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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffThere is no sure way to prevent a food allergy from occurring. But if you have an infant, breast-feeding instead of using a soy-based or milk-based formula may help. Breastfeed for at least the first four months to reduce the risk of food allergies and for other health benefits.
If you know you're allergic to soy, the only sure way to avoid an allergic reaction is to avoid soy products. It's not always easy to know which foods contain soy, however, and it's a commonly used ingredient in many foods.
Try to learn as much as you can about what you're eating and drinking. Be sure to read food labels carefully. Because soybeans and peanuts contain common allergy-causing components, you may also need to avoid peanuts as well. Some processed soy foods, such as soy oil or soy sauce, may not cause a reaction because processing removes certain allergy-causing proteins.
Soy milk, edamame, tofu and other soy products have become more popular because of their apparent health benefits. Soy may be called any of the following on a product label:
- Soy
- Soya
- Soybeans
- Glycine max
- Edamame
But soy is also a common ingredient in other food products, and it's not always easy to know if a product contains soy. It's used in meat products and meat substitutes, baked goods, candies, ice creams and desserts, condiments, butter substitutes, and in other foods.
Products with soy as a main ingredient
- Tofu
- Miso
- Natto
- Tempeh
Hidden sources of soy products
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
- Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
- Lecithin
- Monodiglyceride
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Vegetable oil
- Vitamin E
Also, check for the statement "contains soy" on the product label.
- Savage JH, et al. The natural history of soy allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2010;6:125.
- Atkins D. Food allergy: Diagnosis and management. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2008;35:119.
- Sicherer SH. Food allergens: Overview of clinical features and cross-reactivity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 8, 2011.
- Keet CA, et al. Food allergy and anaphylaxis. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America. 2007;27:193.
- Ballmer-Weber BK, et al. Soy allergy in perspective. Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2008;8:270.
- Soy allergy. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. http://www.aafa.org/print.cfm?id=9&sub=20&cont=522. Accessed Feb. 8, 2011.
- Thygarahan A, et al. American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on the effects of early nutritional interventions on the development of atopic disease. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2008;20:698.
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