How to Live With an Allergy to Soy

Soy allergy is a fairly common food allergy, but different soy products may vary in their ability to cause an allergic reaction. Fermented soy, such as tempeh, will usually cause less of a reaction than raw soybeans.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Acidophilus
• Food Enzymes
• Quercetin
• Vitamin C

1. Eliminate all soy-based foods from your diet. This includes soybeans, tempeh, tofu, soy milk, soy cheese, miso, soy flour, soy sauce and so on.

2. Read labels carefully. Soy derivatives are not always identified as such.

3. Avoid foods containing the items lecithin, mono-diglycerides and monosodium glutamate, which may contain soy products.

4. Avoid products containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein (hvp), which may be obtained from soy. Check with the manufacturer before using the item.

5. Watch for products that say "natural flavors" on the label. They may be soy products. Check with the manufacturer.

6. Ask in restaurants if you're unsure of ingredients. Soy flour is used to add protein to a wide variety of recipes.

7. Decrease your consumption of processed foods, which will decrease the likelihood of accidentally eating soy.

8. Avoid taking the oil form of vitamin E. It's derived primarily from soy.

9. Check your cosmetics. Soy meal and soy oil are used in many soaps and cosmetics.

10. Avoid using tamari sauce, teriyaki and shoyu as condiments. They're soy products.

11. Take care when eating in Chinese and Japanese restaurants. They use a great deal of soy in their cooking and in their dishes. Make sure the dish you order is soy-free.

12. Avoid buying generic vegetable oil. It's usually part soy or 100 percent soy oil. Use canola or safflower oil instead.

13. Add a supplement of vitamin C with bioflavonoids to your diet, 1,000 to 5,000 mg per day in divided doses, or quercetin, 500mg two times per day. These help your body cope with allergens, decrease inflammation and support the immune system.

14. Take acidophilus, using it according to the product label. It helps digestion by maintaining healthy intestinal flora.

15. Use a multienzyme complex to help improve digestion. Use it according to the product label and take with meals.

Tips & Warnings

• Take care with books and newspapers. Many use soy ink, which can induce an allergic reaction in a sensitive individual.

• Be careful with soy oil - there have been reports of allergic reactions to it. Soy oil is used in margarine, salad dressings, mayonnaise, sauces and vegetable shortenings. Substitute butter for margarine, buy salad dressings with an olive or canola oil base, or use oil-free dressings.

• If soy oil is completely free of protein contamination, then it probably won't cause an allergic response. It may be difficult to judge the quality of the oil when it's used in commercial products, so use it cautiously, if at all.

• Soy is present in a large number of products, ranging from food to industrial, so avoiding it can be a daunting task.

• Don't attempt to reintroduce soy back into your diet if you've had a severe reaction to it.

• Be careful when you eat peanuts, green peas, chickpeas, lima beans, string beans, wheat flour, rye and barley flour. Soy-sensitive individuals can have crossover allergic reactions to these items.

• If you have any questions or concerns, contact a physician or other health care professional before engaging in any activity related to health and diet. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.