Tofu intake in an excessive amount may reduce memory

Team research from Loughborough University work together with Indonesian researchers team, reported in studies that the elderly are intake in an excessive amount many tofu including soybean products and other products in the so-called 'Super food', may increase the risk of reduce in memory. In this study examined 719 elderly subjects who live in cities and rural areas of Java, aged> 68 years, intake the amount of soybean including tofu.

Professor Eef Hogervorst who led the study says that increased soy consumption in Western countries and are often promoted as a 'Superfood'. Soybean product rich mikronutrien namely fitoestrogen, but not yet fully clear whether the getting old brain process has the effect or not. Fitoestrogen have effects similar to estrogen that may produce effects on the subject neuroproteksi middle age. But rather, at the age> 65 years may increase the risk demensia and decrease memory.

Instead, the research team found that tempe consumption can increase the recall. It is said that the beneficial effect of tempe likely caused by a high degree folat, which is known to decrease the risk demensia. Alleged that the interactions between folat and fitoestrogen in a high degree can be an occurrence of cognitive disturbances. For that further study is needed to examine how the combination folat or sour folat with fitoestrogen can protect disfunction memories groups in the elderly.

The researchers says that the effects of tempe and tofu seem population is especially visible in the Java community, because there is not yet clear relationship Feed soybean with all the other ethnic groups. Results of this study add to our understanding of Alzheimer's Disease and need to be further studies to understand fully the risks and potential 'superfood' is. Studies such as this will be able to help scientists to get a new effort to prevent this harmful disease

(Dementia And Geratric Cognitive Disorder, 2008)