(HealthDay News) -- On July 27 and 28, almost 2,500 people will gather online in the world of Second Life and run a virtual relay race to raise money for cancer research.
The third annual virtual "Relay for Life" marks the grand opening of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) virtual headquarters in the Second Life community, which is a co-sponsor of the relay.
Second Life is a project of Linden Laboratories. Millions of people around the globe participate in the online community, which mimics many real-world institutions and relationships such as businesses and recreational activities. The third annual virtual "Relay for Life" will mark the opening of the ACS's virtual headquarters in Second Life.
Volunteer organizers in the online virtual world of Second Life raised almost $90,000 this year, exceeding their goal of $75,000, the ACS said.
This year's event, supported by the ACS's Futuring and Innovation Center, is expected to attract almost 2,500 participants from around the world.
The virtual "Relay for Life" began when volunteers in the Second Life community proposed a virtual event. In 2006, the event raised more than $41,000 and attracted more than 1,100 participants to a track that included real-world representations of New York City, Paris, Mexico, Sweden and South Africa. People can participate in the event by way of avatars, which are virtual representations of people in the real world. The avatars will gather in a virtual 512-acre park to donate money and walk on a custom-built track.
"The Second Life community continues to show unwavering support, dedication and inexhaustible creativity as we draw close to another record breaking event," Randal Moss, ACS's manager of futuring and innovation-based strategies, said in a prepared statement.
Action adventure movies are the inspiration for the games, scenes and activities for participants in this year's relay, as part of the event's theme, "Quest for a Cure."
The new virtual building, which opened June 1, is designed to provide the same cancer information and services to people in the virtual world as the organization provides in the real world. The building includes presentation and meeting rooms for cancer education sessions and fund-raising meetings, and will soon feature a staffed link to the group's National Cancer Information Center. The headquarters also features green space and gardens to showcase user-created art that expresses the personal fight against cancer.
"Already, we have existing peer-to-peer Second Life cancer support groups coming to us to use the facility and our resources. We are certain that, going forward, the community will find untold uses for our office space in terms of education, advocacy, fund raising and community support," said Moss.
"Relay for Life" is an overnight event designed to celebrate survivorship and raise money to support the cancer society's fight against the disease. Teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds or parks and take turns walking or running laps while trying to keep at least one team member on the track at all times. "Relay for Life" events, which are held in more than 4,800 communities in the United States and in 19 countries, have raised more than $2 billion to help the ACS accelerate the fight against cancer.
More information
To learn more about the "Relay for Life," go to the American Cancer Society.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Lactose Intolerance Doesn't Mean Goodbye to Dairy
(HealthDay News) -- If your child is lactose-intolerant, you probably shy away from giving him or her milk or other dairy products. But that may not be the best tactic to take, experts say.
In fact, the American Academy of Pediatricians -- America's largest organization of pediatricians -- is urging the moms and the dads of lactose-intolerant kids to at least give dairy a chance.
The AAP issued new guidelines several months ago that advise parents to not give up on giving their lactose-intolerant children dairy products. The reason: The calcium in these foods is important for bone mineral health, and dairy products also contain other nutrients important for growth in children and teens.
Lactose intolerance is often mild enough so that kids can tolerate at least some milk and milk products, experts added.
"Lactose intolerance is relatively common," noted Dr. Melvin Heyman, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the committee that wrote the AAP guidelines.
While he was not familiar with any study citing the exact prevalence, he estimated that 20 percent or 30 percent of U.S. children have "some degree of lactose intolerance."
However, "there is a lot of confusion," Heyman said. Parents often confuse milk protein intolerance and lactose intolerance, he said. "Some people do get allergic to the protein in milk," he added. That condition can be serious but probably affects only three to five percent of children in the U.S., he said.
An intolerance for lactose -- the sugar found in milk -- is much more common. Even with this sensitivity, Heyman said, the new thinking is that children may still tolerate some dairy.
To be sure calcium intake is sufficient, Heyman sometimes tells parents to focus more on yogurt and cheese than on milk, especially if milk gives their child the classic intolerance symptom of abdominal pain. "There is less lactose in yogurt and cheese compared to milk," he explained.
Or, your child may be able to drink a little milk without the reaction of stomach pain, he said.
Parents can also educate themselves about lactose intolerance, added Dr. Frank Greer, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and chairman of the Academy's Committee on Nutrition.
"If you child is going to have a lactose-intolerance problem, it's usually identified as a problem in the first five years," Greer said. Certain ethnic and racial groups are more likely to suffer from the condition, including blacks, Hispanics and some Asians, he added.
