First, soy was almost always eaten fermented.  Soy was first used as a food during the late Chou dynasty (1134-246 BC), only after the Chinese learned to ferment soy beans to make foods like tempeh, natto and tamari.  Fermentation breaks down the phytates present in soy which inhibit nutrient absorption and protein digestion.

Second, Asians eat very little soy when compared to Americans.  The average consumption of soy foods in Japan and China is 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) per day.  Asians consume soy foods in small amounts as a condiment, and not as a replacement for animal foods.

In the US people eat and drink vast quantities of unfermented soy products.  A vegetarian may have 1-2 cups of soymilk, 1-3 servings of tofu or soy-based “meat subsitute” and perhaps even one or more servings of soy “cheese” or “yogurt” in a day.  Furthermore, soy lecithin, soy protein, soy oil and/or soy flour are in just about every packaged food sold in stores – including so-called “health foods”.  Read the labels and you will see what I mean.

Therefore, the average American’s soy consumption is many times higher than what was traditionally consumed in Asian cultures, and it is consumed in a much less healthy form (unfermented and highly processed).  That’s why it’s causing so many health problems.

For more information about the dangers of soy, see The Soy Ploy on my blog and Soy Alert! on the Weston A Price Foundation website.

I agree 100% that stress and our current lifestyle are a major cause of illness and dysfunction. However, I can tell you that plenty of “hippies” have fertility problems. In our acupuncture clinic I frequently see patients that have a number of problems, including infertility, with a diet high in soy. Once we get them to eliminate soy, and boost intake of egg yolks, organ meats, cod liver oil and other foods high in A, D, K, cholesterol and saturated fat, they do very well.