Soybean hulls - the elephant in the room we have to talk about

Are soybean hulls for horses a good idea?
We think so and here you will find our arguments for the elephant having an important place in space.

Soy scare?

We talked about soy scares with Eva Lydeking, a nutritionist and responsible for formulating our products.

Most skeptics focus on soybeans. There is a difference in the content and effect of soybeans and soybean hulls on the horse's body. In our products, we only use soybean hulls.

Others are concerned about estrogen poisoning in horses when their feed contains soy. “There is no need to be worried about getting too much of them with normal and varied feeding practices,” says Eva Lydeking. She continues, “Plant estrogens are health-promoting and they protect against a wide range of chronic diseases. In practice, they cannot be overdosed, as long as we are talking about normal amounts of feed.”

Therefore, it makes sense

Soybean hulls contain all of the health-promoting elements listed below in combination with a high content of digestible/fermentable fiber and are therefore a super fiber source.

Soybean hulls protect, maintain, nourish and build the horse's intestines. They absorb fluid, bind toxins, provide volume in the intestines and maintain a healthy flow through the digestive system. Soybean hulls also stabilize blood sugar, so the horse gets a steady release of energy from the feed for both learning and muscle work.

That's why it makes perfect sense for us to include soybean hulls in some of our products.

The soy hulls in Regulator Complete products are always heat-treated, so they are easily digested and therefore well utilized by horses. When you feed our products, your horse gets GMO-free feed.

Scientifically proven

Soybean hulls have a wide range of beneficial health effects that have been scientifically researched and documented over several decades. You will find some of the sources for the documentation we use at the bottom of the page.

Soybean hulls help protect the horse's heart, circulation, muscles and bones in the daily feed. Part of this effect is linked to special proteins that are unique to soy products, including soy hulls.

The amino acid composition of soy products, including soy hulls, is the closest to the horse's own muscle composition and is therefore one of the best sources for muscle building. Sufficient muscle building, together with exercise, provides efficient combustion, also of carbohydrates such as sugar/starch, and optimal recovery after work.

Natural antioxidants

Soybean hulls contain flavonoids, phytoestrogens and other natural antioxidants

Flavonoids are one of the strong natural antioxidants that communicate with the good bacteria in the gut, regulate the immune system and thus generally protect the horse's body.

Another part of the positive effect is due to the content of plant estrogens. They have a molecular structure similar to mammalian estrogen and can therefore bind to estrogen receptors in the horse's cells. They influence the intestinal flora, have anti-inflammatory effects and thus create a balance between the various biological functions.

Phytoestrogens generally dampen the effects of excessive estrogen production and aid in the detoxification and excretion of endocrine disruptors from the environment.

There is a difference between phytoestrogens

The only plant estrogen that has been shown to have a negative effect on animals is formotenin from red clover. It binds strongly to the alpha estrogen receptors and can therefore interfere with the fertility of sheep if they consume red clover in large quantities.

Soy's plant estrogen, the isoflavone genistein, on the other hand, binds only weakly to the alpha estrogen receptors, with only 0.0025% of the effect compared to animal estradiol. Soy isoflavones bind more to the beta estrogen receptors, thereby protecting bones and brain, and dampening the effect of animal estradiol.

Soy isoflavones do not have a pro-estrogenic effect, but modify and attenuate risk factors related to hormonal disorders.

Lignans are another group of plant estrogens found in soy hulls. Like isoflavones, lignans are secondary plant compounds that contain phytoestrogens, which are substances that resemble the estrogens that the body produces itself, but which regulate and modify the hormonal balance.

Phytoestrogens are also found in a wide range of herbs and seeds, such as chia and flax seeds.

If you have any questions about soybean hulls, you are very welcome to use the comments field so that others can also benefit from the answer.

Scientific sources

1. Rodríguez-García C, Sánchez-Quesada C, Toledo E, Delgado-Rodríguez M, Gaforio JJ. Naturally Lignan-Rich Foods: A Dietary Tool for Health Promotion?. Molecules. 2019;24(5):917. Published 2019 Mar 6. doi:10.3390/molecules24050917 Naturally Lignan-Rich Foods: A Dietary Tool for Health Promotion? (nih.gov)
2. Thompson, LU, Boucher, BA, Liu, Z., et al. Phytoestrogen content of foods consumed in Canada, including isoflavones, lignans, and coumestan. Nutrition and Cancer 2006, Volume 54, Number 2, Pages 184-201.