Even if there is a problem, Greer said, "the position now is that your child, even if lactose intolerant, can really tolerate small amounts of lactose, especially in dairy products other than milk, such as yogurt and cheese. Even with milk, you can sort of build up a tolerance."
Moderation may be key, Heyman said. Your child may be able to have one glass of milk, but probably not two or three in a day.
If you suspect your child has lactose intolerance, Heyman said, your pediatrician will probably suggest taking him or her off all dairy for two weeks. "If the symptoms go away, we can be pretty sure it's lactose intolerance," he said.
If it's still not clear, there is a simple in-office test your doctor can do, Heyman noted.
When choosing dairy products for your child, look at the label to be sure you are getting a healthy dose of calcium. "Ideal would be the same amount as in milk, 250 or 300 milligrams [per serving]," he said.
More information
There's more on lactose intolerance at the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
In fact, the American Academy of Pediatricians -- America's largest organization of pediatricians -- is urging the moms and the dads of lactose-intolerant kids to at least give dairy a chance.
The AAP issued new guidelines several months ago that advise parents to not give up on giving their lactose-intolerant children dairy products. The reason: The calcium in these foods is important for bone mineral health, and dairy products also contain other nutrients important for growth in children and teens.
Lactose intolerance is often mild enough so that kids can tolerate at least some milk and milk products, experts added.
"Lactose intolerance is relatively common," noted Dr. Melvin Heyman, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, and a member of the committee that wrote the AAP guidelines.
While he was not familiar with any study citing the exact prevalence, he estimated that 20 percent or 30 percent of U.S. children have "some degree of lactose intolerance."
However, "there is a lot of confusion," Heyman said. Parents often confuse milk protein intolerance and lactose intolerance, he said. "Some people do get allergic to the protein in milk," he added. That condition can be serious but probably affects only three to five percent of children in the U.S., he said.
An intolerance for lactose -- the sugar found in milk -- is much more common. Even with this sensitivity, Heyman said, the new thinking is that children may still tolerate some dairy.
To be sure calcium intake is sufficient, Heyman sometimes tells parents to focus more on yogurt and cheese than on milk, especially if milk gives their child the classic intolerance symptom of abdominal pain. "There is less lactose in yogurt and cheese compared to milk," he explained.
Or, your child may be able to drink a little milk without the reaction of stomach pain, he said.
Parents can also educate themselves about lactose intolerance, added Dr. Frank Greer, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and chairman of the Academy's Committee on Nutrition.
"If you child is going to have a lactose-intolerance problem, it's usually identified as a problem in the first five years," Greer said. Certain ethnic and racial groups are more likely to suffer from the condition, including blacks, Hispanics and some Asians, he added.
Even if there is a problem, Greer said, "the position now is that your child, even if lactose intolerant, can really tolerate small amounts of lactose, especially in dairy products other than milk, such as yogurt and cheese. Even with milk, you can sort of build up a tolerance."
Moderation may be key, Heyman said. Your child may be able to have one glass of milk, but probably not two or three in a day.
If you suspect your child has lactose intolerance, Heyman said, your pediatrician will probably suggest taking him or her off all dairy for two weeks. "If the symptoms go away, we can be pretty sure it's lactose intolerance," he said.
If it's still not clear, there is a simple in-office test your doctor can do, Heyman noted.
When choosing dairy products for your child, look at the label to be sure you are getting a healthy dose of calcium. "Ideal would be the same amount as in milk, 250 or 300 milligrams [per serving]," he said.
More information
There's more on lactose intolerance at the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Botulism Linked to Canned Hot Dog Chili Sauce
(HealthDay News) -- Federal health officials warned consumers late Wednesday night that some canned hot dog chili sauce may be contaminated with a potentially deadly botulism toxin.
The warning applies to 10-ounce cans of Castleberry's, Austex and Kroger brands of hot dog chili sauce with "best by" dates from April 30, 2009, through May 22, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a prepared statement.
It wasn't immediately clear how widely the products were distributed, the Associated Press reported.
The contamination by the toxin is extremely rare for a commercially canned product, according to Dr. Michael Lynch, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention medical epidemiologist. The last such U.S. case was back in the 1970s.
Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, urged consumers to discard any of the recalled chili sauce cans without opening them.
"The toxin is so potent, if they get it on their hands or it sprays in their face, it could make them ill," he said.
So far, four people have been hospitalized. The victims -- two young siblings in Texas and an adult couple in Indiana -- were seriously ill but expected to survive, the AP reported.
The products were made at a plant in Augusta, Ga., by the Castleberry's Food Co., which is owned by Bumble Bee Seafoods.
