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Everybody knows that Soy is a great source of protein,
while being a product that promotes good health. Here is
more:
Soy-based foods contain substances called isofavoines,
which appear to protect against both cardiovascular
disease and cancer. Soy isolfavones are structurally
similar to estrogen and can displace estrogen in the body.
That makes them protective, since breast cancer in women
and prostate cancer in men are related to elevated
estrogen levels.
Recent research also confirms that eating soy leads to
drop in serum testosterone and lessened oxidation of
low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol. These two effect are
thought to explain protection against the onset of
prostate cancer.
The drop in testosterone may at first appear problematic
to bodybuilders, who are aware that it's a major anabolic
hormone for building muscle. But the results of a study in
rats showed the increase of serum androgens, such as
testosterone. However, one exception is that the soy
products inhibited an enzyme called 5-alpha reducatase,
which converts testosterone ito dihydro-testosterone, or
DHT. While DHT is linked to male pattern baldness, acne
and prostate enlargement and cancer, ti does perform
server essential functions in the body. For example, male
sex organs don't develop without DHT. Soy appears to be a
natural inhibitor of DHT syntheses and bodybuilders over
40 may want to consider it because of the protection it
offers against cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The key is moderation, since too much soy will not only
lower testosterone levels but may also act like an
estrogen and cause the negative side effects associated
with it in me. About 25 grams of soy protein a dat, or no
more than 50 milligrams of isofavones will do it.
Meanwhile a different study based on mice, concluded that
a primary soy isofavone called genistein helps prevent fat
gain. Frequently linked to increased deposits of body fat,
estrogen also - paradoxically enough - prevents excess fat
tissues by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that
increases triglyceride (fat) stores in fat cells, or
lipocytes. Genistein has about 1/110,l000 the estrogenic
effect of estroge itself, but his study shows that i can
duplicate estrogen's fat-inhibiting effectsw hen taken in
daily doses equal to about 100 milligrams of isofavones.
Genistein may also help block insulin's promotion of
increased fat deposits in lipcytes. (
source, Ironman - Jerry Brainum ) |
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