1% Thursday: Suspicious of Soy?

Soy has become unbelievably popular over the past few years.  It seems like it wasn’t that long ago that many people didn’t even really know what it was.  Well – maybe they still don’t.  But they know it’s everywhere.

Well, to clear up the confusion – the soy bean, or soya bean, is a legume native to East Asia.  It’s now grown all over the world, produced in large quantities by countries such as the USA, Brazil, Argentina, China, India, and Paraguay.

As with many foods, health benefits have been claimed for soy.  One of the reasons for its popularity is that, like other legumes, it is a source of protein (usually considered a complete protein).

But not everyone is happy about the popularity of soy, and some red flags have been raised.  For example, what impact will this have when there is such a huge change in eating habits for so many people?  Also, in a very few years, genetically modified soy has become very common (by far the most common soybean in the USA) – but with so little time, how can we understand the long reaching effects of these genetic changes?

Aside from the common concerns that come with any food, many migraine experts have also become concerned.

For example, many soy products contain tyramine, long considered a danger to migraineurs.  When the soy is processed, another potential trigger is formed – monosodium glutamate, or MSG.

Because migraine attacks can actually occur a day or two after the trigger is consumed, it can be hard to nail down certain foods as triggers.  In addition, sometimes it takes the right combination to trigger an attack.  That means you could drink soy milk every day, and only have symptoms on some days.  And yet, you could still see a drastic improvement by cutting out all soy.

So… should you cut out soy?  What’s the 1% Thursday recommendation?

First, be aware of how much soy, and MSG, you’re consuming (see more on MSG here – it’s not always labelled as "MSG").  Second, don’t overdo it.  Too much of anything can cause problems.  Try other beans, other foods, and find more balance.  Finally, you may think there is a link – if so, try cutting it from your diet for a while to see if it makes a difference.

What is 1% Thursday?

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better.  Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge.  Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!