The company is voluntarily recalling all potentially contaminated products and is cooperating with state and federal officials, Brackett said.
Botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, according to the CDC. Symptoms of botulism include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness that moves down the body.
The recall covers the following universal product codes:
Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030000101)
Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030099533)
Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 1111083942)
Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 7526665830)
Cattle Drive Chili With Beans, 15-ounce can (UPC 3030001515)
Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 0788015360)
Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 4125095229)
Castleberry's Chili With Beans, 15-ounce can (UPC 3030001015)
Castleberry's Barbecue Pork, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030000402)
Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10-ounce can (UPC 7526604112)
Consumer questions can be addressed to the FDA by calling 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
The last case of reported botulism in the United States occurred in September 2006, when certain lots of Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice were linked to four cases of botulism.
The botulism cases were linked to poor refrigeration of the product once consumers brought it home. Carrot juice, even if pasteurized, should always be refrigerated until use, the FDA said.
In April, U.S. health officials warned that imported Italian olives made by Charlie Brown di Rutigliano and Figli S.r.l, of Bari, Italy, may contain botulism.
The olives were initially recalled by the manufacturer on March 27, after they had been distributed in the United States to both restaurants and retail stores.
More information
Castleberry's offers more information about the recall here. And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about botulism.
The warning applies to 10-ounce cans of Castleberry's, Austex and Kroger brands of hot dog chili sauce with "best by" dates from April 30, 2009, through May 22, 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a prepared statement.
It wasn't immediately clear how widely the products were distributed, the Associated Press reported.
The contamination by the toxin is extremely rare for a commercially canned product, according to Dr. Michael Lynch, a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention medical epidemiologist. The last such U.S. case was back in the 1970s.
Robert Brackett, director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, urged consumers to discard any of the recalled chili sauce cans without opening them.
"The toxin is so potent, if they get it on their hands or it sprays in their face, it could make them ill," he said.
So far, four people have been hospitalized. The victims -- two young siblings in Texas and an adult couple in Indiana -- were seriously ill but expected to survive, the AP reported.
The products were made at a plant in Augusta, Ga., by the Castleberry's Food Co., which is owned by Bumble Bee Seafoods.
The company is voluntarily recalling all potentially contaminated products and is cooperating with state and federal officials, Brackett said.
Botulism is a muscle-paralyzing disease caused by a toxin made by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, according to the CDC. Symptoms of botulism include double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness that moves down the body.
The recall covers the following universal product codes:
Castleberry's Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030000101)
Austex Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030099533)
Kroger Hot Dog Chili Sauce, 10-ounce can (UPC 1111083942)
Morton House Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 7526665830)
Cattle Drive Chili With Beans, 15-ounce can (UPC 3030001515)
Southern Home Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 0788015360)
Meijer Corned Beef Hash, 15-ounce can (UPC 4125095229)
Castleberry's Chili With Beans, 15-ounce can (UPC 3030001015)
Castleberry's Barbecue Pork, 10-ounce can (UPC 3030000402)
Bunker Hill Chili No Beans, 10-ounce can (UPC 7526604112)
Consumer questions can be addressed to the FDA by calling 1-888-SAFEFOOD.
The last case of reported botulism in the United States occurred in September 2006, when certain lots of Bolthouse Farms Carrot Juice were linked to four cases of botulism.
The botulism cases were linked to poor refrigeration of the product once consumers brought it home. Carrot juice, even if pasteurized, should always be refrigerated until use, the FDA said.
In April, U.S. health officials warned that imported Italian olives made by Charlie Brown di Rutigliano and Figli S.r.l, of Bari, Italy, may contain botulism.
The olives were initially recalled by the manufacturer on March 27, after they had been distributed in the United States to both restaurants and retail stores.
More information
Castleberry's offers more information about the recall here. And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about botulism.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Health Tip: Feeding a Child Athlete
(HealthDay News) -- It's especially important that young athletes get enough calories and nutrients to keep up their energy, and maintain a healthy body weight.
The Nemours Foundation recommends feeding your athletic child a diet rich in:
Vitamins and minerals -- in foods such as spinach, carrots, squash and peppers.
Proteins -- in foods such as fish, lean red meat and poultry, dairy products, nuts, soy products and peanut butter.
Carbohydrates -- in foods such as pasta, brown rice, whole-grain bread and cereal.
Meals should include healthy, natural foods, and exclude processed foods. The athletic youngster may need to eat more frequently, and will need to drink plenty of fluids to stay well-hydrated and avoid heat illness.
The Nemours Foundation recommends feeding your athletic child a diet rich in:
Vitamins and minerals -- in foods such as spinach, carrots, squash and peppers.
