Soy & Children

 http://soynutrition.com/SoyHealth/SoyAndChildren.html

Soy & Children

Developing healthy diet and exercise habits early in life has taken on increasing public attention in recent years. Many healthcare professionals and parents are alarmed by rising rates of childhood obesity, Type II diabetes and other chronic diseases, particularly coronary heart disease, which has its origins in early life.^1-4

The good news is that soy foods can play a valuable role in a healthy child's diet since soy is an excellent source of high-quality protein.⁵Continue reading to learn more about the science behind soy ingestion in infants and children.

Soy Infant Formula & Safety

Controversy about soy exposure early in life focuses primarily on soy infant formula. Approximately 20 million infants have consumed this formula since the early 1960s without apparent adverse effects. In fact, there is essentially no human evidence that soy infant formula is harmful. Certainly, it is well established that soy formula produces normal short-term growth and development.⁶

A retrospective study of health outcomes among adults 25-34 years old who were fed soy infant formula as infants concluded that it is safe.⁷

More recently, Italian researchers found no hormonal abnormalities in children ages 7 months to 8 years who had consumed soy infant formula as infants for at least six months.⁸ Korean researchers also found no differences in anthropometric assessments and development tests among infants breast-fed, or fed soy or cow's milk formula.⁹

It is important to distinguish soy infant formula from other soy foods. Soy infant formula is made from isolated soy protein, making it nutritionally different from soy milk, which is made from the whole soy bean and is not designed and fortified to provide adequate nutrition for infants.

Soy infant formula does provide high isoflavone exposure (approximately tenfold higher on a body weight basis) and serum isoflavone levels.^10-12 However, it is not proven that isoflavones produce biological effects in infants. Huggett et al. noted that, in infants, isoflavones in serum are essentially completely conjugated and likely biologically inactive.¹³

A recent report indicated that children in Taiwan consume as much as 35 to 40 mg/day of isoflavones (the amount found in about 2 cups of soy milk). No adverse effects have been reported in the study population either anecdotally or in scientific literature.¹⁴

As infants progress into childhood and begin to incorporate different foods into their diet, isoflavone exposure on a body weight basis deceases dramatically.

Furthermore, the first few months of life represent an extremely sensitive period during which tissues may be more likely to respond to minor hormonal inputs compared to childhood. Early childhood represents a different physiological state than infancy.

Soy Foods & Older Children

Soy foods are recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an appropriate source of dietary protein for children. Previously, school menus could include only 30 percent maximum of soy protein, but recent rulings have eliminated any such restrictions.¹⁵

In addition to providing high-quality protein, soy foods can help reduce fat, particularly saturated fat, and calories in the diet when substituted for traditional sources of protein. For example, using tofu, soy milk or soy yogurt rather than meat, cheese or eggs in entrees can help decrease the total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and calorie content of meals.^16-18

In general, replacement of animal products with soy foods results in menus that are closer to the Dietary Guidelines,^16,18 and research shows that children generally find soy foods acceptable.^18,19

The cholesterol-lowering effects of soy foods led the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve a health claim for soy protein and coronary heart disease.²⁰ In fact, soy foods may provide a number of coronary benefits.^21-23 Although most clinical work has focused on adults, studies show that soy protein lowers serum cholesterol levels and favorably affects other lipids in children as well.^24-27

While cow's milk is the most important source of calcium in the U.S. diet, research confirms that the amount of usable calcium from calcium-fortified soy milk is equal to cow's milk.²⁸ Clinical research shows that consumption of calcium-fortified soy milk resulted in significantly improved hip bone mineral density in adolescent girls compared to girls eating the control diet.¹⁵

Further, evidence indicates that most children with constipation due to cow's milk allergy find relief when soy milk is substituted in their diet.²⁹

