Report Gets Tough on Tofu

According to BBC News, eating too much tofu may raise the risk of dementia. The research--taken from a Loughborough University-led study that focused on 719 elderly Indonesians living in urban and rural regions of Java--found daily tofu consumption to be associated with worse memory, particularly in those over age 68.

The BBC claims that, "This kind of research into the causes of Alzheimer's could lead scientists to new ways of preventing this devastating disease."

Rich in the micronutrient phytoestrogen, which mimics the impact of the female sex hormone estrogen, Tofu often markets the claim to a superfood,and serves as a popular protein alternative for many vegetarians, religious meat avoiders, and those who are interested in the irony of maintaining their health.

The BBC says that although "there is some evidence that they may protect the brains of younger and middle-aged people from damage....The latest study suggests phytoestrogens -- in high quantity -- may actually heighten the risk of dementia."

Lead research Professor Eef Hogervorst made claims to previous research which had linked estrogen therapy to a doubling of dementia risk in the age group of over 65.

She said that in the study, estrogens, likely to include phytoestrogens, tended to promote growth among cells, not necessarily a good thing in the aging brain.

Professor David Smith, of the University of Oxford, said tofu was a complex food with many ingredients which might have an impact.

However, he said, "There seems to be something happening in the brain as we age which makes it react to estrogens in the opposite way to what we would expect."

The latest study also found that eating tempe, a fermented soy product made from the whole soy bean, was associated with better memory because it contains high levels of the vitamin folate, which is known to reduce the risk of dementia.

Rebecca Wood, of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, which funded the study, said more research was needed to pin down the potential risks and benefits of so-called �â'¬Å"superfoods�â'¬ï¿½.

In Wood's eyes, "this kind of research into the causes of Alzheimer's could lead scientists to new ways of preventing this devastating disease."