What do we know about Soy?

In response to many questions from friends about Soy products, I did a bit of digging.
Here it is:
I switched to Soy milk and other "nutritious" soy-based snacks after hearing it was better for me because of my menopausal symptoms. For those of us who know - you understand; for those who don't - hot flashes (worse at night); feeling like you're on fire from the inside out; severe headaches, dizziness, nausea, dryness - everywhere, including eyes, & other 'unmentionable' places. O, don't forget the rapid weight gain. About the same time, my thyroid started acting up again, and the symptoms were intensified. Well, I got so sick of the weight, I thought it was the root of all my problems, and believed that losing it would help lessen the symptoms. So, I ventured into 'L.A. WeightLoss' to ask about their program; only to be turned away with, "Sorry Ma'am, we cannot help you. All our products are soy-based and you should not use soy with your thyroid problems - it only makes them worse." Guess what? It had already made them worse because I had been using soy for a few years.
One of the things they explained was the same thing I found in my search for more answers online: "Phytoestrogens that disrupt endocrine function and are potent antithyroid agents are present in vast quantities in soy..." http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/
This is the link to more about those 'phytoestrogens'.
Not convinced? Here's more:
"Most people remain unaware that soy is known to contain an array of potent chemical toxins. The modern manufacturing processes of high-profit industries make no effort to remove these potent toxins. High levels of phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines are all present in soy products.
Phytoestrogens that disrupt endocrine function and are potent antithyroid agents are present in vast quantities in soy, including the potentially devastating isoflavone Genistein. Infants exclusively fed soy-based formula have 13,000 to 22,000 times more estrogen compounds in their blood than babies fed milk-based formula, the estrogenic equivalent of at least five birth control pills per day. Premature development of girls has been linked to the use of soy formula, as has the underdevelopment of males. Infant soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease. Soy is linked to infertility, breast cancer, hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, and many other disorders."
More to come on the soy controversy.