Transcript Episode 5: Are soy-based infant formulas safe for vegan babies?

Karla Moreno-Bryce: Sitting on the couch of our living room one mid-morning day, I was nursing my daughter and feeling like it could just very well be our last nursing session together. She was 10 months old. ⁣⁣

I wanted to continue breastfeeding for as long as I could and always had the intention or the goal of nursing until my daughter reached 12 months of age—after all that was the recommended guidelines. At that time, I decided I needed help because I couldn’t really do this on my own. I remember visiting our lactation consultant and pediatrician for help on how to best maintain my milk supply. While I was supported and definitely got a little peace of mind with their suggestions, I realized our tiring yet beautiful breastfeeding journey was coming to an end. 

It became very stressful for me because I was so preoccupied on including several pumping sessions throughout the day to keep that supply and demand going. And whatever amount of expressed milk I would get, I always felt like it wasn’t enough. No matter how much I was told that the amount of expressed milk I get didn’t reflect my milk supply, there was always that little doubt in the back of my mind that this wasn’t true. And more than anything, I think I was feeling inadequate as a mother because my body, the one that had been nourishing my vegan daughter, just wasn’t producing the amount that she needed. At least, that’s what I thought. 

I experienced a lot of mom guilt through that experience and felt like I was failing at my role as a mother. It didn’t leave me in a good place because the more I thought about it, the more stressed I got, and the more stressed I was, the less breastmilk I was producing. So, while sitting on the couch nursing my daughter, I knew I needed to make a change because this wasn’t working out. For my own mental health, I had to decide whether to supplement with formula or with donor milk. 

And that brought a whole lot more questions. I spent every waking hour researching both options. As a mother,  I just wanted to make the "right" choice for my daughter. In the end, the best choice for our family was to use soy-based formula. ⁣

And that’s the topic I want to talk about here in today’s episode because many vegan parents reach out to me saying that they’re not sure if soy-based infant formula is safe for their vegan baby. And I can understand that. To this day, we continue to hear misinformation about the safety of soy foods in our vegan child’s diet. So, if you want to learn more about that, I want to direct you to episode 3 of the Vegan Kids Nutrition podcast where I talk about the three most common misconceptions about soy foods so that you feel confident offering this nutrient-dense plant food for your family. You can find the link to that episode in the show notes. 

Alright, before I dive into talking about soy-based infant formula, I want to tell you that no matter your reason or choice for feeding your vegan baby, it’s perfectly okay. There are so many reasons why parents like you may need to rely on infant formula and choosing to go with an infant formula doesn’t make you less of a parent. I learned that a little too late in my experience but I want our society to normalize infant formula as a way to support our baby’s growth and development. There is nothing wrong or bad about offering infant formula. It’s food for our babies. And we as a society should not look down upon parents who choose this route—whether you have a reason or not. It’s your choice and that’s all that matters for supporting your vegan baby’s growth. 

Alright, let’s talk about the use of soy protein isolate formula for infants. Soy-based infant formula has been used for centuries and it is safe for full term babies. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics supports the use of soy-protein formulas as an effective alternative to provide adequate nutrition and support proper growth and development for babies. It makes this a reliable option for parents choosing to raise their children on a vegan diet.

Now, what makes a soy-based infant formula adequate for infants? First, infant formulas have to pass certain nutritional requirements and standards before they can actually be available for consumers in the United States. Now, infant formulas are not approved by the Federal Drug Administration in the United States but they should meet federal nutrient requirements before they are marketed and sold to consumers. That is a good thing because we want to ensure that feeding our infants formula is going to support proper growth. 

In terms of its nutritional composition, all soy-based formulas on the market are iron-fortified, meet vitamin and mineral requirements and provide adequate protein levels for an infant. Their requirements for nutritional content are based on calories, not the total amount or volume a baby consumes. We all know that human milk or breastmilk is the optimal food for infants because it provides everything that they need to support their growth and development. But infant formulas do as well. Soy based infant formulas have been formulated and supplemented with certain nutrients to ensure it is compatible with that of human milk. I wanted to make sure this was clear so that you have peace of mind that formula for infants made from soy protein meets your baby’s nutritional requirements. 

Now, many parents often question the introduction of infant formula due to its listed ingredients of corn syrups or other sweeteners—which I want to quickly say that corn syrup solids are not the same as high fructose corn syrup. Many parents tend to believe they are the same but they are not. But despite having corn syrup solids or other sweeteners, this often leads parents to either endlessly search for formula without these ingredients or feel motivated to make their own formula at home. I want to remind you that formulas for infants are meticulously formulated to meet nutrient requirements because during the first 4 to 6 months of life, that’s when they are rapidly growing and a period when nutrient requirements are most critical. This why a homemade formula is strongly not recommended because nutritional deficiencies can have lasting effects on your infants growth and development, especially when being raised on a vegan lifestyle. So, please refrain from ever considering feeding your infant with a homemade formula. 

