Soy and the Brain

[CodingQueen]

Posted by John D. MacArthur at brain.com and Mercola.com

"Tofu Shrinks Brain!" Not a science fiction scenario, this sobering soybean revelation is for real. But how did the "poster bean" of the '90s go wrong? Apparently, in many ways — none of which bode well for the brain.

In a major ongoing study involving 3,734 elderly Japanese-American men, those who ate the most tofu during midlife had up to 2.4 times the risk of later developing Alzheimer's disease. As part of the three-decade long Honolulu-Asia Aging Study, 27 foods and drinks were correlated with participants' health. Men who consumed tofu at least twice weekly had more cognitive impairment, compared with those who rarely or never ate the soybean curd.

"The test results were about equivalent to what they would have been if they were five years older," said lead researcher Dr. Lon R. White from the Hawaii Center for Health Research. For the guys who ate no tofu, however, they tested as though they were five years younger.

What's more, higher midlife tofu consumption was also associated with low brain weight. Brain atrophy was assessed in 574 men using MRI results and in 290 men using autopsy information. Shrinkage occurs naturally with age, but for the men who had consumed more tofu, White said "their brains seemed to be showing an exaggeration of the usual patterns we see in aging."

[jencita]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting. Thankful that I dislike soy!

[Joyful Friend]

CQ, would that also include edamines and soy nuts (soy beans, I think?)    JF

[CodingQueen]

Joyful Friend,

Yes, that would include edamame and soy nuts.

Fermented soy products are the only ones recommended.

The primary fermented soy products you’ll find:

Tempeh a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor.

Miso, a fermented soybean paste with a salty, buttery texture (commonly used in miso soup).

Natto, fermented soybeans with a sticky texture and strong, cheese-like flavor.

Soy sauce, which is traditionally made by fermenting soybeans, salt and enzymes; be careful because many varieties on the market today are made artificially using a chemical process (read the labels).

CQ