Soy & Health
Did you ever wonder why it was that apart from Sumo wrestlers the Japanese always look so trim?
Well, believe it or not soyfoods like Tofu and Miso (as in Miso soup) have always been highly regarded in their lands of origin for their healthful qualities. But now we in West (or here at the bottom of the world) are catching on to their secret.
There is science behind the folk wisdom.
The most recent research has concentrated on the effects of compounds in soy called isoflavones.
They've found that these help reduce the incidence of breast cancer in laboratory animals and research has also linked the hormonal activity of some of these compounds to benefits for menopausal women.
A Singapore study found that women consuming two servings per day had less than half the risk of contracting breast cancer than women who consumed little or no soyfood.
These and many other laboratory and population studies have led scientists to speculate that soyfood consumption may well be a major factor in the dramatic difference between breast and prostate cancer in Japan and the United States - Americans on average have approximately four times the incidence of these two cancers then their Japanese counterparts. But there are lots more studies which show positive effects. Read on Macduff.
To read more from international sources on Soy and Health click here.