| Nutrition |
- Antioxidant:
Soy food contains antioxidants - compounds which
protect cells from damage caused by unstable
oxygen molecules called "free
radicals." Free radicals are believed to be
responsible for initiating many forms of cancer
as well as premature aging.
- Breast
Cancer: A major study in Singapore revealed that
women who eat soy foods are at lower risk of
developing breast cancer than those who don't.
Asian women, who typically eat a soy-based diet,
have much lower levels of breast cancer than
Western women. Test tube studies and those
involving laboratory animals have shown that
"compounds in soy can inhibit the growth of
breast cancer cells." The latest studies
presented at a Medical Conference in Brussels in
September 1996 indicate that the isoflavones in
soy may be the reason for these lower cancer
rates.
- Cholesterol:
Scores of studies from around the world attest to
soy's cholesterol-lowering properties, especially
for people with high cholesterol. Soy strongly
inhibits LDL oxidation and neutralizes free
radicals in blood platelets.
- Colon
Cancer: A recent US study showed that American
soy eaters who make soybeans and tofu a regular
part of their diet had significantly lower rates
of colon cancer than those who didn't eat soy.
- Osteoporosis:
Hip fractures owing to osteoporosis are a major
problem among elderly women in the United States.
Japanese women have half the rate of hip
fractures as US women. Preliminary studies
suggest that soy may help retain bone mass. Also,
it appears that soy protein doesn't increase the
excretion of calcium in the urine as is the case
with high protein diets.
- Hot
Flashes: Half of all menopausal women in the
United States complain of hot flashes, a problem
that is so rare in Japan that there's not even a
word for it. Some researchers believe that
special compounds in soy called phytoestrogens
may help Japanese women stay cooler.
- Immunity:
Studies show that soybean peptides can boost the
immune system, helping the body fight disease.
- Kidney
Disease: Soy protein is easier on the kidneys,
the main filtering organ of the body, than is
animal protein and may slow down or prevent
kidney damage in people with impaired kidney
function.
- Lung
Cancer: Several studies have linked soy
consumption to lower rates of lung cancer.
- Prostate
Cancer: A major study of Japanese men in Hawaii
found a direct correlation between consumption of
tofu and lower rates of prostate cancer. Studies
of soy compounds have shown that they can inhibit
the growth of prostate cancer cells in laboratory
cultures. Contrary to some beliefs, the
phytoestrogens in soy are not detrimental to
anabolic hormones or muscle.
|