I get that you want the best possible formula for your baby and I get that the thought of offering one that contains corn syrups or sucrose or any other form of sweeteners is concerning to you. But you won’t find an infant formula on the market that does not include one or several forms of these sweeteners. It’s almost impossible, at least in the United States. And that’s because they serve an intentional purpose. These serve as a source of carbohydrate for your baby. Carbohydrates get converted to energy to support brain development and other functions throughout the body. So, while you may perceive these sweeteners  as “bad” or simply just as simple sugars, they are so important for your baby and have nutritional value. In addition, these sweeteners must be supplemented or added to soy infant formulas because soy alone does not meet the calorie requirement for a growing infant. It needs additional sources for carbohydrate to meet calorie needs. Remember, your vegan baby is rapidly growing during this time and he or she needs that energy to support their growth. Infant formulas provide roughly 40 to 50 percent of energy from carbohydrates alone. So, if you see the ingredients dextrin, maltose, corn syrup solids, or sucrose, know that they are included in your baby’s formula to meet their energy needs. 

The other thing that concerns parents about a formula is estrogens in soy-based formula. Specifically, vegan parents just like yourself wonder whether introducing soy to their baby is safe. And that’s completely valid. There continues to be a lot of noise around this idea that soy is “bad” or “unsafe” for growing children. 

We know that infants who are fed exclusively with soy protein formula grow and develop normally. And we also know that infants who are fed with soy protein formula tend to have higher plasma levels of soy isoflavones than infants who are fed formula from cow’s milk. And the high isoflavone concentrations have become a concern for many. Isoflavones are phytoestrogens which are naturally occurring compounds in various plant foods like soy. And they have been associated with hormonal effects or other negative health outcomes. But phytoestrogens are not the same thing as estrogen. Phytoestrogen is a plant compound, while estrogen is a hormone that the body makes. 

While research is limited, the  long-term effects of infants taking soy-based formula has been studied. We have data that shows soy in general does not affect hormone levels in children. In fact, soy foods have been introduced in Asian cultures for centuries without any adverse effects to date and soy based infant formula has been available for over 100 years. 

If you’re concerned in any way about offering an infant formula from soy protein isolate to your vegan baby, know that it is safe and supports the proper growth and development for your infant. The only other thing that has been reported from studies that looked at adult women who were fed soy infant formula during infancy has been an increase in the length or duration of their menstrual cycle. However, no other reproductive outcomes or effects on puberty have been observed for either males or females who were exclusively fed soy-based infant formula.

So, if soy-based formula is safe for infants, is there a vegan option? And this is a question that often comes up with vegan parents and I can understand why. We want to purchase and offer products to our children that meet our values. Currently, soy-based formula is the only available and optimal formula for parents raising babies on a vegan lifestyle. In the United States, there is currently not a vegan formula available. This is because the origin of the Vitamin D may come from animal sources and some fats used in the formulation of the formula may also be derived from animal sources, although this is not as commonly seen. Most fats used in soy based infant formula are primarily vegetable oils like soy, safflower oil or coconut oil. Nonetheless, there is yet a product on the market for infants that is exclusively vegan. There used to be one in the United Kingdom but I believe it has since been discontinued. I might also add here that even if there was a vegan formula available, it is illegal for a foreign infant formula to be sold in the United States as preparation of the formula may pose nutritional risks for a growing infant. 

Now, you may be wondering, well what about pea-protein formulas? Well, I’m glad you asked. These are new powdered formulas that are increasing in popularity. And it’s always great to see new products on the market that offer options for families. However, the majority of formulas that are based from pea protein are labeled for toddlers, not for infants. This is because in order for a product to be labeled as “infant formula”, it must meet certain standards and nutrient levels to be appropriate to support the growth of an infant. Through my research, pea protein isolate is not intended for infant formula per FDA guidelines. Majority of toddler formulas contain more fat, sodium, and sugar which are not appropriate for an infant. And formulas that are marketed or labeled for toddlers aren’t really regulated by the FDA the same way infant formulas are. Many vegan parents often ask me about my opinion of offering pea-based formulas to their newborn infants and I don’t recommend them because their nutritional profile is not adequate to support a proper growth for a growing baby. 

Some parents have asked about the best brand they can offer to their baby. And I’m quite honored that vegan parents like yourself trust my recommendations. I don’t take that lightly; however, the brand of infant formula doesn’t really matter as much as finding one that your vegan baby will accept, tolerate, and one that is available to you in your community.

Alright, now let’s recap what we discussed today since this was a lot of information to digest. The first thing I want to reassure you about is that infant formula made from soy protein isolate has been used for over 100 years and is perfectly safe and a great option to offer to your vegan baby. Your choice, no matter the reason, for feeding your vegan baby with formula is respected and acceptable. Second, soy-based infant formulas are regulated by the Federal Drug Administration to meet certain nutrient requirements before they are marketed to consumers and are nutritionally compatible to that of human milk to support a proper growth and development for your infant. Third, soy-based formulas contain sweeteners like corn syrup solids that serve as a way to meet energy needs for a growing baby. A homemade formula is not recommended as meeting nutritional requirements is critical during the first four to six months of a baby’s life. Fourth, there is currently not a vegan infant formula available on the market at this time due to the origin of vitamin D. And last but not least, a formula that is labeled and marketed for toddlers should not be used as an infant formula because they are not formulated or regulated by the FDA to support the growth of a baby. 

I know how important it is for you to meet your baby’s nutritional needs while following a vegan diet, which is why I created the Vegan Kids Cookbook for families just like you. The cookbook offers recipes that support your baby’s growth and development, are adaptable to modify them if you follow the Baby Led Weaning approach, and most importantly, suitable for the entire family. You can grab your copy with the link in the show notes. 

Alright my friend, I hope that today’s episode left you feeling more confident in choosing and feeding your vegan baby with a soy-based formula. I’ll see you in the next episode. Bye for now.