Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of the book, The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food, says that Oprah Winfrey's frequent consumption of soy milk and other soy products may be the cause of her recent hypothyroidism diagnosis.

Says Daniel: "Oprah has long touted the health benefits of soy, but the myth that soy is a healthy food has had tragic consequences, especially for women in the throes of menopause. The phytoestrogens found in soy products are potent inhibitors of thyroid peroxidase, the enzyme the body needs to produce the essential thyroid hormones T3 and T4...Women in mid-life are already at risk for developing thyroid problems. To make matters worse, the soy industry heavily markets soy milk and other soy products to women who are menopausal as an effective and safe method of hormone replacement therapy. The truth is that it is neither effective nor safe.”

More Information
Take a look at more information on soy's thyroid-related dangers. I also discussed Oprah's use of soy, and the potential impact on her thyroid, in my article last week.

Read all of Mary Shomon's About.com Thyroid site coverage of Oprah Winfrey's thyroid condition here.

_{Source: Statement from Kaayla Daniel}