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Harmful or Harmless: Soy Lecithin

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soy lecithin, is soy lecithin bad for you

Table of Contents

What Is It?  |  Allergies  |  GMO  |  Phytoestrogens  |  Toxicity  |  Therapeutic Uses  |  What to Do?

Soy lecithin is one of the most ubiquitous additives in our food supply. It’s used primarily as an emulsifier, and you can find it in everything from salad dressing to tea bags. Paleo dieters avoid the brunt of it by eliminating most processed foods, but it almost always pops up in chocolate (everyone’s favorite honorary Paleo food) and often appears in supplements.

I recommend avoiding soy as a general rule, but consuming small amounts of soy lecithin as an additive is very different from, say, eating a soy burger  topped with soy cheese or drizzling soybean oil on your salad. This article will probably be more than you ever wanted to know about soy lecithin, but I wanted to do my best to get all the facts out on the table.

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What Is Soy Lecithin?

The term ‘lecithin’ can have different meanings depending on the context, but for our purposes, it refers to a mixture of phospholipids and oil. Phospholipids are a component of the cell membrane in all plants and animals, but lecithin is most often derived from sunflower kernels, rapeseed (canola), milk, soy, and egg yolks. (1)

The specific composition of soy lecithin varies depending on its manufacturer and intended use, but on average, it contains about 35% soybean oil and 16% phosphatidylcholine. (2) Phosphatidylcholine is a type of phospholipid that is abundant in liver and egg yolks, and is the primary form of choline found in foods. (3) The remaining percentage is other phospholipids and glycolipids.

To make soy lecithin, soybean oil is extracted from the raw soybeans using a chemical solvent (usually hexane). (4) Then, the crude soy oil goes through a ‘degumming’ process, wherein water is mixed thoroughly with the soy oil until the lecithin becomes hydrated and separates from the oil. Then, the lecithin is dried and occasionally bleached using hydrogen peroxide.

There are many claims online about soy lecithin being full of nasty chemicals left over from the production process. Not surprisingly, there aren’t many credible sources describing the chemical content of commercial soy lecithin, but I have found some relevant data about the safety of soy lecithin.

Before the ‘degumming’ step where lecithin is removed, the crude oil undergoes a multi-step process to remove the hexane. (5) However, it appears that the FDA doesn’t regulate the amount of hexane residue in food products, and one paper estimated that the residual hexane concentration of soy oil is 500-1000ppm. (6) So, it’s very possible that similar concentrations remain in the soy lecithin. (For comparison’s sake, the concentration limit for hexane in pharmaceuticals is 290ppm.) (7)

According to one analysis, total pesticide residues in crude soy oil are around 400ppb. (8) Since the pesticide concentration of the oil after degumming is similar, it’s pretty likely that some of those pesticides end up in the lecithin as well.

While it’s unfortunate that soy lecithin likely contains pesticides and solvents, I would just encourage you to keep this information in perspective. We’re exposed to hundreds of chemical toxins every day in our air, water, household products, and food, and contaminants in soy lecithin will contribute only slightly to your overall toxic load. After all, we’re talking parts per million and parts per billion, and soy lecithin itself usually makes up no more than 1% of processed foods. (9)

Of course, in an ideal world, we would be able to avoid these things altogether, and I certainly recommend reducing your exposure as much as possible. It’s also a good idea to make sure your detox systems are functioning effectively. But unless you have a severe chemical sensitivity to hexane or pesticides, occasionally consuming small amounts is not worth getting bent out of shape over.

Allergies

Soy allergies are triggered by soy proteins, so whether lecithin triggers an allergic response or not depends on its protein content. One analysis found protein concentrations ranging from 100 to 1,400ppm in six different soy lecithin samples. (10) (For reference, the new FDA gluten-free labeling law requires a gluten concentration of less than 20ppm.) (11) Another analysis of six different lecithin samples found that four had sufficient protein to trigger an IgE-mediated response in people with soy allergies, while two contained no detectable protein at all. (12) However, another study performed similar testing and concluded that even if protein is present in soy lecithin, it’s not a significant allergen for people with soybean allergies. (13)

It’s clear that the source of the soy lecithin is a major determinant in whether or not it will present a problem for those with soy allergies, but if you have a soy allergy, I’d say better safe than sorry. However, because protein is present in such a low concentration, and soy lecithin itself usually makes up no more than 1% of processed foods, it’s probably not a problem for those with minor sensitivities to soy.

