While eating whole soy has been touted as one way to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, taking supplements with compounds isolated from soy do not have the same effect. The new study assigned women to take soy isoflavone supplements or a placebo pill, and found no difference in breast cancer cell growth. In… [Continue Reading]
Consuming Soy Improves the Balance of Good and Bad Cholesterol
October 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Soy can have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels, a new study demonstrates. Researchers examined the effect of soy protein or milk protein supplements on the levels of both good and bad cholesterol, and found that people taking soy protein supplements had a higher ratio of good cholesterol to bad, which may reduce the risk… [Continue Reading]
Soy Product Not Linked to Hormone-Sensitive Breast Cancer
September 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Soy is well-known for containing estrogen-like compounds, which could pose concerns for women with breast cancer, where tumor growth can be driven by hormones. Whether soy and soy-based products can contribute to hormone-sensitive cancer development is still being studied, but one study examining a specific soy product, Natural S-equol, could not detect any increased risk… [Continue Reading]
Soy Benefits Symptoms of Menopause
August 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A review of the scientific literature supports a role for soy in helping manage symptoms of menopause, experts say. While the benefits of soy for other conditions are still debated, hot flashes and other symptoms common in menopause can be reliably decreased. The effect is thought to be due to estrogen-like compounds contained in the… [Continue Reading]
Treating Cancer Cells With Soy Compounds Makes Them Easier to Kill With Radiation
April 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Compounds isolated from soy make cancer cells more susceptible to dying from radiation, new work suggests. Although it isn’t clear that soy in the diet would have a similar effect in cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, researchers are continuing to study the protective effects of soy on normal cells, and its harmful effects on cancerous… [Continue Reading]
Soy Protein Reduces Unhealthy Cholesterol Levels
January 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A new research study shows that consuming soy in the diet can help patients with high cholesterol. By comparing patients consuming soy to those consuming milk proteins, scientists demonstrated that a soy diet reduced cholesterol levels, although how it does so remains unclear. Soy protein’s ability to lower total and LDL (low-density lipoprotein or “the… [Continue Reading]
Soy Compound Could Help Treat Childhood Sugar Metabolism Disease
December 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Thousands of children are affected by a condition that renders them unable to properly break down sugars. Mucopolysaccharide disease is caused by the lack of a gene that is required for normal sugar metabolism, and causes mental deterioration and death by adolescence. A new study shows that a compound derived from soybeans is effective at… [Continue Reading]
The Health Benefits of Soybeans
November 23, 2008 By 1 Comment
The soybean (Glycine max) originated in China and has been cultivated there for over 13,000 years. It was first introduced into Japan before becoming popular in other Asian countries. Soy food products come in many forms such as the traditional miso, tempeh, tofu, soy sauce and the more recently developed soy milk, soy flour, soy… [Continue Reading]
The Health Benefits of Lentils
June 10, 2008 By 5 Comments
Brief History of Lentils Lentils are legumes that grow like peas and beans in a pod, with two lentil seeds inside. They are fairly small and flat and when split into halves look like split peas. They never arrive fresh at the dinner table, but are cooked or boiled from dry and have an infinite… [Continue Reading]
The Health Benefits of Chickpeas
June 10, 2008 By 9 Comments
Brief History of Chickpeas There is evidence that the chickpea originated in Persia and that they were a staple of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Spanish and Portuguese explorers introduced chickpeas to the subtropical regions during the 16th century. Hummus is made from chickpeas, tahini, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt, and falafal is… [Continue Reading]