NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A daily serving of soy may help postmenopausal women avoid gaining fat around the middle, preliminary research suggests.
In a study of 18 postmenopausal women, researchers found that those who drank a soy-based shake every day for three months tended to gain less abdominal fat than those who had a milk-based shake.
Soy contains compounds called isoflavones that are structurally similar to estrogen and bind to estrogen receptors in fat tissue. So in theory, soy isoflavones could help regulate body fat metabolism.
The new findings appear to be the first to show that soy protein may affect abdominal fat distribution, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Cynthia K. Sites of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They report the results in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility.
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I love soy drinks except that after drinking a glass of soy drink, my tummy will start giving out all kinds of rumbling noises ... yes, gas!
So despite all the benefits that soy has especially for post menopausal women there are some like me who cannot take it because it gives them gas.
What should we do? Should we take a tablet or two of 'Beano' before we can enjoy our soy drink? Well, if it comes to that, we may have to!
My mother is in her 60s and every time I look at the size of her tummy, I keep thinking that that would be me a few years down the road. I already have a sizable, in comparison to the rest of my body size, tummy!
I'm off to the store now to get some Beano! :-)
Try eating tofu.I have it everyday.It's bland and therefore versatile... u can flavor it any way you want.In fact, I use tofu as rice and bread substitute.I dice and mix it in baked beans -you can't tell its there... Mix it in salad.. Stir fry with vegetables, in chinese styled soups etc. I include tuna flakes/chunks in these often too.Lazy, fast but non-fattening cooking haha :-D