GMO

Most of the soy grown in the US is genetically modified, so unless the label says ‘organic soy lecithin,’ it probably came from a genetically modified soybean. You know I’m not a fan of GMOs, due to the presence of potentially transferrable DNA and potentially immunogenic proteins. However, as I discussed in the section on allergies, soy lecithin contains very little soy protein, and lecithin from some sources contains no detectable protein at all. Soy lecithin also contains very little DNA, and the DNA present is usually degraded to the extent that it’s impossible to tell whether the soy is genetically modified or not. (14) Thus, most of the risks associated with consumption of GMOs aren’t relevant for soy lecithin, and shouldn’t be cause for concern.

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Phytoestrogens

Soy is the greatest food source of phytoestrogens, and one group of researchers discovered significant estrogenic activity in soy lecithin. (15) Interestingly, none of the soy lecithin they tested contained genistein, which is the predominant phytoestrogen in soy. They concluded that “a so-far unidentified estrogen-like compound” is present in soy lecithin that accounts for its estrogenic activity.

We know how problematic phytoestrogens can be, but again, the dose makes the poison. Remember, soy isn’t the only source of phytoestrogens we’re exposed to. (Did you know that flaxseed is also a significant source of phytoestrogens? In fact, one study showed that supplementation with ground flaxseed altered estrogen metabolism even more than supplementation with soy flour.) It’s definitely best to keep phytoestrogens to a minimum, and individuals dealing with cancer or fertility problems might want to avoid them more strictly. But for most generally healthy people, the small amounts of phytoestrogens from soy lecithin shouldn’t be a problem.

Toxicity

One study that has been used widely as ammunition against soy lecithin is titled “Effects of a Commercial Soy Lecithin Preparation on Development of Sensorimotor Behavior and Brain Biochemistry in the Rat.” Researchers found that soy lecithin in concentrations of 2% and 5% in the diets of pregnant and newborn rats resulted in impaired reflexes and swimming ability, along with other cognitive deficiencies.

It’s important to understand that these effects are due to choline toxicity, not soy lecithin per se. The elevated brain/body weight ratios, plus elevated acetylcholine and choline acetyltransferase levels that resulted from soy lecithin supplementation were caused by the phosphatidylcholine, and would’ve still occurred even if they had used a source of phosphatidylcholine other than soy; even egg yolks.

It would be very difficult to consume as much choline as these rats did, especially from soy lecithin. In fact, most people are deficient in choline! This is just another case of a study being misinterpreted, and you certainly don’t need to worry about soy lecithin causing developmental problems.

Therapeutic Uses

I believe I’ve covered all of the main concerns about soy lecithin, but it’s worth mentioning that soy lecithin is also being recommended and consumed as a dietary supplement. There is a growing body of research supporting its use for improving blood lipids, reducing inflammation, and treating neurological disorders. (16) For instance, one study found that after 2 months of supplementing with 500mg of soy lecithin per day, total cholesterol levels fell by 42% and LDL levels decreased by 56%. (17)

However, most of these studies involve supplementation with a purified form of soy lecithin, which usually contains less soy oil and more phosphatidylcholine than the commercial soy lecithin that shows up in foods. Additionally, isolated phosphatidylcholine is often referred to as ‘lecithin’ in scientific contexts, so some studies supplementing with ‘soy lecithin’ are really just supplementing with phosphatidylcholine.

So once again, it’s not the soy lecithin; it’s the choline. Luckily, you can derive all the benefits of phosphatidylcholine supplementation just by increasing your consumption of choline-rich foods like egg yolks and liver.

So, What to Do?

The only people who need to make a point of avoiding soy lecithin are those with severe soy allergies or chemical sensitivities, and of course, those who notice that they personally react badly to it. And if you don’t have a soy allergy, almost all of the remaining concerns about soy lecithin (pesticides, solvents, and GMOs) can be completely eliminated by purchasing products that contain organic soy lecithin.

