Soy May Strengthen Bones of Premenopausal Women
(HealthDayNews, 10/8/04)

Joy Kaplan of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and colleagues, found that when monkeys, especially those at high risk for heart disease, were fed a soy-rich diet their cholesterol levels improved, compared to monkeys consuming milk and animal protein. A second study demonstrated that the bone mass of monkeys fed a soy diet increased more than for those not given soy. The researchers speculate that the benefits of soy may result from combining soy’s natural phytoestogens with hormones in the female body, which would mean that the effect would be greater in pre-menopausal women. The findings suggest that soy consumption prior to menopause may help buffer against postmenopausal bone deterioration.

(Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, news release, Oct. 8, 2004)