Soy and the brain
Soy and the brain
If you have started eating tofu burgers instead of hamburgers because you think soy is healthy you may be in for a surprise. New research suggests eating soy may make your brain age faster, leading toserious problems with memory and learning in later years.
Even if you never eat tofu – a custard-like food made from pureed soybeans – you’re still not in the clear. Soy or soybean oil is in everything from salad dressings, mayonnaise, and margarine to breakfast cereals and energy bars, making it the most widely used oil. About 60 percent of all processed foods contain soy protein. And since it is added to cattle and other livestock feed, you may consume it indirectly just by eating your usual steak or hamburger.
Soybeans and aging problems
Soy is a popular food item that has been touted for its health benefits. still, recent exploration suggests that soy, specifically tofu, might contribute to brain aging.
Lon White, supereminent experimenter of the Hawaiian study, suggests the study’s findings should make people suppose doubly about the quantum of soy they eat. “ What we've then's a scary idea that may turn out to be dead wrong, ” he says. “ Or it could turn out to be the first uncovering of an important health-negative effect of a food that we believe may have a lot of good going for it ”.
While the study’s findings are concerning, it’s important to note that soy is still a healthy food option when consumed in temperance. Soy is a rich source of isoflavones, which have been shown to have some health benefits. Incorporating soyfoods into the diet is harmonious with current health trends and food trends emphasizing the value of factory- grounded diets.
The results were disturbing. Out of 26 foods studied, only tofu was significantly related to brain function. Men who had a high intake of tofu not only scored lower on tests of mental ability, but their brains were more likely to show signs of advanced age and shrinkage. Their test scores were typical of a person four years older.
Although the study was done on men, researchers also interviewed and tested 502 wives of the men in the stuffy – and came up with similar findings.
The isoflavones in soy are a type of phytoestrogen or plant estrogen, which mimics the estrogen produced naturally in your body. Brain cells have receptors that link up with estrogen to help maintain bran function, and White believes phytoestrogens may compete with the body’s natural estrogens for these receptor. Many think soy’s isoflavones interfere with enzymes and amino acids in the brain. One of soy’s main isoflavones, genistein, limits the enzyme tyrosine kinase in the hippocampus – the brain’s memory center. By interfering with the activity of this enzyme, genistein blocks a process called “long-term potentiation” that is central to learning and memory.
Dr. Gillespie, author of The Menopause Diet, says eating too much soy could result in other problems as well. She has found that consuming 40 milligrams (mg) of isoflavones a day can slow down thyroid function, resulting in hypothyroidism. Most isoflavone supplements come in a 40mg dose, and just 6 ounces of tofu or 2 cups of soy milk would supply the same amount.
Hawaiian study was a long-term, well-designed, controlled study, but it was just one study. The results are strong enough to make you sit up and take notice, but only more research can confirm them. If you eat soy, you may want to err on the side of caution. Be sure you know the amount of soy isoflavones you consume each day, and avoid soy supplements and soy-enriched consume foods (like some nutritional bars) until more research is done.
In conclusion, while the relationship between soy and brain aging is still being studied, it’s important to consume soy in temperance and to be aware of the quantum of tofu you consume.
