Wednesday Bubble: the soy controversy
Do they or don’t they?
Soy isoflavones have been touted as beneficial in everything from improving body composition and lowering breast and colorectal cancer, to addressing menopausal hot flashes and moods. You can read about some of these findings on Flashfree. This week, Reuters Health reported that eating foods rich in soy protein (i.e. 25 grams of soy protein and 60 mg isoflavones) daily did not provide favorable responses from blood fats, implying that soy has little benefit in terms of lowering cholesterol levels and in turn, promoting heart health.
Are you confused yet?
Increasingly, women are turning to soy and other compounds as alternatives to estrogen and hormone replacement therapy, which mounting evidence shows can be associated with a broad range of risks including increased breast, lung and ovarian cancer to heart disease. And yet, findings from clinical trials examining soy are often contradictory, making it difficult to come to any firm conclusion about its benefits.
What’s the problem? Well, researchers say that part of the problem is poorly designed studies, small number of study participants, wide range of ages and years from menopause, studies that don’t examine the pros and cons of an agent or strategy for a long enough period of time (i.e. longer than a year). In other cases (as I’ve argued previously), the study design does not account for certain factors that are critical to a therapeutic strategy, for example, the opportunity to clearly focus an intervention so that individual factors are accounted for (this was borne out by findings from a trial that examined and provided evidence for the role of acupuncture in easing hot flashes).
There’s good news though! Researchers finally appear to be getting their act together on the soy fron. They’ve announced that they are conducting a well-designed, large trial of soy phytoestrogens. Called SPARE (Soy Phytoestrogens as Replacement Estrogen), this new study will be looking at the effects of 200 mg soy versus sugar tablet daily — namely on bone health and symptoms — in 248 menopausal women over a two- year period. They will also be taking daily calcium carbonate plus vitamin D (in ranges of 500 mg to 1000 mg calcium and 200 to 400 IU vitamin D, depending on previous intake).
The study is specifically geared towards looking at spine bone density, but will also be looking at hip density, thyroid levels, menopausal symptoms, mood changes, depression, and quality of life, as well as any changes in blood fats. Study participants are between the ages of 45 and 60 and are within five years from menopause. What’s more, the researchers have also included a large percentage of hispanic women, which allows them to focus on how soy affects this minority group (Notably, the large multiethnic population of women in this study includes Asians, Blacks and Caucasians.)
The researchers say that they hope that the results of SPARE will provide a range of information that is especially relevant to Boomers reaching menopause. They also note that the dose of soy isoflavones being studied is much larger than what’s been studied in previously and are roughly twice that typically consumed in the Asian diet.
I realize that this post is pretty scientific. But what makes it most relevant is that it appears that researchers are finally starting to design studies that might actually show benefit of some of the alternative strategies we have available to us on the market. For those of you who insist on calling these alternatives “snake oil,” all I can say is ‘stay tuned.’
This bubble might finally be shattered; perhaps all that is needed is a better understanding of what it needs to test these substances appropriately.
Read MoreIt’s about time…weight, that is
Findings from a new study suggest that time of day may play a critical role in how much weight you do or do not gain. In fact, you may be better off eating fat first thing upon waking as opposed to at the end of the day.
Mind you, this study was conducted in mice and not humans, so it’s way too early to know for sure. However, what they found that was when mice were fed a high-fat diet constantly throughout a waking period, they did not gain substantial amounts of weight, body fat or develop unusually high blood sugar. In fact, they appeared to adjust their metabolism accordingly. However, when mice were fed either high fat or carbohydrate rich diets at different times during the day, the paradigm shifted and their bodies were not always able to adjust metabolically. Here’s the skinny:
- Mice who ate a calorically-rich, high-fat meal immediately following the four hours after waking were able to adjust their metabolism and the amount of energy they used up so that weight remained normal. However,
- Mice who ate a calorically-rich, high-carbohydrate meal in the first four hours after wakening and then a high-fat meal four hours before rest had gained excessive amounts of weight and body fat, had blood sugar abnormalities associated with diabetes, and had increased levels of fats in the blood. Ironically this occurred regardless of total daily calories or total calories from fat.
The researchers say there is plenty of evidence showing that people who skip breakfast tend to have higher a body-mass index (BMI), as do people who engage in night eating. They also note that like the mice in the study, our circadian clocks do play a huge role in both our appetite and how we expend calories during the course of a day. Although individuals tend to vary how and what they eat throughout any given day, there is a tendency to eat carbohydrates early in the day and higher fat or more calorie dense meals later. So, it’s possible by reversing this pattern, we may be able to affect how we respond to carbohydrate rich meals (and associated weight gain) later in the day.
Granted, only time can tell and it’s essential to repeat this study in human. Plus there’s another fact that women in particular need to be aware of: hormones and age play a critical role in controlling metabolism, and how, when and where we gain weight.
Right now, the best strategy is to eat healthy foods, unsaturated fats and exercise. But if you are craving bacon, you may want to have it in the morning and not in a BLT or wrapped around a scallop later in the day.
Read MoreRound-up: March news and tidbits
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Seriously, this isn’t an April’s Fool’s post, one day late. In fact, I’ve been so distracted lately that apparently, I forgot to do a round up for the last two months running. Shameful, isn’t it. In any case, even though it’s brilliantly April and March will soon be a distant memory, I thought I’d provide a recap. Don’t want to miss a thing and neither should you. Enjoy!
