This is a bitter pill to swallow. Many cocoa products in the US contain concerning levels of toxic heavy metals, a new study from George Washington University warns. Many cocoa products in the US contain worrisome levels of lead and cadmium, a new study from George Washington University warns. Picture Partners – stock.adobe.com Researchers analyzed 72 cocoa-based foods — including dark chocolate, often praised as a heart-healthy treat — over eight years. They found that 43% of the products contained an amount of lead that tops recommendations, while 35% exceeded cadmium limits. Surprisingly, organic-labeled products had higher levels of lead and cadmium than non-organic products, the researchers said. Contamination can come from soil or occur during manufacturing. A single serving of these cocoa items may not pose significant health risks, but several servings might. Leigh Frame, director of integrative medicine at GW, led the testing of 72 cocoa-based products. The George Washingto...
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Soy foods can improve thinking, attention in kids: study
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To bean, or not to bean, that is the question.
New research finds that isoflavones in soybeans and soy products can enhance attention and processing speed in school-aged kids.
“Soy foods are often not a regular part of children’s diets in the United States,” said Ajla Bristina, a neuroscience doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. “Our study adds evidence of the importance of nutrients found in soy foods for childhood cognition.”
“Our study adds evidence of the importance of nutrients found in soy foods for childhood cognition,” said Ajla Bristina, a neuroscience doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Cherries – stock.adobe.com
The study included 128 children 7 to 13 years old. Bristina’s team used seven-day diet records to calculate each child’s consumption of macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins and isoflavones.
The naturally occurring plant compounds are structurally similar to estrogen — they have been shown toexhibit antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Roasted edamame, soy nuts, soy milk, tofu, tempeh and soy-based nuggets are rich with isoflavones. naito29 – stock.adobe.com
For the study, the kids took pencil and paper tests to showcase their intellect and completed a computerized task to demonstrate their attention skills.
Researchers recorded their electroencephalographic (EEG) activity to determine their information processing speed and attention.
“No other studies have examined the association between soy isoflavones and attentional abilities using EEG or similar measures to record electrical activity generated by the brain,” Bristina said.
She reported that the children in the study consumed 0 to 35 milligrams of isoflavones a day, with the average being 1.33 milligrams. She called this amount “relatively low,” but said it “aligns with previously reported values” for the US.
The kids who ate more soy foods had faster responses during the attentional tasks and quicker processing speed. No association was observed between isoflavone intake and intellectual ability.
8 fluid ounces of soy milk contain about 28 milligrams of isoflavones. jakkit – stock.adobe.com
Bristina recommends incorporating more soy into children’s diets via roasted edamame, soy nuts, soy milk, tofu, tempeh or soy-based nuggets.
She noted that 8 fluid ounces of soy milk contain about 28 milligrams of isoflavones, a serving of tofu boasts about 35 milligrams and half a cup of steamed edamame provides about 18 milligrams.
Bristina presents her research Tuesday at NUTRITION 2024, the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition.
“Correlational studies like this are only the first step,” she said. “To better understand the effects of eating soy foods on children’s cognitive abilities and the precise amount of isoflavone intake necessary to elicit faster response times will require intervention approaches.”
The research team recently began a trial exploring the effects of soy foods on thinking abilities, sex hormones, metabolic health and gut health.
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This is a bitter pill to swallow. Many cocoa products in the US contain concerning levels of toxic heavy metals, a new study from George Washington University warns. Many cocoa products in the US contain worrisome levels of lead and cadmium, a new study from George Washington University warns. Picture Partners – stock.adobe.com Researchers analyzed 72 cocoa-based foods — including dark chocolate, often praised as a heart-healthy treat — over eight years. They found that 43% of the products contained an amount of lead that tops recommendations, while 35% exceeded cadmium limits. Surprisingly, organic-labeled products had higher levels of lead and cadmium than non-organic products, the researchers said. Contamination can come from soil or occur during manufacturing. A single serving of these cocoa items may not pose significant health risks, but several servings might. Leigh Frame, director of integrative medicine at GW, led the testing of 72 cocoa-based products. The George Washingto...
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