But for the vast majority of the population, even conventional soy lecithin isn’t worth worrying about one way or the other. If it’s just as easy for you to avoid it as it is to consume it, then do so. (For example, Enjoy Life is one popular brand of chocolate that is soy-free.) Ultimately, I think most people can just enjoy their occasional chocolate treat without worrying about whether it contains soy lecithin.

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374 Comments

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  1. John Burlingame, your reply is bordering on paranoia, not to mention no references to back up many of your claims. Re-read Chris’ article again…it’s not poison.

  2. we’ve been using sunflower lecithin… but our last container had a lead warning… wonder if you have any updated info on Lecithin

  3. Great article. I agree that finding soy free chocolate is difficult but I found one that’s amazng. Theobroma Chocolat is a Canadian product (unfortunately you can only buy it online if you live in the US) but Canadian consumers can find it almost everywhere. Best chocolate I’ve ever tasted and it’s totally clean.

  4. With all the negatives about soy…I could say the same about sunflower. It is everywhere and in everything. I do ok with soy, but not the sunflower. I changed from a sunflower lecithin supplement to a soy lecithin version, to avoid intestinal pain and pressure. Lecithin has significantly reduced my cholesterol, improved my energy and motivation levels. No amount of natural foods improved these situations. While our food industry has changed what food is, our body’s chemistry also changes with aging and contributes to what nutrients we can absorb and use. It is all quite complicated.

    • An update. Because sunflower lecithin caused problems for me, I switched to a soy lecithin. The soy version did NOT reduce my cholesterol, and I had cognitive problems with it. Noticed a foggy fatigue after taking the soy version, about 500mg, which is not considered to be a high dose. So, I switched back to the sunflower version. Taking an antihistamine has eliminated the internal abdominal pain, but I have rosacea and feel some body inflammation. I need to stop. Don’t tolerate corn oil or anti-cholesterol meds, so I don’t know what to do now.

  5. Lecithin has been known to drastically increase the amount of semen secreted during male ejaculation. By as much as three times the usual amount.

  6. Hi all. Just a bit of info concerning leaky gut syndrome and soy.

    Most US soy is genetically modified, as we all know. Why is it genetically modified? And who modified it? The answer is easily found. Monsanto (yes, the poison-manufacturing giant) genetically modifies soy, among other things such as maize. Why? To make it “Roundup-ready”. This means the plant can withstand the incredibly potent herbicide, Roundup, while all else dies around it. This makes it easy to grow and keep the crops free of weeds without doing much work (and boosts sales for Monsanto).

    Consuming Roundup causes leaky gut syndrome. When insects eat Roundup-sprayed plants, their stomachs explode. When humans eat the stuff, their gut gets lots of tiny holes (because we are so much larger). However, children suffer far more than we adults. Leaky gut causes temperamental problems such as irritability, short temper, hyperactivity and restlessness. A good, clean diet with plenty of probiotic food, as well as eliminating the cause, can help repair the gut.

    The USA has Roundup everywhere. It contaminates the water, soil, air and, of course, crops. Cows eat GM Roundup-ready maize and they also suffer gut problems. The Roundup, via the consumed maize, enters the milk which we buy and drink.

    Monsanto should be boycotted and eliminated from existence at all costs. This might sound radical, but they are causing harm far greater than any of us realises.

    Hope this is useful/interesting to some readers out there 🙂

    • Yep I have been reading all ingredients before I buy. I read somewhere and can’t remember but roundup is also in some foods. The awful thing are moms are still buying baby junk, . I grabbed a box of bars from Gerbers for babies, was so tired and hungry didn’t bother to read what’s in it, well got home and 2″ of items that of course I didn’t know half of them,so I trashed it. I rarely buy boxed food etc etc try to get most items organic and still wash them, your information is true and very informative. Sugar, salt and processed foods are killers and is whats making us sick. Sugar is more addictive then cocain and causes inflammation and that causes diseases .

  7. Let’s be clear:
    Phytoestrogen (plant form) is not Estrogen (animal form).

    Just as you would not use tree sap for a blood transfusion, being “similar” does not make them “the same”. There is zero evidence/data showing the human-animal body actually using “plant estrogen” as its own. This is high school bio lab stuff here.

