The Effects of Soy Foods on Older Women

Eating soy beans helps prevent osteopororis in older women.

For the past 5,000 years, soy foods have been a staple in the diet of Asian women. As the consumption of soy foods grows throughout the world, women may wonder about the effects of soy foods on their overall health. This is a particularly important question for older women as soy foods contain isoflavones, which have similar effects on the body as estrogen.

Lower Osteoporosis Risk

The isoflavones in soy foods help prevent osteoporosis by encouraging bone growth and preventing bone resorption. The Shanghai Women's Health Study, an extensive study that analyzed the effects of soy foods in more than 24,000 women between 40 to 70, found that soy protein plays a major role in osteoporosis prevention particularly for women who have reached menopause. The study found a direct relationship between the amount of soy women eat and bone health; the more soy foods women consume, the less likely they are to fracture a bone.

Fewer Menopausal Symptoms

According to The North American Menopause Society, isoflavones contained in soy foods such as soy beans and tofu are a natural alternative for older women who do not want to use traditional estrogen replacement therapies to alleviate menopausal symptoms. Studies show that women who consume soy foods on a regular basis experience fewer hot flashes and night sweats.

Bowel Cancer Prevention

A study conducted by the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine suggests soy foods may play a major role in the prevention of bowel cancer particularly for postmenopausal women. The study determined that women in the top third of soy food intake were 30 percent less likely to develop bowel cancer as compared to women in the bottom third percent of food intake.

Lower Heart Disease Risk

Both the Food and Drug Administration and the American Heart Association recommend people eat 25 g of soy protein daily in order to help prevent heart disease. The isoflavones in soy act as an antioxidant and prevent the creation of arterial plaque in the cardiovascular system, which ultimately decreases a woman's likelihood of experiencing a heart attack or stroke in later life.

Uncertain Breast Cancer Effect

The main concern in relation to soy foods and breast cancer is the estrogen-like properties of soy. Estrogen increases cancerous cell growth in certain forms of breast cancer. Therefore, traditional wisdom among women with those types of breast cancer has been to avoid soy. However, the results of the Vanderbilt University study indicate that for women between the ages of 40 and 70 a large consumption of soy foods may reduce the recurrence of breast cancer as well as death from the disease. Since the evidence is not conclusive, Dr. Richard Lee of the Integrative Medicine Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston advises his patients to eat soy foods as part of a healthy balanced diet but does not recommend taking soy supplements or eating a totally soy-based diet.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Soy
• Feminist Women's Health Center: The Healing Power of Soy's Isoflavones
• The New York Times: A Little Tofu, for Those Middle-Aged Bones
• The Guardian: Bowel Cancer Risk in Older Women
• Time Magazine: Study, Eating Soy is Safe for Breast-Cancer Survivors

Resources

• Mayo Clinic: Soy Isoflavones: Are They Useful in Menopause?