April 30, 2007
MEDICAL MONDAY: Soy Milk a Healthy Alternative
By Craig Hammond
Findings from a study appearing in a recent issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology (AJE), suggest there's a link between consumption of large (I repeat, large) amounts of dairy products and Parkinson's Disease in men -- but men only.
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that can impair motor skills and speech.
Researchers say there is no reason to avoid dairy products completely, given the health benefits of dairy foods. The key, however, is to enjoy dairy foods - but in moderate amounts. The study appearing in AJE is not the only one reporting the Dairy-Parkinson's link. The connection has now consistently been found in other studies, but researchers still don't completely understand why. But until they do, and for those who want to avoid dairy products, soy milk is a nutitrious alternative.
The Food and Drug Administration says that soy protein products can be good substitutes for animal products because, unlike some other beans, soy offers a "complete" protein profile. Soybeans contain all the amino acids essential to human nutrition, which must be supplied in the diet because they cannot be synthesized by the human body. Soy protein products can replace animal-based foods--which also have complete proteins but tend to contain more fat, especially saturated fat--without requiring major adjustments elsewhere in the diet.
The FDA acknowledges that while foreign cultures, especially Asians, have used soy extensively for centuries, mainstream America has been slow to move dietary soy beyond a niche market status. In the United States, soy beans are a huge cash crop, but the product is used largely as livestock feed.
Now that the Dairy/Parkinson's connection appears to have been made, the sales of soy products could sky rocket. Got Soy?
Hammond is a former member of the Mercer County Board of Public Health and a current member of the Mercer County Local Emergency Planning Committee and Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Planning Committee.