    However, there is A WEALTH OF DATA/evidence that all animal hormones (estrogen being one of them) can and will alter your body’s normal function. The effects of animal hormones are seen in just about every facet of society, from steroids (bull hormones) to early menopause (cow estrogen & progesterone from a pregnant animal; milk).

    As animals ourselves (members of the same kingdom) we have to look at animal food sources for scrutiny…and we haven’t even started talking about LDL…

    HORMONE DISRUPTORS IN INFANTS:
    Why the “recent” increase in incidences? Plastics have been proven disruptors of hormones for at least a generation. The longer we use them for toys and bottles, the more evidence we collect. New plastics are also being developed as we speak! This is proven; while soy still has no evidence against it (even GM soy) – only speculation.

    Speculation is not science, it’s just bias.

    What HAS BEEN FOUND against soy is a link to pesticides (rather, run off from animal farms fed GM crops also injected with hormones), but that study doesn’t necessarily mean GM foods are a part of that statistic… Yes, organic is still great, but a bean is just a bean…green (pea) or white (soya).

    BEFORE EUROPE:
    Soy products (in general) have been consumed for more than just a few generations, but by the oldest civilization still around today – long before Europe was even a thought. I can’t speak on behalf of highly processed “foods” (tofu is not one of them; it’s just curd) but there are 5th generation Vegans (and older) that are healthier than the rest of the US population. Meanwhile, we have seen the complete opposite (in terms of health) in the rest of the US population in just the last 3 generations! Clearly, plastics are not all there is to blame and we need more human studies.

    The GMO soy crop in the US is actually grown to feed livestock and I have yet to find tofu (for example) that wasn’t organic or non-GM. Biomagnification is the process by which a body’s toxins are passed onto the next body and compounded/concentrated. This is how mercury levels rise as you go up the food chain in fish. The same process happens with land animals.

    BE UNBIASED:
    Before you reach your own conclusion, try to disprove what you think you know by looking for “real data” (from humans, not other animals). Penicillin is deadly in dogs and rats have livers relative to 5x our own; non-human animal studies are not good enough.

    Read up on human data that is undeniable and does not have other variables/factors at play (ex: The China Study). The “real data” is in folks who live every day as examples of that data, because life isn’t a cage or a petri dish and we all get check-ups from our doctors (real data).

    • Hi Mirna – Thank you for your detailed comment. Those of us in the nutrition world need to stop vilifying soy and phytoestrogens because both have been shown to be protective. A few meta analyses concluded that soy helps women avoid breast cancer and recurrences. The protective effect increases with earlier introduction of soy to the diet. I agree that highly processed soy is probably not helpful, but tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso are clearly foods to regularly include in the diet. And you’re right – it’s the much stronger animal estrogens that are dangerous and contributing to disease.

      • Tofu and edamame are not fermented therefore can harm the thyroid.
        Fermented non GMO soy is fine

        • Tofu-making was first recorded during the Chinese Han dynasty some 2,000 years ago.

          As far as human studies for food safety go, I’d say the research on tofu is quite extensive – especially when modern drugs only go through a trial period of a few weeks. Adverse effects from a poor diet are noticed within three generations; and yet, we don’t see this with tofu.

          However, what you are referring to has more to do with the modern version of the bean/plant being modified. I will say though, I have yet to see a package of tofu on a grocery shelf that didn’t say it was a GM-free product. I will also say that I have seen no such label in feed stores for use on domestic animals.

          Biomagnification is the process by which toxicity “shows up” in animals farther up the food chain. It’s the reason a predatory animal like a dolphin has such high concentrations of mercury – it feeds on fish that contain smaller amounts and the heavy metal builds up in the predator’s system, infecting flesh and bone.

  8. Maybe interesting: a recent study indicates that dietary emulsifying agents (e.g. polysorbate 80, lecithin, carrageenan, polyglycerols, and xanthan gum) can might impact gut microbiota, and induce low-grade inflammation.
    [NB this study only looked at CMC and polysorbate in mouse models]

    Source: Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome (Chassaing, 2015) – https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v519/n7541/full/nature14232.html

  9. what about the hazard of Soy lecithin for child with Favism i.e. G6PD deficiency hemolytic anemia? these kids are prevented from taking any beans including soy bean, is it dangerous to them to eat or drink food containing Soy lecithin?

