Vegan Health ArticlesSoy Foods and Bone Health
A Vegan Health Article from All-Creatures.org

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From Michael Greger, M.D.
http://www.veganMD.org 

Wyeth pharmaceuticals, the marketer of Premarin hormone replacement therapy, has been killing both women and horses for over 50 years. Last Summer, the hormone replacement therapy arm of the Women's Health initiative was stopped abruptly, years before it was supposed to end, because there were so many more deaths in the treatment group. Women taking the hormones had more heart attacks, more strokes, more fatal blood clots, and more breast cancer than the control group.

But the treatment group did have less hip fractures; the hormones did seem to protect the womens' bones. A review published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded, however, that even for women at high risk for osteoporosis, the benefits of drugs like Premarin do not outweigh the risk.[1] So what's a postmenopausal woman to do? Soy.

A randomized double blind placebo controlled clinical trial (the "gold standard" study design) just published showed that the isoflavones in soy seem to protect menopausal women from bone loss just as powerfully as hormone replacement therapy, but without the side-effects.[2] So drinking the equivalent of about 2 cups of soymilk a day, women can go through menopause with strong bones, and without the cancer, heart disease, a stroke or two and blood clots in the lung. And using soymilk instead of Premarin, your smoothies won't taste like urine :)

References:

[1] Journal of the American Medical Association 290(2003):1729.

[2] Nutrition reviews 61(2003):346.


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We began this archive as a means of assisting our visitors in answering many of their health and diet questions, and in encouraging them to take a pro-active part in their own health. We believe the articles and information contained herein are true, but are not presenting them as advice. We, personally, have found that a whole food vegan diet has helped our own health, and simply wish to share with others the things we have found. Each of us must make our own decisions, for it's our own body. If you have a health problem, see your own physician.