It has been asked of me why I use soy in my Your Flora series knowing the concern over its safety. I hope the following statements answer this.
As the founder and formulator of Living Alchemy I take responsibility of every ingredient I put in my products. My background as a nutritional therapist means I care about the ingredients I use for their effects on health and avoid anything that may be unhealthy.
Soy is my chosen ingredient to create our Kefi-Soy™, the Living Culture Symbiotic of the Your Flora series and for very good purpose. As a rich source of nutrients including an ideal ratio of amino acids and a wide range of phytonutrients, it is the perfect fermented food for creating a balance of beneficial microbes and as a digestive flora support. Fermented soy has the strongest independent research for its many positive effects on the digestive ecosystem, and the studies we have conducted have proven to be the best medium for our 35 micro-organisms.
Traditional fermented soy was and is an important foundation to the health of the Asian population and the original reason why we imported it for our own health. The health of the Asian population was strongly linked in part to their soy consumption including the prevention of many hormonal related conditions. But hormonal health is all about balance and with either overconsumption or the structure of the food being changed, then an imbalance can occur leading to an unhealthy state.
There is no debate as to the health benefits of traditionally fermented soy foods such as miso, tempeh and natto. But when we take something healthy and process it into unnatural forms it obviously becomes a problem. Look at other examples such as healthy vegetable oils processed into hydrogenated fats, or healthy corn processed into high fructose corn syrup.
Because all foods hold a different potential and need to be prepared and consumed in certain ways, understanding the food type and potential is essential to knowing how to best prepare it. Soy is a rich source of protein that when fermented provides key amino acids. If not fermented, can cause allergic reactions. Soy is rich in phytonutrients that when fermented has a balancing effect on hormones, but if not fermented and processed, can cause a hormonal imbalance due to the loss of certain nutrients.
The other important consideration that we are becoming aware of with soy is to only consume in moderate amounts just like in Asian tradition. Unfortunately, we have been led to think more is always better. It is not possible to get ‘super’ healthy with super consumption. The body likes balance and soy being such a rich source of nourishment is only meant to be eaten in relatively small amounts and ideally in a fermented form. Our Your Flora provides a suitable amount of fermented soy to encourage balance and develop a natural state to your digestive flora.
So to be clear, although fermented foods are not for everyone, fermented organic non-GMO soy is one of the healthiest foods available with a strong tradition and supporting research. One of the key benefits is that it’s the most effective food source in supporting the digestive microflora.
Despite this hot debate surrounding soy I have to remain true to my products and not use an inferior ingredient to avoid controversy. It would certainly have been easier and cheaper to use an alternative ingredient and many would be none the wiser. Soy is absolutely the best ingredient for my purpose in this case. For the Your Flora series I take great care to source the highest quality organic non-GMO soy and then use a traditional fermentation process to provide a highly active, natural soy. I deliver our fermented Kefi-Soy™ in safe and appropriate levels to best encourage a natural and healthy digestive flora.
– Graham Botfield, Founder & Formulator