- Trans fats are not your friend – Trans Fats – yeah, best to skip them. It appears that they may increase your risk for ischemic stroke by as much as 40%.
- Osteoporosis – all bets are off – Is it age or hormones? Hormones or age? The chicken or the egg? What truly drives a woman’s risk for osteoporosis?
- What’s your flava? – Boy, I got slammed for this post but I’ll leave it to you to decide whether it was fair or not. Labiaplasty is the next best thing to enhance a couple’s chance of staying together. At least according to several hundred male plastic surgeons. Mind you, the procedure is necessary and an excellent choice for certain women – be sure to read the post comments.
- In celebration of women. My conversation with chef/author Mollie Katzen – There’s no country for old woman..I talk to Mollie Katzen how to recapture our (self)-image as we age.
- One drink makes you smaller – Can alcohol help you lose weight? The reports were all over the news. But wait til you see the miniscule amounts.
- Every breath you take. Lung cancer & HRT – Seems that researchers are saying that HRT not only increases deaths from lung cancer but also, the risk of developing lung cancer.
- Just breathe – that’s right, controlled, mindful breathing exercises may be just what the doctor ordered for halting those bothersome hot flashes.
- Bedfan – the real deal – I made fun of it last year but evidently, this nifty product is a hot seller for cool outcomes.
- WISHFIT – women’s research takes a village – Want research that works? Involve the community! Rush University Medical Center is letting women in the neighborhood help design their next study. Health 2.0 meets social meets research.
- Got fat? Soyrry but soy won’t work – Love love love soy products. But they aren’t going to help your overall body composition.
- No pain, no. Killing two birds with one stone – Can analgesics prevent breast cancer? Only time will tell.
- Just an hour a day keeps the weight away – Looks like if you want to stave off weight, you need to step up the program. Here’s why…
- This is your brain on midlife – I’ve lost my brain. Have you seen it?
Wednesday Bubble: this is your brain on midlife
Got brain? If you still have yours’, maybe you’ve seen mine also.
I’ve noticed that as the days and weeks pass, my recall seems to be declining. I remain uncertain as to the cause – is it overload, life or declining hormones? Has middle age truly taken my brain? If so, I’ve got a small but important request for the universal goddesses: I’d like it back.
Just last week I received an important notice from the New York State Division of Taxation with approval to dissolve my Corporation. Any of you who know me or know of my former company know that this has been a drawn-out and arduous process. But I got the letter! And permission for closure. The thing is…I lost it.
Perhaps it’s in the black hole of all things Liz, amongst single earrings, lone socks and that piece of family jewelry that I’ve been looking for for over a year now. Maybe I threw it out; I have a genetic disease that I refer to as ‘anti-hoarder syndrome or AHS,’ as in, “I must discard any bit of clutter that enters my humble abode.” (My father has this illness so it resonates deeply with me, irritatingly so I might add.) Or maybe, it’s sitting in that pile that I’ve gone through about 15 times and will bare its ugly head once I receive its replacement.
If you’re wondering what this has to do with bubbles or bursting illusions, well I’d like to take a stab at one that’s been bothering me for some time now; memory in midlife (aka, your brain on midlife). Researchers who specialize in women’s health and menopause have been consistent in their attempts to decipher the ever-present mind meltdown, attributing it to declining testosterone, a loss of the brain’s gray matter or as I suspect, stress. Yet, regardless of its cause, I am becoming increasingly aware of its presence and the fact that its become a part of who I am.
Whether I am entering a room with a mission or surfing the web, I seem to constantly arrive without my original purpose and then stand (or sit) there desperately seeking the key as to why I went there in the first place. Typically, that key reappears during inopportune times when the goal has lost its relevance, or when I am nowhere near a computer or a room to complete the task.
This is my brain on midlife. Forgetful, spacey, devoid of information. A blank bubble lingering above my head.
Truly, if you run across it, can you send it home?
Read MoreIs black cohosh a flash in the pan?
I am a true believer of black cohosh, that wonderful herb that for many women, simply stops hot flashes in their tracks. The clinical evidence in support of the effect of black cohosh on symptoms has also been pretty positive, except when it comes to bone health. Admittedly, I’m a bit in the dark on this one because I had never read anything associating the two…until now.
To examine the effect of black cohosh on bone density, researchers randomly assigned 128 postmenopausal to one of three regimens:
1) Six weeks of highly intensive exercise directed towards protecting bone mass (e.g., strength training, aerobic activity) interspersed with 10 weeks of moderate intensity exercise (e.g. brisk walking)
2) The above program plus 40 mg/day black cohosh
3) Wellness program (light exercise for one hour a week, such as stretching, walking, balance)
Although exercise had a definite and positive effect on bone mineral density, taking black cohosh provided no additional benefit. However, women who were assigned to wellness only did experience a minor decrease in the bone density in their spine compared with women who exercised. Other variables, including lean body mass, heart disease risk and menopausal symptoms, were also favourably impacted by physical activity but again, not by the addition of black cohosh. The study was published in the online edition of Menopause.
Clearly, when it comes to bone density, exercise is the winner. Black cohosh does not appear to add any additional benefits, although it may ultimately prove to enhance any positive effects on menopausal symptoms, especially since previous clinical trials have been favourably in this regard.
Time will only tell. In the interim, keep moving and don’t rely on black cohosh to preserve your bone health.
As always, Reuters Health has done great reporting on this same study. I encourage you to check it out!
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