Page 78 - Spring2010

Soy Alert!

SOYFUL TALES
by Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD

SOY MAY HELP MEN proved spatial working memory, an area in which
REMEMBER ANNIVERSARIES females consistently perform better than males.
Believe it or not, the soy industry is now Indeed, the men feminized by the isoflavones
promising new and improved men—men who required 18 percent fewer attempts to correctly
not only have better “working memories,” but complete the tasks, committed 23 percent fewer
men who might even remember anniversaries! errors, and achieved the tasks in 17 percent less
Led by Peter Howe at the University of time than they did during the placebo phase.
South Australia and the University of Adelaide, The likely reason was circulating estrogens
researchers concluded in the November 2009 acting upon the estrogen beta receptors (ERbeta)
British Journal of Nutrition that “Isoflavone prevalent in areas of the brain that mediate cogni-
supplementation in healthy males may enhance tive functions, including parts of the hippocam-
cognitive processes which appear dependent pus, frontal lobe and cortex. The soy isoflavones,
on oestrogen activation.” In other words, soy- however, had no apparent effect on auditory or
estrogenized men will think and act more like episodic memory, executive function, or visual-
women! spatial processing.
The study involved thirty-four healthy men So how did this “good news” get translated
who participated in a twelve-week double-blind, into headlines about soy helping men remember
placebo-controlled cross-over trial. The men anniversaries? Got me. It does, however, inspire
were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose me to propose three topics related to new and
Soy- of 116 mg soy isoflavones or a placebo for six improved men for future research. One: Are men
estrogenized weeks. They were then crossed-over to the other on soy isoflavones better at asking for directions?
intervention for the following six weeks.
Two: Are men on soy isoflavones more likely to
men will think Tests of memory, mental function and put the toilet seat down? And three: Are men on
and act more visual-spatial processing performed before and soy isoflavones more likely to be faithful to their
after the supplementation period showed that the wives because they lose their libido, their ability
like women! isoflavone supplements were associated with im- or both? Inquiring minds want to know!

SOY IN HAITI

A group called SoyFoods Haiti Alliance Relief Effort (SHARE) is coordinating the donation and delivery of soy foods,
soy snacks and soy milk to Haiti. Solae, Whitewave, Alpro and Vitasoy have already donated products and more high-
protein donations are sought through Feed the Children and other organizations. “High protein,” of course, is delivered
in the form of soy.
While relief efforts are clearly needed and this one seems benevolent, the industry’s real motive is spelled out clearly
in a trade newsletter. “In the longer term, donations could also include soybeans, soy protein ingredients and micro-
nutrient supplements for value-added processing in Haiti.” Over the long term, this means decreased reliance on local
farmers and cottage industries, failure to build local, sustainable food sources, people forced to rely on unhealthy food
products (as opposed to real food), and more profits for the global soy industry. Long term, that means the whole country
will need to go into “soy recovery.”
78 Wise Traditions SPRING 2010