Soy & Alzheimers
One of the people we work with - a smart chap usually, told us he had heard that Soy caused Alzheimers. OK - it also causes cars to go slowly and night to fall. No really, there is evidence that eating more soy could help stave off Alzheimers disease. This disease afflicts more than half of Americans over the age of 85, according to a study presented at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego. There is growing evidence that oestrogen and oestrogen replacement therapy for post menopausal women may have a role in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's
Researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham examined the impact of certain types of phytoestrogen found in soy, known as isoflavones. Dr Kim suspects that isoflavones and real oestrogens, such as those in Premarin, may both be beneficial for the brain. But she believes they work through different mechanisms.
The US Food and Drug Administration states that a daily diet containing 25 grams - two to three servings - of whole soy protein is enough to reduce the risk of heart disease. Dr Kim said: "I would expect the same levels of soy intake to translate to protection in the brain."
Dr Richard Harvey, director of research, Alzheimer's Society, told BBC News Online: "This research needs to be interpreted very cautiously. At this stage there is growing evidence that oestrogen and oestrogen replacement therapy for post menopausal women may have a role in reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in later life. "There are a number of large on-going clinical trials of HRT looking at this question and we wait with anticipation for the outcome of these studies."