As we get older, we're always looking for a magic bullet to stave off the effects of aging. I'm especially concerned about memory loss - probably because my memory was never that great to begin with. Soy has long been touted as a weapon in this battle but a new study suggests that the benefits may be limited.
The study, published in the journal Neurology, found that soy may not preserve cognition in women over 45 but may improve the ability to recognize faces.
Stanford researchers gave more than 300 women aged 45 to 92 either 25 grams of soy protein daily (an amount comparable to traditional Asian diets) or a placebo composed of milk protein. The women were given tests that measured their memory and cognition at the start of the study and two and a half years later.
The researchers found that there was no significant different in test scores between the women who ate soy and those who were given the milk protein. There was a small improvement - 13 percent - in the ability to recognize faces in the soy-eating group compared to the milk group.
But if you love soy (I do), there is some good news: the researchers say that it appears that soy has no negative effect on thinking.
