not the same as it was hundred years back,genetically modified soybean which is actually 90% of the total produce are already in the market since 1995..I digested this post in T-nation,com archive 2008,titled: soy,so whats the big deal.You can do further reading on the topic and you will learn more about soy bean and why it is not a good substitute for meat protein and how this food affects our growth hormone.

“But data shows that soybean that is grown today is not the same as it was hundred years back, genetically modified soybean which is actually 90% of the total produce are already in the market since 1995″

Wow, now I’m really interested considering that soya is tauted as a complete health food. Personally, I love tofu and miso but I love my meat too. Still, I am curious about the angle that if soybeans are grown to feed livestock and they are being imported into Asia and consumed as human food, well…

“………that soya is touted as a complete health food” . Well connie read this from United Press International: titled:FDA asked to drop soy health claim (Feb.19,2008 at 12:07) A non profit nutrition education organization has asked the US.food and drug administration to drop heart disease claims for soy protein. The weston Price Foundation submitted a petition to the agency tuesday in response to the FDA’s request for public comment on the issue. Manufacturers have been able to market soy as a “heart healthy” food since 1999. “We filed this petition because there was never a sound basis for a soy health claim and the heavy marketing of soy as a miracle food has put American men,women and children at risk. said Kaayla Daniel,lead author of the 65 page petition that was officially filed by Sally Fallon,president of the foundation. The organization with the Headquarters in Washington,claim soy protein product arent safe and have no long history of use in the food supply. The organization also claims the evidence on soy protein and heart disease is contradictory and inconsistent,and no standard of scientific agreement has been met. In addition the foundation notes the American Heart Association in 2006 advised physicians that soy has a little effect on cholesterol and is unlikely to prevent heart disease.

Any links, Ed?

I stumble on this article this morning when I revisited the same site I mentioned earlier,I dont want to make comments or suggestions in this matter as it is a very sensitive issue and Im no expert on this.

Soybean is 2nd top crop of the US behind corn. US is the dominant supplier in the world and can influence the users by its market pricing. In competition, the supplier has clear market advantage on the pricing of the finished products by influencing the cost of the raw materials that went into the products.

There is controversy how expensive soybean led to the predicament of mad cow disease in Europe (another US competitor in agricultural-cattle products). It is irresponsible to assume that soybean caused mad cow disease. But the reactions to soybean may have led to it.

Worldwide, soybean is the primary plant-based protein supplement fed to cattle. However, soybeans do not grow well in Europe. So farmers throughout Europe turned to the less expensive animal by-product feeds as an alternative.

By nature, cattle are herbivores, eat grass and grains. But because of expensive soybeans, the cattle raisers have increasingly relied on animal by-products as low cost feeds to keep the beef prices competitive. This resulted to large increase of infectious agents into the cattle feeds that alter the prions in cattle which is now known as mad cow disease.

Soybean-mad cow disease is a radical example of what can go wrong with market competition and the unintended consequences.