A nutrient in soy products appears to have brain benefits for kids While not a common part of U.S. children's diets, it is easy to incorporate, researchers say Soy has also been shown to improve adults' memory MONDAY, July 8, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A diet rich in soy may help kids in the classroom, new research suggests.
It found that 7- to 13-year-olds whose diets included more isoflavones were more attentive and had better thinking abilities. Soybeans and soy products are rich in isoflavones, which have been shown to improve memory in adults. Research in children has been lacking.
The new study -- which was presented recently at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) in Chicago -- begins a deeper look at the brain benefits of soy in kids. Research presented at meetings is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. "Soy foods are often not a regular part of children's diets in the United States," said , a 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." Her team looked at data from a study that included 128 children. They calculated each child's intake from weeklong diet records, including amounts of vitamins, micro- and macronutrients and isoflavones.
Researchers then used a set of paper and pencil tests, adjusted for grade level, to gauge children's intellectual ability. Brain-wave activity was recorded as ki.
