GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE SOY HEALTH CLAIM: NOW WE NEED YOUR HELP!

GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE SOY HEALTH CLAIM: NOW WE NEED YOUR HELP!

 

Dear Members of WAPF:

 

I have some very good news to report: In response to our 2008 petition, the FDA has proposed to revoke the heart health claim for soy protein!

 

But there is still work to do. We now need to flood the FDA with comments in support of this measure.

 

ACTION TO TAKE:

 

Please submit a comment to the FDA before the deadline on January 15, 2018!

 

You can do it online: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=FDA-2017-N-0763

Or write a letter to:

Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305)

Food and Drug Administration

5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061

Rockville, MD   20853

 

If you send a hard copy letter, be sure to include the docket number: FDA-2017-N-0763

 

Begin with the clear statement: “I support FDA’s proposed revocation of the heart health claim for soy protein.”

 

Then include as much or as little as you want. If you have been harmed by soy, be sure to provide that information! And we have some sample talking points below.

 

ADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO TAKE:

 

  1. Send the press release below to your local media.

 

  1. Share this email with all your friends and social networks—we need thousands of people posting comments! (see: https://www.westonaprice.org/good-news-soy-health-claim/)

 

Thank you!

Sally Fallon Morell, President

The Weston A. Price Foundation

 

 

TALKING POINTS

 

  • A substance that causes harm should never be allowed a health claim; soy protein contains many compounds that are scientifically documented to cause health problems.

 

  • The original paper used to justify a health claim was seriously flawed; it only showed that soy lowers cholesterol levels a small amount in a diet that avoids meat; it did not show that consuming soy can prevent heart disease. Subsequent studies indicate that eating soy protein does not even lower cholesterol.

 

  • Soy contributes to low thyroid function; low thyroid function can cause heart disease.

 

  • Soy causes endocrine disruption, including the development of breasts and loss of libido in men.

 

  • Studies show that eating soy increases the risk of stroke in women.

 

  • Both the European Food Safety Authority and the American Heart Association have favored a revocation of any heart health claim for soy protein.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

FDA Proposes Nixing Soy Health Claim

 

FDA PROPOSES NIXING SOY HEALTH CLAIM

RESPONSE TO PETITION BY INTERNATIONAL NUTRITION GROUP

 

WASHINGTON, DC, November 5, 2017. In response to a petition by the Weston A. Price Foundation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed revoking authorization allowing food manufacturers to claim that soy protein reduces heart attack risk.

 

“We are proposing a rule to revoke a health claim for soy protein and heart disease,” said a statement from Susan Mayne, director of the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “For the first time, we have considered it necessary to propose a rule to revoke a health claim because numerous studies published since the claim was authorized in 1999 have presented inconsistent findings on the relationship between soy protein and heart disease.”

 

“The FDA’s proposal is a great step forward and very helpful to the public,” said Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation. “A product as problematic as soy protein should carry a health warning rather than a health claim.”

 

For many years, the Weston A. Price Foundation, a non-profit nutrition education organization, has provided information to the public showing that naturally occurring soy toxins can cause thyroid disorders and endocrine disruption. The Foundation submitted its petition to revoke the health claim in 2006.

 

Proponents for the health claim argue that since soy lacks cholesterol and saturated fat, it may provide health benefits by slightly lowering “bad” LDL-cholesterol. “But we’ve since learned that not every way of lowering cholesterol has benefits, and some things that do lower cholesterol actually have shown harm, (and) what we know is that there was never any clinical trials ever that showed eating more soy improves heart health,” said Dr. Karol Watson, a cardiologist and director of the UCLA Women’s Cardiovascular Health Center.

 

In 2008, the American Heart Association stated that there was not enough evidence to claim a strong link between soy protein and the reduced risk of coronary heart disease. Now, “while some evidence continues to suggest a relationship between soy protein and a reduced risk of heart disease — including evidence reviewed by the FDA when the claim was authorized — the totality of currently available scientific evidence calls into question the certainty of this relationship,” said the statement from the FDA’s Mayne.

 

“Our review of that evidence has led us to conclude that the relationship between soy protein and heart disease does not meet the rigorous standard for an FDA-authorized health claim,” the statement said.

 

The FDA’s proposed rule to reverse the claim sets in motion a 75-day public comment period. The comments, along with all related research, will be reviewed to consider whether the rule will become final. If it does, the FDA said, a qualified health claim may be permitted if the agency feels there is evidence to support one—an action that the Weston A. Price Foundation will also oppose.

 

“Legally, the FDA cannot allow a qualified health claim for foods known to cause harm,” stated Fallon Morell.

 

The comment period is from Oct. 31, 2017 to January 15, 2018.

 

The docket number is FDA-2017-N-0763.  The link for comments is

https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=FDA-2017-N-0763

 

or submit comments to

 

Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305)

Food and Drug Administration

5630 Fishers Lane, Room 1061

Rockville, MD   20853

 

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a Washington, DC-based nutrition education 501(c)(3) with the mission of disseminating science-based information on diet and health. WAPF publishes a quarterly journal for its 16,000 members, supports 600 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly international conference. Contact at (202) 363-4394, westonaprice.org, info@westonaprice.org.

 

 

CONTACT: Kimberly Hartke, publicist

Hartke Communications

703-860-2711, Kimberly@hartkepr.com

 

 

 

 

 

westonaprice.org
(202) 363-4394

We hope you will support the Weston A. Price Foundation in its efforts to restore nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism. westonaprice.org

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