  10. Ha… SOY LECITHIN IS WASTE!!!!!!!!!!!

    Have your doc do 24hr. urine or stool sample as this WILL NOT be detected by a blood test. It increases periferins (enzymes) in the liver, resulting in corproporifria (sp?) which is an excessive amount of waste in your body.

    Causes thyroid damage. And I believe that I read somewhere that it stops the absorption of beta carotene.
    My symptoms…
    Thyroid levels normal, but not normal for my body!
    Hair loss
    Brittle nails
    Dry skin
    Overall don’t feel well
    Weight gain
    Severe abdominal cramps – diarrhea and or constipation
    Allergies (not severe)
    Lethargic
    And more

    I was feeling so bad that I gathered all of the foods that I was eating to find a common denominator and research those ingredients. I was astonished to enter soy lecithin – waste. I decided to eliminate it for one month and I was astonished again. After two weeks, my hair loss started to subside and I started to feel well again. After one month, my hair stopped falling out (was 300-500 per day vs. 5-20 now), my eyebrows even came back in, and I had no more bowel trouble! Everything improved! My husband said to me a few months ago that he didn’t realize that he didn’t have any eyebrows until they had grown back in! Also, he has been completely bald on top for 20 years and now has some hair there. Note that if I eat 1 (only ONE) thing with soy lecithin, I can tell it by the next day! Additionally, not changing the amount of food consumption and within a few months, I dropped 10 lbs (now 135lbs).

    Eliminating soy lecithin is difficult; however the food is great. The homemade bread (only 6-7 ingredients and lasts longer than store-bought). I use a bread-maker, put it in pans to cook, and cut with electric knife. You can also make great buns with the same recipe. I use Baker’s chocolate bar and recipe inside to make brownies (awesome). I wish that I could find more crackers, but so far Premium saltines brand doesn’t have it. Around 8 months ago, all of the cheese brands started putting soy lecithin in it. I have found that the Kraft Deli cheese doesn’t have it, or so they say. It’s in almost everything, even baby formula!

    My brother was going to have a hair transplant and he decided to try the elimination… It worked and he has a lot of hair now. His wife pulled me aside to tell me that she could not believe how much better his mood was! He is a little annoyed that he has to read all of the ingredients, but he is getting used to using certain products.

    It is my belief that soy lecithin causes a lot more damage to our bodies than the experts realize. If you are having any of the symptoms above, I highly recommend that you try eliminating it, at least for one month!

    I have sent many emails and told many doctors, but it seems that no one pursues this issue. I pray that someone will work to get it out of our food!

    • Be careful its in everything. The joys of going totally soy free is not fun. Everything made by Bayer the aspirin contains soy. Neosporin contains soy, magnesium stearate, a pill filler is made from soy. All my meds are compounded. Most pill casings are made from soy. Mouthwash and toothpaste contain soy. All natural toothpaste now contains soy. Toms toothpaste contains soy. Most of all BBQ sauces contain soy. Smoke flavor is made from soy. The last thing I had to remove, that contain soy in my system, was a root-canal done years before. The filler had soy in it. I’m soy free. But beware it comes at a cost. I cant go into stores, the perfume in the air contains soy, cleaning product contain soy. Comet contains soy. I’m down to bleach and water to clean my home. Everything I eat I make from scratch. vegetables from the market, the wax is soy. If I dont grow it, it gets peeled. Using a knife to cut into a avocado is a bad idea, pushed the wax into the mix. ( Always peel them). I know with a fact what contains soy and what doesn’t. I know who is lying. And who forgets to put it on there labels. 8 seconds it takes to hit me air born and blood contact. 30 min to digest. Air and blood, I can drink water to flush in 2 hours. Food takes 24-36 hours to pass. I’m a living soy detector.

      • Thanks for all the specifics. I am slowly trying to eliminate. And yes it IS in EVERYTHING! Even ‘organic’, ‘natural’, etc. So I usually try to voice my displeasure to the producer!!

