Tofu Connected to Impaired Mental Function in Later Life - Statistical Data Included

AORN Journal, July, 2000

The more tofu men and women eat, the more likely they are to show signs of impaired mental function later in life, according to an April 4, 2000, American College of Nutrition news release. Consuming tofu two or more times per week was determined to be detrimental to brain function.

Men who ate the most tofu during their mid 40s to mid 60s showed the most signs of mental deterioration during their mid 70s to early 90s. They had more brain atrophy and performed poorer on cognitive tests, which measured attention, concentration, memory, judgment, and other brain functions. This analysis was part of the Honolulu Heart Program, which began tracking the health of 8,000 men of Japanese-American heritage in 1965.

Researchers administered cognitive function tests to 3,734 men, obtained brain images from 574 men, and evaluated brain atrophy in 290 male autopsy results. Test scores of 502 wives of participants also were analyzed. The proposed link between consuming tofu and decreased brain function is isoflavones, which affect the tyrosine kinase enzyme that blocks changes in the brain related to learning.

Tofu and Brain Aging (press release, New York: American College of Nutrition, April 4, 2000) 1. Available from http:// www.newswise.com/articles/2OOO/4/TOFU.NUT.html. Accessed 13 April 2000.