Still think soy is good for your rats?

This information, take from http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Dangers-of-a-Diet-that-Replaces-Dairy-Products-With-Soy--in-Children gives a bit more info about the toxins that are in soy that affects our rats:


Dangers of Soy


Soy products, any soy product, contain a number of chemical compounds that are actually toxic to both humans and animals. They are often called "anti-nutrients". ANti- utrient is merely a word coined by the soy industry to refer to a compound that is bad for you.

These anti-nutrients act in such a way as to block other nutrients from entering the body. In other words, at their best the soy priducts are creating a nutritional deficiency. Soy toxins, such as phytic acid, a protease inhibitor, also target certain organs, cells and enzymes.

Protease inhibitors keep the enzymes of the body from breaking down protien properly so that the body is actually in a quasi-malnourished state and protein deficient. The Food and Drug Administration has not established safe levels for protease inhibitors even though there have been numerous studies on the effects of soy toxins in rats.


In these studies the rats became more susceptible to pancreatic cancer and pancreatic problems which supressed the immune system allowing various other cancers to become established. When the research was made public and presented to the USFDA their response was that it was non-conclusive since the study had been done on rats rather than humans. They stated that because a rat's system is different than a human's the study was invalid. This is interesting since most of the research currently done is done on rats and's validity is accepted by all government organizations.



The Toxins in Soy

The toxins found in soy are:
•Soyatoxin
•Protease inhibitors
•Phytic acid
•Soy lectins
•Nitrosamines
•Maganese concentration levels


This is just an idea of how dangerous soy is and, if you will notice the highlighted portion is about studies done, specifically, on rats. These studies show us exactly how dangerous soy can be to rats as well.

And, from another article that I found, same site, different page: http://hubpages.com/hub/Soy-Benefits-and-Possible-Dangers  Shows that soy actually speeds up the sexual maturity of rats, which causes more energy to be spent on reproduction rather than on normal growth. Sadly, because our life spans are quite often determined by exual maturity and linked to things of this nature, it does cause the lifespan of our rats to be compromised. I have highlighten some important points here as well.


One substance found in soybeans is trypsin, which can inhibit growth in young animals. Adolescent rats that were fed trypsin never achieved normal growth. And though the fermentation process of the beans somewhat neutralizes the inherent growth inhibitors, it does not eliminate them completely.


Soybeans are also high in phytic acid, another questionable substance. Research shows that this acid blocks the absorption of essential minerals, especially iron and copper. Phytic acid can also block the absorption of calcium and magnesium, important electrolytes necessary to regulate blood pH, nerve and muscle function of the body, and hydration. Furthermore, phytic acid partially blocks the absorption of zinc. Why is this important? Zinc is needed for normal brain function and normal nervous system function. It also plays a key role in maintaining normal glucose levels and a healthy reproductive system. And while all beans and legumes contain phytic acid and other phytates, none of the other varieties have the high amount found in soybeans.

In addition, soy contains high levels of goitrogens that depress thyroid function. Studies show that even small amounts of soy protein contain more than enough of these goitrogens to cause a significant effect on thyroid function, especially in pre-menopausal women. Even after women in the study abstained from consuming soy for three months, the negative effects lingered.

Soybeans have also been linked to deadly pancreatic cancer. How? Theprotein molecules in the beans that inhibit trypsin can cause the pancreas to enlarge and perhaps ultimately lead to cancer.

Soy also contains haemagglutinin, a substance that increases the clumping action of red blood cells. This clumping can result in fatal blood clots in the form of aneurisms, strokes, and heart attacks.

When the soybeans are spray-dried and processed, nitrates and lysinoalanine form. These are both powerful carcinogens, and lysinoalanine is a virulent toxin.

Soybeans and soy products are rich in isoflavones. These substances have the ability to mimic estrogen in the body. Laboratory rats fed isoflavones entered puberty at a much earlier age than normal. The concern for humans is the effect on human babies who are given soy-based formula because of allergies to regular milk-based formulas. According to scientific studies, feeding a baby a regular diet of soy milk is like giving the infant a daily dose of five birth control pills. Probably because of these estrogen-like isoflavones, soy has also been linked to breast cancer.

 
THose of us who now are aware of the dangers of soy are now referring to it as poison. It compromises the immune system, it causes cancer and it cuts a rat lifespan in half. What else would you call a produce that does this? Sadly, some rat experts are calling it a miracle food, calling it a way to FIGHT cancer, calling it a God Send, but, then again, to the Nazis, so was Hitler. Just because an expert says that the world is flat or that we are the center of the universe does not make them right, just uninformed of the truth.
 
Please take the time to inform yourself and help your rats to live the long and happy life that Moher Nature intended. She let her friends loose in this world to help us, to guide us, to teach us and, unfortunately, that has resulted in us poisoning them, cutting their lives short, putting them through unneeded surgeries and losing our friends way too fast. I, too, am guilty of it and have lost some great rats because of it. While I will always regret my choice to listen to a vet and use Lab Blocks with my rats, I know now that I can do something to change it. I know now that I can give them good, healthy food that will allow them to live long and happy lives.
 
Join me in saying NO TO SOY! That soy is poison and we REFUSE to continue to feed it to our rats.

Tami
Social Rats Adoption and Rescue