      • My son (5) is severely allergic to soy and has been since birth. He also has a digestive disorder and soy is a huge trigger for that as well. I’m wondering if you’ve ever had issues with pool chemicals? My son is having allergic (digestive kind) reactions in my sister pool. No other pool has done this, even public ones so I’m trying to figure out what the chemical is that’s causing this. He’s allergic to dairy to but I’m sure there’s something in there with soy. Like you said, it’s in EVERYTHING!

    • The hair loss could be caused by the estrogenic activity of the lecithin. The lecithin may be increasing estrogenic activity and effectively giving you too much estrogen, or the phytoestrogen in the lecithin may be interfering with your body metabolising your own estrogen.
      Too much or too little estrogen can both affect hair.

      • Wow. I’ve been having hair loss and weight gain problems for several years now. I have sunflower lecithin in my smoothies every day. I will see if eliminating the lecithin helps. That would be amazing!

      • gh – why do you say that lecithin has estrogenic activity? It is a phospholipid, not a phytoestrogen.

    • I concur and if you happen to have an adverse reaction to it, as I do, even small amounts are quite damaging.

    • I DID THE SKIN AND BLOOD TEST. Only the skin test showed A bump showing mild SOY allergy. blood was negative. 1 TO 5 Showed a one ALLERGY TO MILK AND CORN. BUMMER. I NOW MAKE Rice milk… one cup of cooked rice BLEND IT WITH 2-3 CUPS OF FILTERED WATER. RICE WITHOUT SALT, WITHOUT OIL. IN BLEND A SPOON OR 2 OF HONEY AND ONE OF VANILLA EXTRACT. CHECK YOUTUBE VIDEO. 3 WEEKS NOW WITHOUT MILK. 2 DAYS ATE CANDY WITH MILK… GOT SOME BACK BUMPS. I BETTER STOP ANY MILK/CHEESE FOR GOOD. I guess soy I’ll avoid to. but even some pills have soy. i’m glad my soy thing is very mild. MY MOTHER EVEN MADE CORNBREAD WITHOUT CORN, LOL. SHE CRUNCHED down rice instead and used it. it tasted same as corn bread with the texture

    • You didn’t just avoid soy lecithin with your diet, you avoided a whole host of other substances. The chances of it being the lecithin exclusively is very slim. The amounts taken in on a normal diet even of unhealthy food is small comparatively speaking.

  11. Products with soy additives such as Soy Lecithin increase estrogen which for young men isn’t the greatest thing. Not only doesn’t bring on lethargy, but it can also cause premature hair loss. Since the food companies seem to now be putting Soy Lecithin in almost all manufactured product this is creating a problem that has yet to be addressed and done something about.

        • According to Thorne Research, Phosphatidyl Choline from soy does not have estrogenic issues so I assume that applies to basic lecithin as well

    • The other issue besides Soy being so unhealthy is that the latest research is that emulsifiers seem to contribute to IBDs and possibly diabetes. They are in so many food products that even if you eat relatively healthy prepared food or even some food ingredients you end up eating a lot of gums and soy lecithin.

      It’s not good for us at all.

      • Nyle, When you say “emulsifiers” that is a pretty wide net you are casting. What about sunflower lecithin? This it promoted by Dr. Ben Lynch as a method for delivering phosphatidylcholine and other phospholipids to people who may need it with MTHFR gene mutations.

  12. I recently picked up some non-GMO soy lecithin granules to help to emulsify fat since I don’t digest oils well; unfortunately every time I take it I get terrible stomach cramps and painful gas – I guess soy lecithin doesn’t work for everyone…..

  13. Hello, Could you please tell me if Shaklee supplements are ok? Almos all of the hVe soy lecithin asan ingredient or soy isolate. I have hypothyroidism, and was told to avoid soy. I think shaklee is organic( it should be if not for the price) many of the supplements its the last ingredient. Anyway I would just like to know if its safe in there supplements for my thyroid. Thank you so much!! Rita

  14. I started a course in nutrition and learned about soy lecithin as in to avoid. I have since picked up all my daily products I consume and have found it in everything! It is shocking and sad. It’s in milk, almond milk, coconut milk, organic chocolate just to name a few. What is wrong with out corrupt food industry?! I have set up my marketplace for beauty foods and I test all the products to make sure they are clean. I am trying to use as many beauty foods to swap them for non beauty foods in order to escape additives and preservatives and artificial nasties. I think we need to demand more from the food industry. Hope you are all well!

