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Got Soy?
The Many Health Benefits of Soy
By Kim Delmar Cory
What did you eat today? By chance did you enjoy a stack of soy pancakes for breakfast? A bowl of macaroni casserole made with soymilk, soybeans and soy cheese for lunch? A juicy Sloppy Joe sandwich prepared with soy protein for dinner?
If not, maybe you should have.
March is National Nutrition Month and soy is the nutrition buzzword for those in the know.
In regards to disease prevention, soy reigns supreme. In Southeast Asia where soy consumption is high, the occurrence of prostate, breast and uterine cancer is considerably lower than the incidence of these diseases in the United States. Lower incidences of heart disease and osteoporosis are noted in these countries as well.
In October 1999, the Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) approved soy protein as a deterrent to the risk of heart disease based on research suggesting consumption of this protein may lower blood cholesterol levels. Experts maintain that soy protein decreases LDL levels (bad cholesterol) and raises the HDL levels (good cholesterol).
Women older than 40 may a have special interest in soy. As women near their menopausal years, estrogen replacement gains significance in their health regime. The isoflavones in soybeans possess structures that mimic the body's natural estrogen. Sufficient data exists to support consuming modest amounts of soy protein can result in a strong incidence of "estrogen mimics" in the system. People should be wary, however, regarding concentrated forms of isoflavones, such as pills. These versions often eliminate other healthy soy characteristics from the final product and high doses of compounds produced by isoflavones might create negative effects due to their biological potency.