Diet & Fitness 

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Soy story

If you've never tried it, now's the time to consider this simple bean as a boon to your health, says Dr Wynnie Chan

The soya bean has been an important ingredient in Chinese cooking for thousands of years, yet its role in protecting us against osteoporosis, heart disease, breast cancer and other cancers has been the subject of research only in the last decade.

Some studies have suggested that plant oestrogens, in particular isoflavones (oestrogens similar in structure to the female oestrogen hormone called oestradiol) found in soya, may have the same effect as female oestrogens and help alleviate some symptoms of menopause including fractures, osteoporosis, hot flushes, aching joints and depression.

A study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology looked at the dietary intake of isoflavones among 478 post-menopausal Japanese women. The findings suggest that a diet rich in soya may help women retain stronger bones after menopause, thus reducing their risk of osteoporosis, a condition where bones become weak and brittle and may break. Women are much more vulnerable to osteoporosis than men because our levels of oestrogen, the hormone that helps bones stay strong, decrease substantially at menopause at the same time the rate of bone and calcium losses increases.

In this study, women in early and late stages of menopause who consumed the highest amount of isoflavones in foods from tofu, boiled soyabeans and soya milk had significantly thicker bones than those who consumed the lowest levels of isoflavones. In addition, women who consumed the largest amount of isoflavones in an early post-menopausal stage had significantly fewer backaches and aching joints. Isoflavones did not have an effect on menopausal symptoms in late stages of menopause.

Although this research does suggest that high intakes of soya products are associated with an increase in bone density in post-menopausal women, there is scientific evidence that our bones will benefit and increase in mass from adequate calcium in the diet, particularly during childhood and adolescence. In addition, regular weight-bearing exercises like jogging and brisk walking will slow down the rate at which calcium in the bones is lost.

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