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Vol. 6, No. 4
May 16, 2001Soyfoods USA ...a monthly e-mail newsletter designed to inform media sources, dietitians, and consumers about the latest soyfoods information.
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CONTENTS
1. Soy May Protect Against Alzheimer's
2. Soy Isoflavones May Help to Prevent Skin Cancer
3. Soy and Thyroid Function: Studies Show Little Effect
4. May Recipes
_ Creamy Italian Dressing
_ Creamy Tomato Soup
_ Primo Veggie Pasta
_ Instant Chocolate Pudding
5. Getting on and off our list***********************
SOY MAY PROTECT AGAINST ALZHEIMER'S
Eating more soy could help stave off the irreversible brain disorder Alzheimer's disease, which afflicts more than half of Americans over the age of 85, according to a study presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego.
"There is some evidence that women who don't take estrogen replacement therapy are at greater risk for Alzheimer's so we wanted to compare the benefits of soy with common estrogen therapy," said Helen Kim, a professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and lead researcher for the study.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/554236.asp
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SOY ISOFLAVONES MAY HELP TO PREVENT SKIN CANCER
Research focusing on skin cancer and diet indicates that soy isoflavones may help to reduce the risk of skin cancer, according to the director of the division of Dermatologic Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010425/hl/skin_cancer_1.html
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SOY AND THYROID FUNCTION: STUDIES SHOW LITTLE EFFECT
By Mark Messina, Ph.D.
(Adapted from an article in The Soy Connection newsletter, Spring 2001)There has been much discussion of late over the possible adverse effects of soy consumption on thyroid function in both infants and adults. In fact, researchers from the National Center for Toxicology (NCTR), which is part of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, have even expressed some concerns. But concerns about effects of soy on thyroid function are not new.
The first report that soybean produced goiter in iodine-deficient rodents was published in 1933. Subsequent animal studies published in the 1930s and 1940s produced similar findings. However, iodine fortification of the diet was shown to largely eliminate this problem, although soy-fed animals required approximately twice as much iodine to prevent enlarged thyroids as animals fed soy-free diets, and in some cases, slight histological abnormalities of the thyroid gland still persisted.
In the late 1950s, 10-15 cases of goiter were identified in infants fed non-iodized soy flour-based infant formula. However, this type of formula has not been used since the 1960s. Today, soy formula is based on soy protein isolate and is fortified with iodine. No cases of goiter in infants, due to the consumption of soy protein isolate-based iodized formula as is used today, have been reported in the scientific literature. Unfortunately, no studies solely designed to study the effect of soy formula on thyroid function in infants has been conducted. Still, given the millions of infants fed soy formula over the past three to four decades, it is reasonable to assume that if a problem existed, more than likely it would have been reported upon by pediatricians in the medical literature.
There are, however, at least limited data suggesting that infants with congenital hypothyrodism who consume soy formula require about 25 percent more synthetic hormone than infants with congenital hypothryoidism on non-soy formulas. But this may not be a systemic effect, since fiber supplements also necessitate that patients increase their thyroid hormone medication. This suggests soy, like fiber, may interfere with either the absorption of thyroid hormone (in the case of medication), or may interfere with reabsorption by interrupting the enterohepatic circulation of thyroid hormone.
Furthermore, a recently conducted human trial showed no effects of isoflavone supplements on thyroid function. And several other human studies have also found little or no effect of soyfoods.
One study conducted in Japan did find that soy consumption was associated with adverse effects (increase TSH levels) on thyroid function in older women, including an increase incidence of goiter. Women in this three-month study consumed 30 g/ day of pickled soybeans stored in rice vinegar. However, this study suffers from many design flaws, and although these results should not be ignored, they directly conflict with the results from several, better-designed studies.
For example, recent work from the University of Minnesota indicates that the consumption of isoflavone-rich soy over a three-month period had little effect on thyroid hormone levels in either pre- or post-menopausal women. And a recent double-blind study involving 38 postmenopausal women over the age of 64 who were not on hormone therapy, found no differences in thyroid function, based on measures of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyronine (T4), and triiodothyronine (T3), between women given daily either a placebo or a supplement that provided 90 mg of isoflavones (expressed as aglycone units).
