June 4/Minneapolis/American Academy of Neurology -- Contrary to earlier reports, a new study suggests that soy protein may not preserve overall thinking abilities in women over the age of 45, but may improve memory related to facial recognition. The study is published in the June 5, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
"Soy is a staple of many traditional Asian diets and has been thought possibly to improve cognition in postmenopausal women," said study author Victor W. Henderson, MD, MS, with Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., and a Fellow with the American Academy of Neurology. "Our study found long-term use of soy protein neither improved nor impaired overall cognition."