Q: I have recently heard concerns about boys eating soy. As the mom of one vegetarian boy and with another boy on the way, I’m worried about their development and long-term health. What’s the truth surrounding these warnings? – Michelle, Phoenix
A: Soy contains plant estrogens, so there are concerns about the health effects on babies of both sexes who are given soy infant formulas. Part of the issue is that there’s not enough good data, which always leaves the door open for doubt and rumor.
On the positive side: The longest-running study of children raised on soy formula is only in its sixth year, but so far the children — male and female — are healthy and growing normally. The not-as-positive side: Six years is a short time, and animal studies have raised some cause for caution. Infant formulas contain very high amounts of genistein, soy’s main estrogen; higher, in fact, than estrogen levels in the average menstruating woman. In studies using piglets (their metabolisms and physiology are similar to ours and not just during hot dog eating contests), genistein stopped newborn intestinal cells from growing as they should.
Other studies involving rats and soy formula have detected changes in the way the body metabolizes drugs, which might make them less effective. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics has backed away from giving soy its whole-hearted blessing, recommending as we do the healthiest and most digestible infant food — breast milk, which comes in that handy-dandy, eco-friendly package. Soy may be safe, but the final word isn’t in yet. For now, figure that soy formula comes with an unspoken “drink at your own risk” warning.
Q: I take a garlic supplement and two baby aspirin every day. Are they doing the same thing — thinning my blood?— Marsha, Bay City, Mich.
A. Yes and no. Both garlic and aspirin have anti-platelet activity, meaning they prevent your blood from forming clots that can clog your arteries and cause a heart attack or travel to your brain and trigger a stroke.
So if you’re taking both garlic and aspirin for their blood-thinning abilities, you could safely skip the stinking rose supplement. Drying garlic to squeeze it into a capsule can process the health benefits right out of it. (One study found that even cooked garlic lost its anti-platelet activity, though it could be brought back to life with a little fresh garlic juice.)
Do, however, stick with aspirin (if your doc agrees it’s right for you). The research is clear: Not only can daily aspirin therapy help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke; it will significantly increase your survival odds if you do have a heart attack. And aspirin does have great additional anti-cancer benefits. Here’s how they’re not doing the same thing: Garlic doesn’t have such benefits to our knowledge. But aspirin can decrease — by about 40 percent — your risk of cancer of the colon, rectum, bladder, esophagus, breast and prostate.
Q: For the past few years, I’ve had episodes of vertigo. I lose my balance and get nauseous, usually when I get up in the morning. My MRI and bloodwork are all fine, but it keeps happening. What can I do? – Anonymous
A: Spend some time getting to the bottom of this, especially since it can be debilitating (and lead you to fall because your balance is off). A blood test and an MRI aren’t going to tell your doctor everything he or she needs to know to find out what’s giving you the whirlies.
Vertigo can have dozens of causes. Often it’s related to inflammation of the inner ear, which controls balance, or a problem with the vestibular nerve, which links your ear to your brain stem. Other potential diagnoses (warning: Some are scary): brain problems (including tumors), nerve compression from a benign tumor, head injuries, blood vessel diseases, migraine headaches, some drugs (certain antibiotics, including gentamicin) and Meniere’s disease.
Did we mention an otolaryngologist? If it lasts more than a few weeks, make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat specialist who subspecializes in vertigo, and go for the full workup. Because this can be so debilitating, if you don’t get a solution with one, go for a second opinion. Please, just for us.
The YOU Docs, Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz, are authors of “YOU: Being Beautiful — The Owner’s Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty.” To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, visit realage.com, the docs’ online home.
