Following Stovsky's response is "Community Answers" where the comments are quite interesting, one comparing Enfamil to Similac, another praising goats' milk, another whose life was saved by soy milk after going into anaphylactic shock as an infant, another pleading with people that soy can lead to health problems.

The Weston A. Price Institute expressed concern that, "...Babies fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formulas...the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills a day."

Indeed, author Terrain in The Dark Side of Soy stated that after 13 years of cultivating a vegetarian diet including plenty of soy, she stopped menstruating. In studying holistic nutrition she learned about endocrine disruption. The Weston A.Price Institute says that, "Soy isoflavones are phytoendocrine disruptors. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells."

The Price Institute also expressed concern that soy infant formula can "inhibit testosterone..." in boy babies.

So what other alternatives are there besides goats' milk? Well, there is almond milk but may be risky if an unknown nut allergy is present. There is oat milk, however, this is a bit thicker than almond milk as far as the swallowing capacity of an infant goes, and there's rice milk which is more watery than oat milk.

According to an article, "Alternatives to Soy and Milk," in the University of Michigan's "Eat This!" blog, soy milk has more protein. The soy, rice, and oat milk have more calcium than almond milk. Goat milk has more calcium than cow's milk. Plain soy has the highest fat content and oat milk has the most carbohydrates and calories with rice milk the second most.

For more information, the following resources are recommended:

"Fermented Soy is (the) Only Soy Food Fit for Human Consumption"
Natural Communities article, February 2009
naturalcommunitiesmag.com

"Alternatives to Soy and Cow Milk"
Eat This! University of Michigan, February 2007
mblog.lib.umich.edu/eatthismi/archives/

The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food
by Kaayla Daniel
www.wholestory.com

Weston A Price Institute
www.westonprice.com

"The Dark Side of Soy"
Utne Reader article by Mary Vance Terrain
July/August 2007
www.utne.com

"Soy or milk-based formula: Which is better for my baby?"
Answer by Jill Stovsky, Dietician, followed by Community Answers
BabyCenter website
www.babycenter.com

Return to Page 1