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.

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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.

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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.

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Lowering the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks may improve blood pressure, according to findings published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. In addition to blood pressure, research has found that a high intake of sugary drinks can also lead to obesity, metabolic syndromes and type 2 diabetes.

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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.

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Eating at least five servings of white rice per week can lead to an increased risk of being diagnosed with diabetes, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. However, people who eat just two servings of brown rice can lower their risk of developing the disease by as much as 16 percent.

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Higher levels of protein intake may lower the risk of hip fractures in seniors, according to a study published in Osteoporosis International. A team of researchers from the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston enrolled 946 elderly participants in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, which examined the effects of consuming higher amounts of protein.

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Middle-aged people who have excess abdominal fat may have a higher risk of developing dementia, according to findings published in the American Neurological Association’s online journal, Annals of Neurology.More than 730 participants, 70 percent of whom were female patients, were enrolled into the study. The average age of participants was 60 years old. A team of researchers measured the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist to hip ratio and measurements of abdominal fat of each patient.

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Female patients with diabetes may have a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, and discussing annual screenings with primary care doctors can help prevent the development of the disease. According to findings presented at the 2010 meeting of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA), researchers discovered that women aged 55 to 69 with type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from colorectal cancer.

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A treatment procedure used for heart rhythm complications may lower your risk of dementia disorders and death, according to a study presented at the 31st Annual Scientific Sessions of the National Heart Rhythm Society. A team of researchers from the Heart Institute at the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah, conducted two studies in which patients who suffered from atrial fibrillation (A-fib) were treated with catheter ablation.

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For women going through menopause, the risk of osteoporosis can be much greater than with younger women, as the condition can sometimes cause bones to become weaker and more susceptible to breaks and fractures. Although nutritional supplements such as vitamin D and calcium may help keep bones strong, postmenopausal women should be acutely aware of their elevated risk of bone damage.

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Individuals who experience a stroke may want to begin taking the nutritional supplement, vitamin B3, as a new study suggests that it could be an effective treatment to improve neurological function. According to researchers from the Henry Ford Hospital, when rats that experienced an ischemic stroke were given vitamin B3, their brains began to grow new blood vessels and sprouted nerve cells, which greatly improved their neurological performance.

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Elderly individuals may want to take nutritional supplements such as potassium to lower their blood pressure, as feelings of loneliness may increase their levels. According to researchers from the University of Chicago, feeling lonely increases the blood pressure rate of individuals who are 50 years old and up.

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New research has found that conditions like premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and depression may have an effect on how females handle pain and stress. According to a study published in Biological Psychology, women with PMDD and a history of severe depression were more likely to have lower cortisol and a greater sensitivity to pain compared to women who did not have PMDD.

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While many individuals know the importance of consuming the nutritional supplement vitamin D, some may not realize that having a deficiency of the nutrient may increase their risk for rheumatoid arthritis. According to researchers from Boston University School of Public Health, there is a definitive link between vitamin D and the risk for rheumatoid arthritis.

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