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Soja goed voor botten en cholesterol.*
Uit twee studies onder apen blijkt een voeding
rijk met soja het cholesterol te verlagen en de botdichtheid te vergroten. Als
gevolg van de natuurlijke estrogenen in soja zou het wel eens belangrijk kunnen
zijn voor vrouwen om al op jonge leeftijd meer
sojarijke voeding te nemen om later na de menopauze de problemen met vaatziektes
en botontkalking voor te kunnen blijven.
Soy May Strengthen
Bones of Premenopausal Women
It might also benefit their
hearts, researchers say
A diet high in soy could be beneficial to the bones and
hearts of premenopausal women, according to research by Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center scientists.
The findings of two
studies with monkeys suggest these benefits may be the result of the natural
plant estrogens in soy in conjunction with estrogen in the women's bodies.
That's why this combination would be especially effective in women who haven't
yet reached menopause, the researchers said.
The first study found
that monkeys that were fed a soy-based diet had improved cholesterol levels
compared to monkeys that ate a milk and animal protein diet. This improvement in
cholesterol was most obvious in monkeys with the greatest risk for heart
disease.
"Studies have
shown that heart vessel disease, or atherosclerosis, begins in the 30s and 40s
in women," study author Joy Kaplan said in a prepared statement.
"From our work in
monkeys, we believe that the time to prevent cardiovascular disease in women is
before menopause, not after. Soy seems to provide a potent protection in
monkeys, in terms of cholesterol levels, which is a good marker for general
cardiovascular risk. We presume the benefit would apply to premenopausal women
as well," Kaplan said.
The second study found
that monkeys on a soy diet increased bone mass slightly more than monkeys that
didn't consume soy. The finding raises the question of whether consuming soy
before menopause may help women maintain bone mass after menopause.
Both studies were
presented Oct. 8 at the North American Menopause Society meeting in Washington,
D.C.
American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 4, 862-867, October 2004