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The results of calcium, magnesium and iron deficiency are well known; those of zinc are less so. Zinc is called the intelligence mineral because it is needed for optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. It plays a role in protein synthesis and collagen formation; it is involved in the blood- sugar control mechanism and thus protects against diabetes; it is needed for a healthy reproductive system. Zinc is a key component in numerous vital enzymes and plays a role in the immune system. Phytates found in soy products interfere with zinc absorption more completely than with other minerals.
Zinc deficiency can cause a “spacey” feeling that some vegetarians may mistake for the “high” of spiritual enlightenment. Milk drinking is given as the reason why second- generation Japanese in America grow taller than their native ancestors. Some investigators postulate that the reduced phytate content of the American diet – whatever may be its other deficiencies – is the true explanation, pointing out that both Asian and Western children who do not get enough meat and fish products to counteract the effects of a high phytate diet, frequently suffer rickets, stunting and other growth problems.
Soy Protein Isolate: Not So Friendly Soy processors have worked hard to get these antinutrients out of the finished product, particularly soy protein isolate (SPI) which is the key ingredient in most soy foods that imitate meat and dairy products, including baby formulas and some brands of soy milk. SPI is not something you can make in your own kitchen. Production takes place in industrial factories where a slurry of soy beans is first mixed with an alkaline solution to remove fiber, then precipitated and separated using an acid wash and, finally, neutralized in an alkaline solution. Acid washing in aluminum tanks leaches high levels of aluminum into the final product. The resultant curds are spray- dried at high temperatures to produce a high- protein powder. A final indignity to the original soybean is high- temperature, high- pressure extrusion processing of soy protein isolate to produce textured vegetable protein (TVP). Much of the trypsin inhibitor content can be removed through high- temperature processing, but not all.
Trypsin inhibitor content of soy protein isolate can vary as much as fivefold. In rats, even low- level trypsin inhibitor SPI feeding results in reduced weight gain compared to controls. But high- temperature processing has the unfortunate side- effect of so denaturing the other proteins in soy that they are rendered largely ineffective. That’s why animals on soy feed need lysine supplements for normal growth. Nitrites, which are potent carcinogens, are formed during spray- drying, and a toxin called lysinoalanine is formed during alkaline processing. Numerous artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are added to soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein products to mask their strong “beany” taste and to impart the flavor of meat.