Is soy bad?

[JessicaCA]

I'm 44 and for the last few years, I've been suffering from PMDD (Premenstrual dysphoric disorder) where I was always tired, had ache-y breasts all the time, bad cramps, would cry uncontrollably at stoplights for no reason, felt hopeless and extremely depressed and after spending thousands on doctors and tests with the same result --- doctor's saying, "Well, I dunno," I finally found something that helped. I eat a soy bar everyday and for some reason this has drastically reduced my symptoms.

But now I'm reading that soy is the devil and gives people dry eye. So, have I traded one problem for another? I had dry eye (MGD) before the soy bars, but only once every few months, now it's constant.

After doing a quick Google search, I did find something interesting -- an eyedrop specifically for MGD that is supposed to replace the right type of tears, made of soybeans.

http://www.moorfieldspharmaceuticals...s-release.html

I've stopped eating my soy bars for now, but I'm afraid my PMDD will come back. Soy has a big effect on me. Although I'm probably close to menopause, soy pretty much suspends my period anyway, which has been great for my mental health. I guess I'm really sensitive to the protein or something. Good in one way, bad if it's possibly affecting my eyeballs.

[NotADryEye]

Soy protein is high in phyto-estrogens, plant-based estrogens. Soy oil is probably not as high.

Testosterone is important in the blink feedback loop that triggers the lacrimal gland to produce. When women approach and enter menopause our testosterone levels drop. The ratio of estrogen increases and the blink feedback loop is interrupted. That is one of the reasons why soy exacerbate dry eye.

[JessicaCA]

Interesting. Thanks so much for the info. NotADryEye.

[DCRdryeye]

Soy is controversial. It can interfere with the Thyroid gland too and prevent certain nutrients being absorbed. Yes it is a phytoestrogen, but rather a weak estrogen, probably similar to 'estrone', the main estrogen the body uses during menopause.

I wouldn't say it's bad in moderation. What's more important is to make sure the soy is not genetically modified and to make sure it's been made from the whole soy bean (not soy protein). Cows milk is worse, don't get me started on that!! lol