The Therapeutic Soy-Lution

[KayaTran]

Soy's significance for the health and wellbeing of menopausal women was first suspected following observations in Asian countries. Asian women suffer very little from hot flashes-fewer than 25 per cent of Japanese and Chinese women complains of them-as opposed to 85 per cent of North American women. Moreover, Asian women have far less cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis.
In an attempt to discover the reason for this, researchers noticed that when these women moved to the United States and adopted a Western lifestyle, they gradually became affected by the same problems as Western women. The difference, they believed, was most likely a result of diet, in particular, Asian women's substantial consumption of soy-the food richest in phytoestrogens.

Inner Workings
Soy naturally produces substances that mimic estrogen when ingested. These substances are called phytoestrogens-plant estrogens. When soy isoflavones reach the stomach, they are broken down. Then they pass to the intestine where they are transformed by intestinal bacteria into the active substances genistein and daidzein.

Benefit Of Soy Extracts
Since the discovery of the estrogen activity of isoflavones, research has been simmering with excitement. Taken complementary to diet, soy extracts help strengthen bones, but the benefit don't stop there.

No More Hot Flashes
Seven double-blind clinical studies tested the effectiveness of soy extracts in menopausal women. Six clearly proved the effectiveness of isoflavones taken complementary to diet. The most recent study in France observed women suffering debilitating hot flashes. Researchers found that a daily dose of a standardized soy extract containing 70mg of isoflavones resulted in a decrease of 65 percent of symptoms as opposed to only 28 percent in the group that received a placebo.

Chronic Illness Prevention
Research also suggests that women who eat soy or who take it in the form of a food supplement have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. In terms of cardiovascular health, Asians are better off than we are in the West. Their diets is rich in vegetable fibre and contains few saturated fats. The special role of soy's protective capabilities is also very seriously considered. Studies have demonstrated that isoflavones have an effect on blood lipids-decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. They significantly reduce "bad cholesterol(LDL) and triglycerides and increase good cholesterol(HDL)". Because of their antioxidant properties, isoflavones also protect cholesterol from free-radical attacks. They oppose the formation of arterial plaque by direct action on the vascular wall. A recent study also shows that soy decreases homocysteine, a by-product of dietary protein that is toxic to arteries.

Cancer Prevention
Isoflavones have given rise to a great deal of hope in the prevention of hormone-dependent cancers like, breast, ovarian and endometrical cancers. Asian women, whose diet is rich in phytoestrogens, have six times fewer breast cancers than Western women. Their Risk of these cancers increases when they move to the United States. Women of Japanese origin born in the U.S. have a level risk of almost identical to American women