Your Health

Good News
JOY OF SOY It may not taste great--or like anything at all--but soy protein seems to increase levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. Researchers say healthy middle-aged subjects saw their HDL cholesterol rise nearly 5% after eating cookies containing 1.5 oz. of powdered soy protein daily for 12 weeks. Powdered soy is also found in energy-boosting candy bars and drinks. To get 1.5 oz. of protein from soybeans, you would need to consume 4 oz. of beans, and of tofu--get those taste buds ready--more than a pound.

CHOLESTEROL CONUNDRUM When it comes to cholesterol, the elderly have their own rules. A study of men ages 71 to 93 found that an enviably low level of total cholesterol for middle-aged guys--160 mg/dL or below--may be too low for seniors, putting them at increased risk for heart disease. Readings from 200 mg/dL to 219 mg/dL, which might make younger men worry, turn out to be ideal for seniors. A little cholesterol--and the occasional burger--may not be so bad if you are old enough to handle it.

Bad News
TEATIME No wonder researchers had great hopes for green tea. It's loaded with powerful anticancer agents like polyphenols, which, in the lab at least, inhibit cell proliferation. Well, time to reread those tea leaves. A study shows that folks who drink five or more cups of green tea a day are just as likely to develop stomach cancer as those who barely take a sip. Don't toss out the teapot, however. Green tea may still protect against other cancers.

PLAQUE PRONE You thought chronic infections like sinusitis or bronchitis were punishment enough? Now a study suggests that people who get repeat infections have a threefold greater risk of developing artery-clogging plaque, making chronic infections a stronger risk factor than even high blood pressure or elevated cholesterol. Why? To fight infections, the body releases substances that may make arterial walls vulnerable to clogging.

Sources: Good News--American Heart Association meeting. Bad News--New England Journal of Medicine (1/1/01); Circulation (2/26/01)