After it became clear that I was having "issues" with dairy, I switched to Americanos at the coffee shop. This was fine as far as it went, but sometimes I just really want a latte. I made the obvious choice: a soy latte. Can't go wrong with that, right? Wrong.
I have a very repetitive (i.e. boring) diet, so when something goes wrong, it's pretty obvious what the culprit is. I didn't want to believe that soy milk was causing my stomach upset and stomach ache, but after a few months of the occasional latte (followed by a heinous next day), I finally admitted the truth to myself: I can't tolerate soy milk either.
It turns out I'm not the only one, although you would never know it from the information out there. Soy is a multi-billion dollar industry in America, and the soy manufacturers have poured untold millions of dollars into research that "proves" the health benefits of soy.
However, there are also down sides. Soy may boost estrogen in post-menopausal women, but it also boosts estrogen-sensitive cancers like breast and uterine cancers. Soy is also one of the most significant GMO crops in America, so those with concerns about GMO foods are skeptical of American soy.
And finally, it seems that the health benefits of soy come mainly from its fermented forms, like miso and tofu. American soy milk is not fermented. In fact, it is highly processed, with added sugars and all kinds of chemicals and stabilizers. It's about as artificial as a drink can get. And not everyone can tolerate it, myself included.
I'm afraid that sadly, until coffee shops start offering almond or coconut milk as a latte ingredient, I will have to go back to black Americanos for the time being.
Image courtesy Flickr/kenleewrites
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