Soy protein isolate & TVP/TSP: different from other soy?
Posted by Duckalucky on Jan 15, 2007 · Member since Aug 2006 · 1127 posts
I've seen a couple of you mention in other threads that soy protein isolate and tvp/tsp are different from other soy products nutritionally, and that they are by-products from tofu and soybean oil production, etc. I was wondering if anyone (MizzouKitten?) would be able to direct me to sources on the subject so that I can read up. My husband can enjoy soymilk, tofu, tempeh, tamari, etc. without suffering, but if he eats anything "enriched" with soy protein isolate or eats TVP, he has an attack... I'd love to know the whys and wherefores.
Thanks!
Hey duckalucky--
I've lost the sources I used to have about TSP/TVP and soy protein isolate; I can't seem to find any websites with some of the info I've referenced, so I can't be too useful off the top of my head.
However, I can kind of go on my body's reaction to TVP, so I'll go with that. I never have issues with tempeh, I rarely have any issue with tofu; but if I put a scoop of soy protein isolate into a morning smoothie, I have horrible gas. :P I don't know if it's that all the hard-to-digest "stuff" in soy beans are just kind of shoved in higher concentrations into the stuff, and my body just gets a bit of a shock from it, or what. Couldn't tell ya. Then there's the whole unavailable iron and calcium thing; my preferred soy of choice is tempeh, just because it's been broken down enough that most of the iron and calcium content of it is actually available to your body, rather than being completely useless.
I think the biggest "beef" (so to speak-- perhaps I should say "bean"?) I have with TVP and SPI is that they're SO processed. I don't like the idea of soy being acid sprayed, seperated, concentrated and all that before I eat it-- it seems like that's just a little too mainstream American diet-ish... :P (That was a pretty food-snot thing to say, but I'm over it. :P) So, I'm afraid I can't give you the research-laden websites I was hoping to point you to, but maybe someone else will have one for you. I've pretty much just got principles and opinion to back myself up at the moment. Just my two (or 5, or 10) cents.
Thank you so much!
I know I've heard hints about it from you and from others (can't remember the other sources, though!) and I have my husband's experience to go by.
TVP/TSP and soy protein isolate send him straight into the worst acute attacks of porphyria, with full intestinal shut-down, abdominal agony and back pain, abdominal rigidity, neurological side effects and red urine-- the whole shebang. Nothing else gives him attacks that are so severe or that last so long, so we've simply exiled it from our diet.
Knowing that there is a difference might get me to look less askance at tofu when I'm preparing it; the "is my dinner a potential bomb?" thing isn't the most restful frame of mind to cook in.