Dietary Taboos: Nine Types of People Should Not Eat Soy Products
Although soy products are nutritious and delicious, they are not suitable for everyone. People with the following conditions should avoid or eat them with caution:
1. Peptic Ulcer: Patients with severe peptic ulcers should not consume soy products like soybeans, broad beans, tofu skin, or dried tofu, as they are high in purines, which can promote gastric acid secretion. The dietary fiber in whole beans can also cause mechanical damage to the gastric mucosa. The oligosaccharides in beans, such as stachyose and raffinose, cannot be digested by digestive enzymes but can be fermented by intestinal bacteria, producing small-molecule gases that can lead to belching, bowel sounds, bloating, and abdominal pain.
2. Gastritis: Patients with acute gastritis and chronic superficial gastritis should also avoid soy products to prevent stimulation of gastric acid secretion and gastrointestinal bloating.
3. Kidney Disease: Patients with nephritis, renal failure, and those on dialysis should follow a low-protein diet. To meet the body's basic needs, they should choose foods within the limited range that are rich in essential amino acids and low in non-essential amino acids. Compared to animal protein, beans are higher in non-essential amino acids, so they should be avoided.
4. Diabetic Nephropathy: The main complication leading to death in diabetic patients is diabetic nephropathy. When patients have urea nitrogen retention, they should also avoid soy products.
5. Typhoid Fever: Although patients with long-term high fever from typhoid should consume a high-calorie, high-protein diet, during the acute and recovery phases, it is advisable to avoid drinking soy milk to prevent bloating and gas production.
6. Acute Pancreatitis: During an acute pancreatitis attack, patients can drink high-carbohydrate clear liquids, but should avoid soy milk and other foods that stimulate the secretion of gastric and pancreatic fluids.
7. Gout: The pathogenesis of gout is a disorder of purine metabolism, characterized by hyperuricemia. This disease is more common in affluent families, where high-protein, high-fat diets can easily trigger gout. Food proteins are often combined with nucleic acids to form nucleoproteins, which are broken down into purines and then into uric acid. Therefore, foods high in purines must be avoided during the acute phase, including dried beans and soy products. Even during the remission phase, their consumption should be limited.
8. Galactose and Lactose Intolerance: Because these patients lack enzymes related to the digestion and metabolism of galactose and lactose, they should avoid foods containing lactose in their diet. When stachyose and raffinose in soy foods are broken down in the intestine, they can produce some galactose. Therefore, severe patients should avoid soy products to prevent worsening their condition.
9. Phenylketonuria (PKU): This is a common congenital metabolic disorder in children. The main treatment for this condition is to control the concentration of phenylalanine in the blood by consuming specially formulated low-phenylalanine foods, while also avoiding or limiting the use of protein-rich foods such as soy products and animal products.
Thus, it seems people should consider their own health status when deciding whether to eat soy products.