Soy has been on the market for a long time and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. It is used in many products, from soy milk to tofu and beyond. But there are a lot of lesser known facts about soy that may make you think twice about consuming it. Let’s talk about how soy affects our health, animal welfare, agricultural practices, and more.

In more recent years, the promotion of plant-based milk consumption is definitely on the rise. All the coverage these milks receive makes you think that you’re investing in a product that is better for your own health and the health of the planet. However, soy isn’t actually that great of an option to pick. Stay tuned to find out why.

The Environmental Impact Of Soy

Soy requires a lot of resources to produce, and large amounts of pesticides are used during its growth process. The soil that soybeans grow in also becomes depleted after multiple years, requiring more fertiliser or composting materials to be added into it before growing. This soil degradation is a big problem not just because it’s harming the environment, but also because farmers and companies who depend on soybeans as their primary cash crop can lose money when this happens!

Soy production has been linked with deforestation, habitat loss for animals, and climate change. This can be compared to the production of palm oil. The processes for harvesting and growing both palm oil and soy have similarities and this is why they are equally damaging for the environment. The only difference between palm oil and soy is that people know about the destruction palm oil production causes, whereas there is not as much awareness for the damage that soy is irreversibly having on our planet.

How Soy Affects Our Bodies

Soy is one of the most heavily genetically modified crops in our world today. It contains natural toxins that are harmful to human health, and they’re not even required on the label. Research has also shown that soy can cause inflammation which may lead to an increased risk for diabetes – it’s high in lectins, phatic acid, and omega-estrogens which can all cause internal problems.

Soy is unique in that it contains naturally occurring oestrogens called isoflavones. These plant based hormones are similar to the oestrogens you would find in human bodies. However, the hormones found in soy are admittedly weaker. There is rising fear around this issue and the possibility that soy could interrupt the natural balance of hormones in the body. This is more of a worry for men, who have notably less oestrogen in their bodies than women.

Soy can be found in many forms these days; soy milk, soy sauce, tofu hot dogs – even dairy free chocolate bars contain soy lecithin because it is cheap to produce.

What We Do

Here at Mr Popple’s Chocolate, our chocolate bars contain natural sweeteners like coconut sugar, yacon syrup and cocoa butter instead of soy lecithin. We never scrimp on the quality and taste factor of our ingredients, we’re only interested in things that taste good and do good. Don’t worry dairy and soya-free chocoholics: we’ve got your backs! Our chocolate is completely dairy and soy free. We use hemp and rice milks which are kinder to the environment and also kinder to your body. These plant-based milks give the chocolate a creamy yet nutty taste without the addition of dairy OR nuts. A win-win!

Try our delicious dairy and soy free chocolate at mrpoppleschocolate.co.uk