Overall, there appears to be little reason to think that in healthy adults, either soy isoflavone supplements, or soyfoods, will exert adverse effects on thyroid function. Even the NCTR researchers acknowledge that soy is not likely to be a problem in iodine-replete individuals. In contrast, arguably, in people who are predisposed to goiter or who are consuming marginally iodine sufficient diets, soy could conceivably a risk factor for goiter. So, it is important to note that as many as 10 percent of post-menopausal women may have subclinical hypothyroidism. This group may be sensitive to the adverse effects of weak goitrogens.
The iodine status of the U.S. population is considered adequate, although there is a downward trend in iodine intake and subsets of the population may have marginal intakes.
In conclusion, there is no reason to restrict soy consumption over concerns about the impact on thyroid function. When consuming large amounts of soy, it is important to make sure iodine intake is adequate. But of course, all people, regardless of their dietary pattern, need to consume sufficient amounts of iodine. Any concerns about the effect of soy on thyroid levels can be definitively addressed by having thyroid hormone levels measured. Even this step is not unordinary, since the American Thyroid Association recommends that all people have their thyroid hormone levels checked every five years beginning at the age of 35.
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MAY RECIPES
From the 2001 Soyfoods Guide
http://www.soybean.org(Don't forget to try grilling soy burgers on Memorial Day. Today's soy burgers are much improved from the first burgers on the market twenty years ago. The number one rule with soy burgers is: try more than one brand to find one you really like. There are many soy burgers on the market today, and they vary in taste and mouth-feel. Even traditional hamburger fans will probably find at least one they deem acceptable. If the weather turns bad, you can try the following for an complete soy meal. )
Creamy Italian Dressing
1 cup plain soymilk
1 (12 oz.) package firm tofu
2 (0.7 oz.) packages dry Italian dressing mixMix all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate. Pour over your favorite salad.
Yield: 2 1/2 cups. Serving size: 1/4 cup (4 Tbs). Per serving: 40 calories, 1 g fat (0 g sat fat), 3 g protein (3 g soy protein), 5.5 g carbohydrate, 554 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber.
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Creamy Tomato Soup
2 tsp soybean oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup soymilk
1 (12 oz.) package firm lite silken tofu
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp white pepperCook onion in sauce pan in oil for 3 minutes or until transparent. Add tomato and garlic, continuing to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add basil, salt, and pepper. Blend in soymilk. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool briefly. Add in tofu. Transfer to food processor and puree until smooth. Serve hot or chilled.
Yield: 3 servings. Serving size: 1 1/2 cup. Per serving: 181 calories, 8.5 g fat (0 g sat fat), 12 g protein (10 g soy protein), 17 g carbohydrate, 450 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 3 g dietary fiber.
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Primo Veggie Pasta
1 package (16 oz.) Birds Eye Baby Broccoli Blend Vegetables
1 lb. linguini
6 oz. silken tofu, firm
1 cup soymilk, plain
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheesePrepare vegetables and linguini as directed on package. Combine all other ingredients in a blender. Transfer to a microwave-safe container and heat on medium high power (80%) for 3 minutes. Stir. Heat another 2 minutes on medium power (50%). If desired, thicken sauce with cornstarch, following package directions. Mix linguini, vegetables and sauce together and serve.
Yield: 6 servings. Serving size: 1 1/2 cup. Per serving: 339 calories, 7 g fat (3 g sat fat), 19 g protein (4.9 g soy protein), 50 g carbohydrate, 616 mg sodium, 10 mg cholesterol, 5 g dietary fiber.
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Instant Chocolate Pudding
2 boxes (4 serving size - about 4 oz. each) dry instant chocolate pudding mix (or any other flavor you prefer
2 cups vanilla or plain soymilkFollow directions on pudding box, but only add soymilk amount listed in this recipe. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Yield: 2 cups. Serving size: 1/2 cup Per serving: 256 calories, 1 g fat (0 g sat fat), 2 g protein (2 g soy protein), 60 g carbohydrate, 876 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 g dietary fiber.
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