Control CholesterolNo question about it: As a replacement for meat and cheese, soy foods help fight heart diseases because they slash the amount of saturated fat that you eat. Reducing saturated fat is the single most important diet change you can make to cut blood cholesterol and heart attack risk. Plus, today’s soy substitutes for meat and cheese are delicious. (See below.) Protect Prostate and BonesMen: “It looks like one serving of soy a day might be enough to reduce prostate cancer risk,” says Mark Messina, PhD, a leading soy authority with Loma Linda University in California. In a recent study, more than half of men with prostate cancer who took soy supplements daily for 6 months saw decreases in their PSA levels (an indicator of prostate tumors).Women: Research suggests that soy may protect women’s bones. In recent small studies, both perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who consumed soy showed either less bone loss or gains in bone mass. “This research is in its early days, but it looks pretty interesting,” says Dr. Anthony. (Should you go for soy or almond milk? We have the answer.) Improve Your MemoryNew hints that soy works as a memory tune-up have soy experts cautiously excited. In a study among 27 older people, after 10 weeks those who got 100 mg of soy compounds called isoflavones could recall more details of a story they’d read and recall more pictures 20 minutes after they’d viewed them. These results are reassuring after an earlier study seemed to show more mental decline in older people who’d eaten the most soy. Researchers now suspect the study was flawed. Consider these 5 smart swaps for soy: *Daily saturated fat limits: women, 12 g; men, 15 g *Based on 1,500 calories/day for women; 2,000 calories/day for men. More from Prevention: 100 Cleanest Packaged Foods