Proteins -- in foods such as fish, lean red meat and poultry, dairy products, nuts, soy products and peanut butter.
Carbohydrates -- in foods such as pasta, brown rice, whole-grain bread and cereal.
Meals should include healthy, natural foods, and exclude processed foods. The athletic youngster may need to eat more frequently, and will need to drink plenty of fluids to stay well-hydrated and avoid heat illness.
Friday, July 13, 2007
New LASIK Device Treats Differing Vision Problems
(HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first LASIK device designed to treat one eye to see far-away objects and the other eye to see things that are close up.
The CustomVue Monovision device is designed to correct all nearsightedness in the dominant eye and only part of the nearsightedness in the other eye, the agency said. This allows use of the fully corrected eye for distance, and the partially corrected eye for objects that are close.
People considering the surgery should wear specially designed contact lenses to monitor how they respond to having one eye's vision under-corrected, the FDA said.
LASIK vision correction involves cutting a flap in the outer layers of the cornea, removing a small amount of tissue beneath it with a laser, then replacing the flap. Side effects could include glare from bright lights, a halo around sources of light, sensitivity to light, ghost images, and double vision, the agency said.
As a condition of approval, the maker of the CustomVue product, California-based AMO/VISX Inc., will be required to follow up on 500 patients for six months after surgery to gauge vision performance and quality-of-life issues, the FDA said.
More information
The FDA has more about LASIK surgery.
The CustomVue Monovision device is designed to correct all nearsightedness in the dominant eye and only part of the nearsightedness in the other eye, the agency said. This allows use of the fully corrected eye for distance, and the partially corrected eye for objects that are close.
People considering the surgery should wear specially designed contact lenses to monitor how they respond to having one eye's vision under-corrected, the FDA said.
LASIK vision correction involves cutting a flap in the outer layers of the cornea, removing a small amount of tissue beneath it with a laser, then replacing the flap. Side effects could include glare from bright lights, a halo around sources of light, sensitivity to light, ghost images, and double vision, the agency said.
As a condition of approval, the maker of the CustomVue product, California-based AMO/VISX Inc., will be required to follow up on 500 patients for six months after surgery to gauge vision performance and quality-of-life issues, the FDA said.
More information
The FDA has more about LASIK surgery.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Breast Cancer More Aggressive in Black Women
(HealthDay News) -- Black women diagnosed with breast cancer have more advanced and more aggressive disease than do white women, a new study found.
"It has been known for a long time that black women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than do white women, [yet] the mortality rate is higher in African-American women," said study leader Dr. Gloria Morris, assistant professor of medicine at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia.
Exactly why that is so has been under debate in medical circles, Morris said. "There have been many hypotheses," she said, including genetic components, dietary factors, less access to health care and screening, and other possibilities.
Morris and her colleagues compiled pathology data from two databases: the large National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, with almost 200,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1990 and 2000, and the database from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, which included 2,230 women diagnosed between 1995 and 2002.
The researchers compared demographic, clinical and molecular breast cancer data in the two databases. They found that in both databases, black women had more advanced disease at diagnosis and a poorer prognosis.
"We found that in our registry, across the board, African-Americans presented with higher staged tumors, higher grade of tumors as well as more estrogen-receptor negative tumors," Morris said. Estrogen-receptor negative tumors are typically more aggressive than estrogen-receptor positive ones.
While 48 percent of black women were estrogen-receptor negative, 37 percent of white women were. Black women also tended to have higher rates of expression of the so-called "poor prognostic" genes, ki-67 and p53. While 42 percent of black women had the poor prognostic genes, just 29 percent of white women did.
"It shows us there are indeed multifactorial differences which include biologic differences, which we want to highlight from this study," Morris said.
Morris said she hopes the study will result in "heightened awareness in African-American women and those at higher risk that early intervention is really the key to improving survival."
The findings are published in the Aug. 15 issue of the journal Cancer.
Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said the study results add valuable information to the debates over the reasons for the differences in breast cancer rates among racial and ethnic groups.
"Some experts are adamant, it's all socioeconomic; others that there are biologic differences," Lichtenfeld said.
The new study, he added, "really does demonstrate there are some disturbing biological differences."
"Stage for stage, the situation is more serious for African-American women and [this study] lends credence to the fact that we need to be aware there may be some underlying biologic differences to explain the poorer outcome," he said. "However, we must still absolutely emphasize the fact that many African-American women do not have equal access to health care and treatment. And we cannot use this data as an excuse to ignore that fact."
