Older women who eat traditional Japanese soy-based foods on a
regular basis face lower risks of heart disease, according to a
study.

Soybeans – eaten as tofu, miso soup or Japanese fermented beans
known as “natto” – have a high amount of isoflavones, a natural
source of estrogen similar to the female hormone, the study
found.

The risk of heart attacks or strokes for a woman who consumed
soy at least five times a week was 0.39 compared with 1 for a woman
who consumed the least, the study says.

The results were even more striking among women past menopause,
with the risk falling to 0.25.

Estrogen is the most important female hormone that affects
women’s menstrual cycles and is essential for the healthy
functioning of the female body. Estrogen levels decrease sharply
once a woman begins menopause.

(Agencies via China Daily December 14, 2007)