Soy is a vegetable used to make milk, oil and other food products, and contains a variety of nutrients, including compounds similar to estrogen, that can lead to many health benefits when added to one’s diet.

Women who have experienced menopause will typically have lower hormone levels, which has been linked to abdominal weight gain. In order to maintain healthy hormone levels, some women turn to replacement therapy, which has been proven to cause many health problems, including the development of breast cancer.

In an effort to find a natural alternative to hormone treatments that also provided weight loss benefits, researchers fed soy, a plant that contains compounds similar to estrogen, to post-menopausal rats.

The results of the rats eating an increased intake of soy led to higher energy expenditure and weight-loss.

Michelle Murphy, a researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, stated that these findings have "implications for the development of alternative natural treatments for obesity in post-menopausal women."

For post-menopausal women who are interested in adding other natural alternatives to their diets in order to improve weight-loss, recent research conducted at Johns Hopkins University showed that eating pomegranate can boost weight loss results and provide natural replacement therapy.

During a recent study, a team of investigators examined human cells, which contribute to blood sugar control, that were exposed to different extracts taken from the leaves, bark, seeds and apples of cashew trees. After exposing the human cells to each extract sample, the researchers examined which cells had the most improved insulin response.

The results of the trial showed that only the cells introduced to cashew seed extract had better blood sugar control. In fact, the extract increased the activity level of muscle cells needed for the body to properly absorb blood sugar.

Pierre S. Haddad, lead author of the study, stated that these findings validate "the traditional use of cashew tree products in diabetes and points to some of its natural components that can serve to create new oral therapies."

This discovery shows that if more natural supplements are discovered to prevent developing diabetes, people, including high-risk populations, could have a better chance at avoiding the life-long disease. In 2007, an estimated 17.9 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.

In an effort to determine how OSA affected heart health, researchers enrolled 1,927 men and 2,495 women with no record of cardiovascular problems into a study. Participants were then categorized by their sleeping habits, including severe apnea, which was linked to breathing interruptions longer than 10 seconds that occurred approximately 30 times per hour.

The results of the trial showed that men aged 40 to 70 years who had OSA had a much higher risk of suffering from coronary heart disease. However, the researchers found no connection between the sleeping disorder and heart problems in women.

Daniel J. Gottlieb, lead author of the study, stated that "the take-away from our study is that obstructive sleep apnea is a serious condition that warrants medical treatment." He added that "it’s important for anyone who suspects they have obstructive sleep apnea to discuss it with their primary care physician."

Coronary heart disease is the most common form of the illness, and in 2005, approximately 445,687 Americans died from the disease, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Using worms, a team of researchers from Princeton University examined how a low-calorie dietary regimen and reduced insulin intake could affect metabolism, memory, stress response and development. The team also used a group of worms that had been genetically altered, allowing the investigators to analyze reduced insulin signaling more efficiently.

The results of the trial showed that restricting caloric intake guarded against the worms suffering from memory loss with age. Also, the genetically mutated worms also showed improved memory performance and learning functions as they got older.

The team concluded that these results may help develop better treatments that can increase longevity and prevent memory loss. However, further research will still be needed.

"Different mechanisms of longevity extension may be beneficial to certain functions and detrimental to others, so it may be the case that treatments that target more than one longevity regulator will be the right approach to take," said Coleen Murphy, an assistant professor of molecular biology at the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, one in eight people aged 65 years and older are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia.

For this study, more than 100 colonoscopy patients were split into two groups and were given either the entire dosage of the preparation drugs the morning of the procedure or half of the required amount of preparation drugs the night before and half in the morning.

While the researchers discovered that the group who was administered the full dose allowed physicians to detect polyps more accurately, approximately 90 percent of the images taken from both groups were clear enough to be used as results.

The team concluded that taking the preparation medication the day of the colonoscopy procedures lessened abdominal pain, improved sleeping and lowered interference with daily responsibilities.

David Kastenberg, a physician at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, stated that "the most important thing to consider during a colonoscopy are clear images." He added that "during the procedure, I want to be able to have the best view to ensure that nothing is missed and all abnormalities are scrutinized."