    • This is what I am running into my daughter and I are both dairy free so in replacement we drink almond milk well there is soy lechithin in them. What milk alternatives can we drink that are actually good for you then?

      • Christa and Kristin, I suggest coconut milk without guar gum in BPA-free cans (Natural Value brand) or a specific brand of almond milk called Califia Farms. It is hands-down the most delicious almond milk I’ve tried. It is in the refrigerated section in a curved bottle. It is dairy and soy-free and made without carrageenan as well. It is expensive, but worth it to me. They make several flavors including a almond-toasted coconut one, and their coffee and seasonal products are dreamy as well! Hope this helps!

        • I raise nubian goats and mix my feed mix to not include soy meal,oil or liechtin and drink the milk

        • I was drinking Califa milk but found they use guar gum or one of the gum in it. make sure to look. i have been trying to find a milk alt that doesn’t contain any emulsifiers

          • Calcium and magnesium salts are insoluble in water and will sink to the bottom. Fats are not miscible with water and will float on the surface. No amount of stirring or heating will cause these ingredients to stay together as a mixture. To get these ingredients to stay together you need an emulsifying agent. Therefore, all milks, being mixtures containing calcium & magnesium salts, fats & oils and water must contain natural emulsifies. Lecithin is the most commonly, produced emulsifier by nature in animals and plants. It exists an all milk products from animals, cows, goats, etc., and plants coconuts, soy milk, almond milk.

            I am more concerned about avoiding detergent products such as sulphonated alkylbenze acids, alcohol ethoxylates and their sulhonated salts in foods. These are chemicals I was once involved in manufacturing for use as active ingredients in shampoo, dishwashing and laundry detergent products. They are used in some processed foods as replacement emulsifiers. Lecithin is known as natures detergent. There are some plants which, when beaten in water release enough lecithin to be used to clean body and hair by natives in various parts of the world. When consumed, lecithin can act as a natural cleanser in the body, both in the digestive system and the blood stream.

            The important thing to remember, with lecithin and all other material we consume is an old adage used in the chemical industry. It is also used when teaching Health & Safety training programs to workers for the safe handling of chemicals. “Nothing is poisonous, except in a dose and everything is poisonous in a dose”. Some doses can be accumulative. That is, small amounts over a period of time.

            Another adage to remember is, ” Without data you are only an opinion”. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has established any harmful dosages for lecithin. I think much research needs to be done. Currently we are all only opinions, yours, mine and even Chris Kresser’s.

      • Bliss hemp milk doesn’t contain any of the harmful chemicals that are found in most dairy alternatives. Or make your own non-dairy milk.

      • HI CHRISTA. … Because my blood allergy test showed milk/corn allergy even that is 1 of 5 I NOW MAKE Rice milk… one cup of cooked rice BLEND IT WITH 2-3 CUPS OF FILTERED WATER depending on how watery u want it. I made RICE WITHOUT SALT, WITHOUT OIL. IN BLENDer A SPOON OR 2 OF HONEY AND ONE OF VANILLA EXTRACT. CHECK YOUTUBE VIDEOs. 3 WEEKS NOW WITHOUT MILK no much dif, but 2 DAYS ATE CANDY WITH MILK… GOT SOME BACK BUMPS, lol. I BETTER STOP ANY MILK/CHEESE FOR GOOD. I guess soy I’ll avoid to. but even some pills have soy. i’m glad my soy thing is very mild. MY MOTHER EVEN MADE CORNBREAD WITHOUT CORN, LOL. SHE CRUNCHED down rice instead and used it. it tasted same as corn bread with the texture. WANNA KNOW how I stopped my heartburn???> BOIL the 99 cents parsley leafs from supermarket in one litter of water. i started drinking one glass in the morning. ACID REFLUX GONE. 10 days now. now i drink half a cup only every 3 days. well, last today is sunday and last time i drank it was thursday and still ok. i will drink tomorrow even that im still ok. i’ll eventually go to quarter cup. lol. ACID REFLUX PILLS have severe damages including osteoporosis. NO MORE.