Soy Milk Side Effects

Soy milk side effects can be alarming and unexpected.  If you're vegan or vegetarian, you may be using soy as a replacement for protein.  It's critical to do your own research so that you can come to your own conclusion and decide what's best for you and your family.  On this page, I've listed critical information that may assist you with your decision.

Key Issues With Soy Milk & Other Soy Products

  • Soy inhibits the activity of enzymes that are necessary for protein digestion.  

  • Soy beans have goitrogens which is substance that suppresses thyroid function.

  • Soy beans have high phytate levels which stops the absorption of minerals and key nutrients.

  • Soy contains phytoestrogens, which can impair hormones, disrupt menstruation, and greatly aggravate PMS and menopausal symptoms.

  • Soy causes flatulence, cramping and abdominal discomfort.



Soy milk and soy products can also cause disturbing side effects in menopause.

List of Soy Milk Side Effects for Menopausal/Post Menopausal Women

Soy Milk Side Effects May Be:

  • Uterine cramps
  • Extensive hot flashes
  • Severe abdominal bloating
  • Breast swelling and enlargement
  • Sleep disturbances/irregularities
  • Water retention
  • Weight gain
  • Heavy/irregular periods
  • Excessive gas
  • Inability to lose weight
  • Irritability and moodiness
  • Brain fog
  • Lack of energy
  • Exhaustion


    The list above is from personal experience. You can be plagued with these symptoms for years post menopause.   These symptoms that I had were actually side effects from soy milk.



Baby Formula


Dr. Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN, author of The Whole Soy Story, The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food, teaches us that feeding infants soy formula is equivalent to giving them three to five birth control pills per day.   Click here to read a full explanation written by Dr. Mercola.


The same soy isoflavones that cause estrogen dominance in women may cause breast enlargement (gynecomastia) in males.

Click here to ready a case study of gynecomastia in a male caused by soy milk.

Soy milk side effects include low sperm counts and decreased fertility in males.

My Personal History:

I had a love affair with soy milk for years.  It unwittingly caused serious side effects that were hard to trace.  I had very severe menopausal symptoms, and they remained that way for eight years.  That whole time I was having raging symptoms, and I believed it was just normal aging.   During this whole process, I thought I was going nutso.

Every once in a while, I'd go off of soy milk and the symptoms would abate, but I simply wasn't connecting the dots.  I love soy milk.  Because of this, I believe I had a blind spot regarding soy milk side effects.  

Right after I started drinking it again, the symptoms started again.  This realization is in retrospect.  I just couldn't see that it was the soy milk  causing so much distress.  I guess I'm a little angry about it, but at least I can give you the information so that you can make an informed decision.  

I knew about the soy milk side effects of estrogen, but I truly believed that drinking it in small amounts would have little to no effect.  I was so wrong.  Even small amounts of soy milk or soy products can create an estrogen dominant effect.

Something finally snapped.  When I finally stopped the soy milk once and for all, within 24 hours the bloating, digestive distress, the hot flashes, the lethargy, the irritability and the brain fog stopped.   

Dr. Christiane Northrup heavily recommends soy in her books.  After reading many of Dr. Christiane Northrup's books, I believed soy milk was safe because it was organic and sugar free.  Dr. Northrup, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one.  I will no longer be including soy in my diet, organic or not.  

It's not the fact that soy is organic or sugar free, it's the very nature of the soy itself.  It wasn't even considered safe by Asian cultures until it went through an extensive fermenting process, which we do not do here in the U.S.

Although I give Dr. Christiane a ton of credit for our hair loss diet program, I find it ironic that she would recommend soy the way she does, because soy has been linked to dramatic hair loss due to its thyroid blocking properties.

Read The Ploy of Soy for more detailed nutritional information.


Additional notes:  

For public health and safety, soy milk and soy products should be required to have a warning label about the side effects.

Some nutritional experts believe that standard soy is fine in very small amounts.  Most nutritional scientists agree that vegetarians/vegans using standard soy as a primary vegetarian protein need to use extreme caution and due diligence.

Whenever you're studying any type of processed food, care must be taken to look for how the food is processed and dispersed.   

Unusual Facts About Soy:  Did Know That ...

  • The estrogens in soy act as a natural anti-fertility agent.
  • Soy extracts calcium from bones causing osteoporosis.
  • In Ancient China, monks used soy to encourage abstinence.
  • Phytoestrogens in soy lower testosterone levels.
  • Soy was once considered poor people's food.
  • Very little soy is used as food.
  • Much of soy is waste product that is used in processed foods.
  • Soy is used in mattresses, construction material and bio-diesel fuel.
  • Soy is used to fatten animals.
  • Unflavored soy beans taste terrible.

Home Made Soy Milk?

Five years ago I tried making soy milk and failed.  The bitter aftertaste and the strange texture made it impossible to drink.  Food scientists are very well aware of the poor mouth feel and the terrible taste of soy.  Food suppliers add MSG, maltodextrin, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, barley malt, evaporated cane juice and flavor enhancers to make soy products taste good.  

Fermented Soy May Be Beneficial

  • Ancient miso, natto and tempeh are fermented which destroys many dangerous compounds.  Most of the dangerous enzymes are destroyed during fermentation.  Caution and moderation should still be used with fermented soy.

  • Fermented soy foods are excellent sources of pre-biotics and pro-biotics.

These Processed Soy Products Do Not Pass Our Guidelines

  • Soy burgers
  • Soy bread
  • Soy chips
  • Soy cheese
  • Soy meat substitutes
  • Soy ice cream
  • Soy lattes
  • Soy yogurts
  • Soy protein bars
  • Soy crackers
  • Soy candy bars
  • Soy shakes
  • Soy cereals
  • TVP products (textured vegetable protein)


These are still processed foods.  We avoid them for the same reason we avoid other types of heavily processed foods.

Alternate Names for Soy

  • Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
  • Hydrolyzed plant protein
  • Lecithin
  • Hydrolized vegetable protein




The health and diet information at The Healthy Diet Paradise has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and is for basic information purposes only. If you have any medical issues or concerns, please contact your health care provider.


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