Post-menopausal women who include soy in their diets may be less likely to suffer from bone health problems, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. For three years, a team of investigators from the University of California, Davis asked women who had already experienced menopause to take supplements containing isoflavones, estrogen-like compounds found in soy. Two groups of the participants were given capsules containing different amounts of the nutrients and were compared to a control group.

While many patients may take nutritional supplements such as vitamin C to fight off infections, humans have a protein known as amyloid-beta that is the body’s first line of defense. However, a new study suggests that the protein is also prevalent in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. According to findings published in the journal PLoS ONE, physicians previously thought little of the protein that was a product of other processes in the brain.

People who are considered obese may be at a higher risk of developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to a report published in the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

Drinking cranberry juice may help protect the body against staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections, according to a study presented at this year’s American Chemical Society national meeting. This is because compounds found in the fruit juice prevent the development of the strain that allows the infection to grow and spread.

Eating soy may improve weight loss in women who have already gone through menopause, according to findings presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior. 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.

Adding cashew seed extract to one’s diet may help lower diabetes risk, according to findings published in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. This is because compounds in cashew seeds have been found to improve the body’s response to insulin. 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.

Male patients who have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease later in life, according to findings published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. 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.

Maintaining a proper diet and monitoring insulin intake can not only improve longevity, but it may also improve cognitive function, according to a study published in Public Library of Science Biology. 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.

Colonoscopy preparation medications may be equally effective when taken either the night before or the day of the procedures, according to findings published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. 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.

People who have a smaller waistline may be better protected against all causes associated with death, according to a study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Men who had minimally invasive surgery for prostate cancer may have a higher rate of survival, according to findings published in the journal Cancer.

Individuals who are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in their 20s may be less likely to experience remission stages as they age, according to findings published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. In fact, patients who have developed the disorder by age 50 years and older will see better results from treatments that alleviate symptoms.

Incorporating a low-calorie diet and daily exercise into one’s lifestyle may slow the mental physical aging processes, according to findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

People who suffer from anxiety disorders may have an increased risk of being diagnosed with heart disease, according to a report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. In an effort to determine the effects of the mental illnesses on heart health, two groups of researchers observed two groups of people who had been diagnosed with at least one form of anxiety disorder.

A brain disorder associated with fibromyaglia may cause intense pain episodes, according to a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Michigan.