Avoid Soybean

Nur Faizzah

Indonesian Should Not Consume Food from Soybean

            Surely, Indonesian must have consumed food from soybean, right? There are many kinds of food from soybean that become favorite food in Indonesia such as tofu, tempeh, the soybean extract that we called it soybean milk, even soy sauce. Indonesia have had familiarized with these, so it cannot be separated with their daily food. Soybean is one of beans that contain protein and other useful substances. However, consuming soybean has bad side for Indonesian. Actually, most of allergic cases are from soybean. On the other case, they are many diseases appear after consuming soybean. All of those things are also supported by economic side that make Indonesia outcome high, so Indonesian should not consume it.

            Based on scientists’ researches, soybean contains 40 percent protein, 20 percent fat and minerals such as potassium, calcium phosphorus, and magnesium. Also some vitamins as well as vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and a little vitamin C. Although it has good substance but it has bad substance in the other side. According to World Allergy Organization (WAO) data is that every year allergy sufferers in Indonesia shows the allergy prevalence increase up to 30-40 percent in 2013. This allergy cases happened is caused by soybean. It allergy symptoms can include tingling in the mouth, hives, itching, scaly skin (eczema), swelling of lips, face, tongue and throat, or other body parts, wheezing, runny nose or breathing difficulty, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, even skin redness (flushing), shock, with severe drop in blood pressure, dizziness, even lightheadedness or loss consciousness. Symptoms occur within minutes to a couple hours after soy ingested. If symptoms are due to true soy allergy diagnostic tests will reveal that the body’s immune system has reacted to one of the many proteins in soybean, produced soy-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, and caused a release of histamine, a substance that dilates blood vessels, thereby causing inflammation. Most of the sufferer is children, but it happened to adult, either. DR Dr. Zakiudin Munasir, SpA(K), specialist of children allergy-immunology explain that soybean allergy impact can affect the quality of children life such as limited studying activity, playing, difficulty concentrating, even insomnia.

            We as Indonesian of course know about tempeh, tofu, and soya milk. Those are common food for us. Most of Indonesian becomes the soybean production-food producer. Their production process is still traditional even it worst because of dirty and not hygiene. Roy Sparringa, head of National Agency of Drug and Food Control, reports that tempeh producer need to change the way how they product which is still traditional. Around 95 percent tempeh productions in Indonesia are not hygiene because they just have low education. He observes that more than one hundred thousand tempeh producers in Indonesia, whole of them are still produce it in houses. Because of this, it can cause many diseases such as diarrhea, nausea, and many more digestive problems. Although, many producers can increase the country income, but there is another economic problem. Actually, most of Indonesia soybean is imported from USA. Robert O Blake, America Ambassador for Indonesia, acknowledges that Indonesia is the biggest soybean importer that spends US$ 4.8 billion in 2014. It indicates that this soybean import make Indonesia outcome high.

On the other hand, America is a country that develops the genetically modified soybean in genetically modified organisms (GMO). Based on GFI that published in 2014, America Government prohibit soybean GMO because it is very dangerous, for it may cause new disease. There are many diseases which are caused by GMO soybean such as cancer, another new influenza viral, even AIDS. That is our country problem because 90 percent soybean is imported from USA which is GMO soybean. It is clear that soybean is dangerous for Indonesian, especially because it imported from America.

            Although soybean is familiar with Indonesian because it is one of food sources and has good substances like protein and many more, but it has bad side if we consume it. From the information above, it is true that we should not consume soy bean, for it is imported from America GMO product which is dangerous, it is processed by traditionally way which is not hygiene that make diseases, and from the soy bean substances itself that cause allergy.