In 2009, a total of 106,100 people in the United States were diagnosed with colon cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

During the trial, researchers examined the effects of Candida albicans compounds, which help yeast grow and survive, on mice with similar health problems. The team then used a series of medications and natural components in order to improve the health of the animals.

The researchers discovered that when treating the mice with a form of vitamin B3, the spread of Candida albicans throughout the immune system was reduced, and the animals’ health improved.

Martine Ryamond, lead author of the study, stated that "there is an urgent need to develop new therapies to kill C. albicans because it is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections and is associated with high mortality rates." She added that these findings are "very exciting and they constitute an important first step in the development of new therapeutic agents to treat fungal infections without major side effects for patients."

These findings may prove beneficial to individuals looking for a natural alternative to preventing fungal infections. In addition to vitamin B3, extract from the pitcher plant has been proven to stave off similar health problems, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

During the first month of the study, a team of investigators monitored the symptoms of mice with UTIs, which included animals that recovered from the infections without being treated. The team found that some of the mice had chronic bacterial cystitis, which occurs when an abnormal amount of bacteria develops in the bladder and urine, which leads to inflammation of the urinary tract.

One group of mice were administered antibiotics to treat the UTIs, and then the team exposed them to several different bacteria linked to the development of these infections.

The results of the trial showed that the group with chronic bacterial cystitis was at a higher risk of developing UTIs and had more severe infection symptoms. The team also found that controlling this abnormal reaction by the immune system could improve recovery from UTIs.

For those who are looking for a natural alternative to alleviate side effects of UTIs, a report in the the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research found that drinking cranberry juice can relieve pain and speed up the recovery process.

People with IBD suffer damage to their colon and small intestine, which can lead to fatigue, abdominal discomfort and bleeding. Depending on the severity of symptoms, patients can be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs or have surgery to remove damaged parts of their digestive system.

The foundation established the grant program to help investigators who are contributing to eliminating IBD, and funding recipients were chosen based on their collaboration, innovation and the expected success rates of their studies.

"We are very optimistic that breakthrough discoveries are on the horizon that will improve the quality of life for those suffering from IBD," said Jen Rainin, president of the foundation.

In addition to the development of IBD medications and therapies, patients with this illness can benefit from foods, such as olive oil, that can improve digestive health, according to a study presented at the Digestive Disease Week.

During a recent study, researchers divided 40 participants aged 10 to 14 years into two groups. One group sat in a chair while viewing images of a neighborhood and school grounds, while the others completed a one-mile walk while viewing similar images.

Students were then asked to take a Stroop test, which has participants identify colors in several colored boxes.

While completing this task, the walkers’ heart rate increased by 3 beats per minute, while the sitting group experienced an increase of 11 beats. Researchers also discovered that the sitters had a blood pressure that was three times higher than those who did the one-mile walk.

James Roemmich, lead author of the trial, stated that "the cardiovascular disease process begins in childhood, so if we can find some way of stopping or slowing that process, that would provide an important health benefit." He added that these findings show that "physical activity has a protective effect on the development of cardiovascular disease, and one way it may be doing so is by reducing stress reactivity."

In 2008, approximately 26.6 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with heart disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Researchers have previously found that a larger waist is linked to an increased risk of suffering from diabetes, heart complications and unhealthy cholesterol levels. A theory suggests the connection between larger waist circumference and these health problems is because the excess weight surrounds the organs damaged by these diseases.

In an effort to prove this argument, researchers surveyed more than 104,000 individuals aged 50 years and older about their lifestyles, medical history, waistline measurements and weight.

Following calculating the body mass index (BMI) of each participant, the results of the study showed that those with a larger waist circumference were twice as likely to develop any death-related health problems.

The authors concluded that "future detailed analyses of the relationship between waist circumference and measures of insulin resistance within categories of BMI could identify biological reasons for potential differences in the strength of the association between waist circumference and mortality."

People who are looking for a natural alternative that can lead to a smaller waist can benefit from practicing yoga and specific positions designed to tone one’s waistline, according to Yoga.com.