SOYBEAN AND BALDNESS PREVENTATION
Published April 4th, 2007
Nutritionists and vegetarians have claimed for years that soy provides a wide range of health benefits, such as lowering rates of heart attack, reducing blood cholesterol levels, relieving menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women, and in the general enhancement of the immune system. In fact, in 1999, the Food and Drug Administration even permitted food manufacturers to put label on products with high soy protein contents, with the indication that the corresponding food product may be able to reduce heart disease risks (Henkel 2000). Consequently, ever since these claims were announced, attention and examination of the impact of soy on human health has been risen rapidly, as scientists and the public health community became more focused on the chemical components of soy (for instance, the soy isoflavone genistein and daidzein). Soybeans also contain a complete protein profile, which means that they provide all the essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the human body. Hence, soy protein products can be used to replace animal-based products, which are generally associated with unhealthy substances, such as saturated fats (Henkel 2000).
However, in addition to these well-known benefits, some previous publications reveal that soy extracts can even enhance cosmetic attributes. This includes healthier-looking skin and nails (Revival 1998, Kim et al. 2004) as well as the reduction of hair loss, in particular, male and female pattern baldness (Adams 2004).
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