WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- New research in monkeys suggests that pre-menopausal women could benefit from a diet high in soy, two studies show.
The findings from twin studies at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center were reported Friday at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society in Washington.
The results suggest that for cholesterol and bone density, the natural plant estrogens in soy may be most effective in conjunction with the body's own estrogen. This would make it especially potent in women who haven't reached menopause, the studies say.
In one study, researcher Jay Kaplan found that monkeys fed a soy-based diet had improved cholesterol levels compared to monkeys who ate a diet of milk and animal protein. The improvement was most pronounced in monkeys who were at highest risk for heart vessel disease.
In the second study, researcher Cynthia Lees found that monkeys that consumed soy had an increase in bone mass over the monkeys that had no soy.