More information
To learn more about breast cancer, visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
"It has been known for a long time that black women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than do white women, [yet] the mortality rate is higher in African-American women," said study leader Dr. Gloria Morris, assistant professor of medicine at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, in Philadelphia.
Exactly why that is so has been under debate in medical circles, Morris said. "There have been many hypotheses," she said, including genetic components, dietary factors, less access to health care and screening, and other possibilities.
Morris and her colleagues compiled pathology data from two databases: the large National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, with almost 200,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 1990 and 2000, and the database from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, which included 2,230 women diagnosed between 1995 and 2002.
The researchers compared demographic, clinical and molecular breast cancer data in the two databases. They found that in both databases, black women had more advanced disease at diagnosis and a poorer prognosis.
"We found that in our registry, across the board, African-Americans presented with higher staged tumors, higher grade of tumors as well as more estrogen-receptor negative tumors," Morris said. Estrogen-receptor negative tumors are typically more aggressive than estrogen-receptor positive ones.
While 48 percent of black women were estrogen-receptor negative, 37 percent of white women were. Black women also tended to have higher rates of expression of the so-called "poor prognostic" genes, ki-67 and p53. While 42 percent of black women had the poor prognostic genes, just 29 percent of white women did.
"It shows us there are indeed multifactorial differences which include biologic differences, which we want to highlight from this study," Morris said.
Morris said she hopes the study will result in "heightened awareness in African-American women and those at higher risk that early intervention is really the key to improving survival."
The findings are published in the Aug. 15 issue of the journal Cancer.
Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, said the study results add valuable information to the debates over the reasons for the differences in breast cancer rates among racial and ethnic groups.
"Some experts are adamant, it's all socioeconomic; others that there are biologic differences," Lichtenfeld said.
The new study, he added, "really does demonstrate there are some disturbing biological differences."
"Stage for stage, the situation is more serious for African-American women and [this study] lends credence to the fact that we need to be aware there may be some underlying biologic differences to explain the poorer outcome," he said. "However, we must still absolutely emphasize the fact that many African-American women do not have equal access to health care and treatment. And we cannot use this data as an excuse to ignore that fact."
More information
To learn more about breast cancer, visit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Soy Nuts Lower Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women
(HealthDay News) -- Soy nuts may help lower blood pressure in postmenopausal women, a new U.S. study finds.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston studied 60 healthy women -- 12 with high blood pressure (140/90 milligrams of mercury or higher) and 48 with normal blood pressure. All the women ate two kinds of diets for eight weeks each.
One was the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which consisted of 30 percent of calories from fat (with 7 percent or less from saturated fat), 15 percent from protein, and 55 percent from carbohydrates, 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day, two meals of fatty fish (such as salmon or tuna) per week, and less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day.
The other diet had the same calorie, fat and protein content, but the women replaced 25 grams of protein intake with one-half cup of unsalted soy nuts.
"Soy nut supplementation significantly reduced systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure in all 12 hypertensive women and in 40 of the 48 normotensive women," the study authors wrote.
"Compared with the TLC diet alone, the TLC diet plus soy nuts lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure 9.9 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively, in hypertensive women, and 5.2 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, in normotensive women."
In women with high blood pressure, the soy nuts also decreased levels of low-density lipoprotein ("bad") cholesterol by an average of 11 percent and levels of apoliprotein B (a particle that carries bad cholesterol) by an average of 8 percent.
The study was published in the May 28 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about high blood pressure and how to lower it.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston studied 60 healthy women -- 12 with high blood pressure (140/90 milligrams of mercury or higher) and 48 with normal blood pressure. All the women ate two kinds of diets for eight weeks each.
One was the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet, which consisted of 30 percent of calories from fat (with 7 percent or less from saturated fat), 15 percent from protein, and 55 percent from carbohydrates, 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day, two meals of fatty fish (such as salmon or tuna) per week, and less than 200 milligrams of cholesterol a day.
The other diet had the same calorie, fat and protein content, but the women replaced 25 grams of protein intake with one-half cup of unsalted soy nuts.
"Soy nut supplementation significantly reduced systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure in all 12 hypertensive women and in 40 of the 48 normotensive women," the study authors wrote.
"Compared with the TLC diet alone, the TLC diet plus soy nuts lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure 9.9 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively, in hypertensive women, and 5.2 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, in normotensive women."
In women with high blood pressure, the soy nuts also decreased levels of low-density lipoprotein ("bad") cholesterol by an average of 11 percent and levels of apoliprotein B (a particle that carries bad cholesterol) by an average of 8 percent.
The study was published in the May 28 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
More information
The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about high blood pressure and how to lower it.
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