Soy boosts bone and heart health

Two more studies confirm earlier research that eating adequate amounts of soy can prevent osteoporosis and protect heart health. In the first study, monkeys who ate a soy-based diet had better cholesterol levels than monkeys who ate a diet based on animal protein. In the second study, monkeys on a soy diet showed an increase in bone mass compared to monkeys who didn't eat soy. Researchers suggest that the benefits are a result of natural plant estrogens in soy in conjunction with estrogen in the female monkey’s bodies; they note that soy consumption is especially im-portant in premenopausal women, when estrogen levels decline.