Soy boys – no longer just a joke

The findings from California suggest conditions such as autism, anxiety and depression may be more likely in soy consumers.  Low oxytocin levels have been linked to autism spectrum disorder and depressive symptoms. Given there is an epidemic of mental health problems including these conditions, might soy be the cause?

There may be consequences for social activism too. Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the “love hormone”, being associated with trust and relationship building. Are low levels causing activists to resort to personal attack and claim victimhood rather than debate issues on their merits?

According to a UK market research study, soymilk consumers have a “strong affinity for veganism”, are socially conscious, and are strongly represented among BLM advocates. The popularity of lattes, which comprise mostly milk, suggests the intake of soymilk is sizeable.

There is an additional irony in all this. Far from being an environmental white knight, soybean production comes at a considerable environmental cost. Soybean production is expanding, particularly in Brazil, the world’s largest producer of soybeans, where there are significant encroachments on the Amazon rainforest to produce soybeans and cattle.

Facts have never been especially important to eco-warriors, but the facts relating to soybeans are starting to become rather awkward. The key question is whether it will require someone who does not consume soy to explain it to them.