Washington, DC  20016     September 25, 2007 

Board certified clinical nutritionist available for comment about potential thyroid damage from so-called “healthy foods.”

For Immediate Release
Washington, DC., September 25, 2007— Oprah Winfrey's announcement last week on Good Morning America that she "blew out" her thyroid brings much needed attention to the underreported epidemic of thyroid disorders in this country. As Oprah consistently sings the praises of soy to her viewers, it raises the question of whether her frequent consumption of soy milk and other soy products is the cause of her recent diagnosis

“More than 70 years of studies link soy to thyroid disorders,” says Kaayla Daniel, PhD, CCN, and author of the book, The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food.

“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,” says Daniel.

“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.”

Dr. Daniel is one of a growing number of leading scientists, physicians and toxicologists from around the world who have raised alarms about consumption of soy products high in phytoestrogens causing significant endocrine disruption and thyroid damage. 
“Women in mid-life are already at risk for developing thyroid problems,” Daniel states. “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.”

Studies by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have concluded that the evidence for soy preventing or alleviating menopausal symptoms is inconsistent and contradictory at best. 

Still, many women continue to flock to soy products due to popular books heavily marketed by Oprah and other celebrities as an alternative to traditional HRT therapies. 

Christiane Northrup, MD, author of the bestseller The Wisdom of Menopause is one of many consultants to the stars. Although Dr. Northrup is a leader in body/mind therapies, her advice to embrace the use of products containing high levels of phytoestrogens has misled many women. According to her newsletter, Northrup has worked with Oprah privately to help her with menopause.

“Given her own avowed consumption of these products, it's probably no accident that Dr. Northrup herself has been diagnosed with hypothyroidism,” says Daniel.

The United Kingdom's Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and Environment has identified several populations at special risk for soy-induced thyroid disease – infants on soy formula, vegans who use soy as their principal meat and dairy replacements, and men and women who use isoflavone supplements in an attempt to prevent or protect against cancer and high cholesterol. 

“Now that Oprah has joined the ranks of women suffering from thyroid disease, it is my hope she will alert her audience to the very real dangers of excess consumption of soy based products,” Daniel concludes. “The proven risks far outweigh the possible benefits.”

Contact
Kathleen Campbell
Campbell Public Relations, LLC
877-540-6022
kcampbell@thecompletesolution.com 

Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN, is THE WHOLE NUTRITIONIST®. She earned her PhD in Nutritional Sciences and Anti-Aging Therapies from the Union Institute and University in Cincinnati, is board certified as a clinical nutritionist (CCN) by the International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists in Dallas and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Weston A. Price Foundation. As a clinical nutritionist, she specializes in digestive disorders, women’s reproductive health issues, infertility, and recovery from vegetarian and soy-based diets.

Dr. Daniel is the author of The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food (New Trends, March 2005), which has been endorsed by leading health professionals, including Kilmer McCully MD, Doris J. Rapp MD, Jonathan V. Wright, MD, Russell Blaylock, MD, Larrian Gillespie, MD, Joseph Mercola, OD, Debra Lynn Dadd and Larry Dossey, MD, who called it “science writing at its best.”

Comfortable in front of radio, television and live audiences, Dr. Daniel has been “media trained” by Joel Roberts, formerly co-host of KABC, Los Angeles' most highly rated talk radio program, who calls her a “class A entertainer” and a “naughty nutritionist” with the ability to outrageously and humorously debunk nutritional myths.” 

Dr. Daniel has been extensively quoted in major newspapers and magazines, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Toronto Globe & Mail, Glamour, Utne Reader and Alternative Medicine, and has appeared as a guest on NPR's People's Pharmacy, the Discovery Channel's Medical Hotseat and ABC's View from the Bay. Online her book has been featured prominently on www.mercola.com, the world’s leading natural health and dietary website. She has also appeared as an expert witness before the California Public Safety Committee and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. 

Sally Fallon (safallon@aol.com) 
The Weston A. Price Foundation 
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