is soy bad for kids?

I'm reading this article on Mercola's site (link below) and I came across this quote. Given that I have a 1 year old girl and I feed her tofu every day, I am VERY interested in the veracity of this information.

"an infant exclusively fed soy formula receives the estrogenic equivalent (based on body weight) of at least five birth control pills per day"

Link

Thu. Oct 4, 1:36pm

yes

Thursday, October 4, 2007, 10:51 PM

Soymilk vs. Cow's Milk

Although I'm not familiar with formula, I have asked around about soymilk vs. cow's milk, and the following is a compilation of information I've received. I hope this helps.

Milk: You can easily switch cow's milk for soymilk -- same levels of calcium, D, etc., a good source of relatively complete protein, and because the calcium is not animal-based, it will be more easily absorbed into the body. After trying out a bunch of different soymilks, I prefer the Silk Enhanced. We were going the less
expensive route for a while (e.g. Trader Joe's, West Soy, etc.), but the Silk Enhanced is fortified with stuff that's important to a veg diet (B12, Omega-3s, etc.) and doesn't have as much sugar as some other brands. You can also get
rice milk, but I would try to find one that is fortified.

The PostPunkKitchen has both vegan recipes and forums for advice. In particular, there's a group for vegan or considering being veg parents.

for nutritional information, we recently came upon the book "Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet" by Brenda
Davis and Vesanto Melina that seems good. It has reference charts for how much vitamins and minerals little ones need. Very helpful when choosing soymilk, multi-vitamins, etc.

"The Vegan Lunch Box" is a cookbook for making lunches for school-aged kids. Some neat ideas, some seem time-intensive, though. I also like the
following cookbooks: "Vegan with a Vengeance", "La Dolce Vegan," "Vegan Planet," "World Vegetarian" by Madhur Jaffrey, and I've just
recently started using "The Mediterranian Vegan Kitchen" and my husband just got me "Down to Earth" -- said it received great reviews.

Link

Thursday, October 4, 2007, 11:02 PM

Soymilk vs. Cow's Milk

11:02 here - sorry, I see the article is specifically addressing soy formula.

Thursday, October 4, 2007, 11:04 PM

Soy is one of the most abundant sources of estrogen there is - i'd be cautious about the amount you give a developing child.

Thursday, October 4, 2007, 11:26 PM

why are you feeding her tofu daily??? As for milk, I'd think rice or almond milk would be a better choice than soy milk for a child...

Friday, October 5, 2007, 12:26 AM

I think all "good" things are good in moderation. Mercola seems somewhat extremist and I question his information. Keep in mind soy is a phytoestrogen, not a true estrogen. Does he have research to backup his statement? Tofu is an excellent food for your child: excellent protein, some fiber, healthy fatty acids. My children get soy products every day and I'm not a bit worried about it. Better soy than cow's milk with potential hormones and antibiotics, cholesterol. Plus, there's some weak research out there that points at a potential link between milk and type I diabetes. Who knows... Overall, I say this: moderation/balance is key.

Saturday, October 6, 2007, 2:20 AM

you say moderation is key, but soy is better than cow's milk? Hello pot, this is the kettle calling...

You can buy hormone/anti-biotic free cow's milk.

Personally, I the only soy I permit in my diet is bragg's soy sauce. However, I don't drink milk either.

Saturday, October 6, 2007, 2:34 AM

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