Over-processed soy?

[reb_granger]

Okay, now I'm getting concerned!

Are tofu and Silk soymilk considered over-processed? And does the over-processed nature of soy products make them harmful or something?

I always thought that soy was relatively safe, except for the GE issue.

[sophie]

What I always thought (as told to me by my knowledgable partner), is that soy milks made from "soy protein" are not that great, as they are very over-processed and the protein is isolated from the soybean in some high-tech process, and excludes other good parts of the bean also. Often (well, here in NZ anyway) a soy milk will state whether it is made from "soy protein islolate" or "whole soybeans". We get Vitasoy (made in Australia) which is made from "organic whole soybeans". As far as pure tofu goes, it is made from whole soybeans and not much else, so is not likely to be over-processed, in fact I think it's probably the best form of soy. But a lot of soy products like processed fake "meats" etc are also probably not that healthful, and you do see "soy protein" used a lot these days. That's about all I know about it!

[reb_granger]

Thanks, Sophie! :)