Monday, January 12, 2015

Soy Allergy Diagnosis: What You Need To Know

Hello and welcome to the first post on this blog. If you were recently diagnosed with a soy allergy, you are probably just starting to realize what that means.

Early B/W photo of doctor examining patient
Even most doctors are not aware of many soy derivatives.
Your doctor probably told you to avoid all soy products but didn't give you a list of all the soy derivatives; a list that continues growing as we speak.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you live in the United States, you live in the #1 soy-producing country in the world...which means it's in everything.

Fortunately, our planet is changing. With awareness comes change. Many companies are removing soy ingredients from their foods because many health-conscious individuals understand its effects on hormone levels and the repercussions of ingesting soy.

By sharing the information I gather from the community and from research, I will help you navigate the world with a bit more confidence and hopefully limit your allergic reactions to soy derivatives or soy proteins.

I will share informational posts specifically about soy derivatives, new soy innovations or soy products to look out for as well as tons of soy-free foods, soy-free drinks, soy-free recipes and other soy-free without any soy derivatives at all. 

Many changes have yet to be made with food allergy labeling. Unfortunately, soybean oil and vegetable oil do not have to be labeled as soy allergens on products based on studies using participants without anaphylaxis! Meaning, if they have a mild to moderate soy allergy in the first place, of course they won't react! Not only that, but food allergies are cumulative, meaning, you can be fine one minute and have a severe reaction when more allergy derivatives are added into your belly. This can result in delayed severe reactions and for some, immediate or delayed anaphylactic shock resulting in death. I created a petition to inform the FDA that many people do react to soy derivatives, including natural flavors, tocopherol acetate, soybean oil and many others. Please take a moment to read and sign. Your signature can help ease the suffering of so many with severe soy allergy, including myself.

You are free to utilize the search bar on the top left of my main site, Maya's Happy Place. It's a support blog I started in 2009 for people with peanut, soy and/or tree nut allergies as well as severe gluten intolerance and/or Celiac disease.

Make sure to come back soon for new product additions and info you need to know!