soy = gassy for some people? vegetarian = gassy?

[flowermama]

I have a couple friends (a husband and wife) who are trying out a vegetarian (vegan, I think) diet. 

After he drinks a glass of soyilk (he had had two glasses total when his wife told me about it -- one one day, and one the next), ten minutes later he gets really bad gas pains that last a long time.  Could this reaction be indicative of an intolerance or allergy to soy?  Do you have any suggestions? 

Also, do you have any information on this -- in general, can starting a vegetarian diet cause gassiness at first?  How long does that stage take to pass?

TIA!

[Marzipan]

This may or may not have anything to do with what you're asking, as we have never tried to go vegan or vegi. BUT, when I do put more roughage (fruits, veggies, and esp. whole grains) in our diets...it makes dh extremely gassy.

[Aisling]

Yes, on the gassy at first :yes I think I would cut out the soy and see what happens, though :think

[Punkie]

I've heard a lot of people mention the initial gassiness. I seem to recall it also being mentioned in Becoming Vegan or a similar "How to go veggie..." type of book.

[Katherine]

I had severe side effects when we went vegan and I started consuming a lot of soy. They were overwhelming, and probably (in my case) had a lot ot do with the estrogen-like qualities of soy... but I had the stomach upset also.

I would advise him to drop soy immediately and see if it clears up. I would also suggest that he pay attention to how his body responds to other legumes, and consider getting allergy tested if he is sensitive to multiple types.

[flowermama]

Thanks, you guys! Last I heard he cut out soy and was fine after that.

:hug