Back to Top

References

1. Morrill AC, Chinn CD. The obesity epidemic in the United States. J Public Health Policy 2004;25:353-366.
2. Deshmukh-Taskar P, Nicklas TA, Morales M, Yang SJ, Zakeri I, Berenson GS. Tracking of overweight status from childhood to young adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Eur J Clin Nutr 2005.
3. Hannon TS, Rao G, Arslanian SA. Childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pediatrics 2005;116:473-480.
4. Williams CL, Hayman LL, Daniels SR, Robinson TN, Steinberger J, Paridon S, Bazzarre T. Cardiovascular health in childhood: A statement for health professionals from the Committee on Atherosclerosis, Hypertension, and Obesity in the Young (AHOY) of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young, American Heart Association. Circulation 2002;106:143-160.
5. Rand WM, Pellett PL, Young VR. Meta-analysis of nitrogen balance studies for estimating protein requirements in healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:109-127.
6. Merritt RJ, Jenks BH. Safety of soy-based infant formulas containing isoflavones: the clinical evidence. J Nutr2004;134:1220S-1224S.
7. Strom BL, Schinnar R, Ziegler EE, Barnhart KT, Sammel MD, Macones GA, Stallings VA, Drulis JM, Nelson SE, Hanson SA. Exposure to soy-based formula in infancy and endocrinological and reproductive outcomes in young adulthood. JAMA2001;286:807-814.
8. Giampietro PG, Bruno G, Furcolo G, Casati A, Brunetti E, Spadoni GL, Galli E. Soy protein formulas in children: no hormonal effects in long-term feeding. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2004;17:191-196.
9. Ryowon C, Lee JY, Lee HO, Chung SJ, Cho MR, Kim JY, Lee IH. The long term effects of soy-based formula on isoflavone concentration of plasma and urine, and growth and recognition development at 10 and 20 months old infants. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr2004;13:S123.
10. Irvine CH, Fitzpatrick MG, Alexander SL. Phytoestrogens in soy-based infant foods: concentrations, daily intake, and possible biological effects. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1998;217:247-253.
11. Ashby J, Tinwell H, Odum J, Kimber I, Brooks AN, Pate I, Boyle CC. Diet and the aetiology of temporal advances in human and rodent sexual development. J Appl Toxicol 2000;20:343-347.
12. Setchell KD, Zimmer-Nechemias L, Cai J, Heubi JE. Exposure of infants to phyto-oestrogens from soy-based infant formula. Lancet1997;350:23-27.
13. Huggett AC, Pridmore S, Malnoe A, Haschke F, Offord EA. Phyto-oestrogens in soy-based infant formula. Lancet 1997;350:815-816.
14. Hsiao AK-F, Lyons-Wall PM. Soy consumption in Taiwanese children in Taipei. J Nutr 2000;130:705S.
15. Ho SC, Guldan GS, Woo J, Yu R, Tse MM, Sham A, Cheng J. A prospective study of the effects of 1-year calcium-fortified soy milk supplementation on dietary calcium intake and bone health in Chinese adolescent girls aged 14 to 16. Osteoporos Int 2005.
16. Thomas JM, Lutz SF. Soy protein lowers fat and saturated fat in school lunch beef and pork entrees. J Am Diet Assoc2001;101:461-463.
17. McMindes MK. Applications of isolated soy protein in low-fat meal products. Food Technology 1991;45:61-64.
18. Ashraf HR, Schoeppel C, Nelson JA. Use of tofu in preschool meals. J Am Diet Assoc 1990;90:1114-1116.
19. Endres J, Barter S, Theodora P, Welch P. Soy-enhanced lunch acceptance by preschoolers. J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103:346-351.
20. Food Labeling: Health Claims; Soy Protein and Coronary Heart Disease. In: Federal Register: (Volume 64, Number 206)]; 1999:57699-57733.
21. Zhan S, Ho SC. Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein containing isoflavones on the lipid profile. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:397-408.
22. Nestel P. Isoflavones: their effects on cardiovascular risk and functions. Curr Opin Lipidol 2003;14:3-8.
23. Zhang X, Shu XO, Gao YT, Yang G, Li Q, Li H, Jin F, Zheng W. Soy food consumption is associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease in Chinese women. J Nutr 2003;133:2874-2878.
24. Laurin D, Jacques H, Moorjani S, Steinke FH, Gagne C, Brun D, Lupien PJ. Effects of a soy-protein beverage on plasma lipoproteins in children with familial hypercholesterolemia. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;54:98-103.
25. Widhalm K, Brazda G, Schneider B, Kohl S. Effect of soy protein diet versus standard low fat, low cholesterol diet on lipid and lipoprotein levels in children with familial or polygenic hypercholesterolemia. J Pediatr 1993;123:30-34.
26. Gaddi A, Descovich GC, Noseda G, Fragiacomo C, Nicolini A, Montanari G, Vanetti G, Sirtori M, Gatti E, Sirtori CR. Hypercholesterolaemia treated by soy bean protein diet. Arch Dis Child 1987;62:274-278.
27. Blumenschein S, Torres E, Kushmaul E, Crawford J, Fixler D. Effect of oat bran/soy protein in hypercholesterolemic children.Ann N Y Acad Sci 1991;623:413-415.
28. Zhao Y, Martin BR, Weaver CM. Calcium Bioavailability of Calcium Carbonate Fortified Soy milk Is Equivalent to Cow's Milk in Young Women. J Nutr 2005;135:2379-2382.
29. Iacono G, Cavataio F, Montalto G, Florena A, Tumminello M, Soresi M, Notarbartolo A, Carroccio A. Intolerance of cow's milk and chronic constipation in children. N Engl J Med 1998;339:1100-1104.