The solution to the mystery behind the headlines.
Does Tofu Cause Dementia?
4.8/5 - (25 votes)
What about this, though? Reports last summer linking tofu to dementia. And here’s the study, plain as day: Tofu intake associated with worse memory.
So what do you think? Is that fact, or fiction? It’s not only fiction, but the opposite is probably true. Most studies have shown soy improves cognition.
But what about this? The study did find tofu to be harmful, but tempeh to be protective. So, it can’t be the soy itself, since tempeh is actually a more concentrated source of soy than tofu.
Combined with the fact that data around the rest of the world suggests soy protects memory, this raised the question: what do they put in their tofu in Indonesia?
If the journalists had bothered to actually read the study, they would have seen that according to Indonesian departments of health, formaldehyde is often added to tofu (but not tempeh) to preserve its freshness. Formaldehyde, the neurotoxic carcinogen formaldehyde. This is actually what it looks like. Mystery solved.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
What about this, though? Reports last summer linking tofu to dementia. And here’s the study, plain as day: Tofu intake associated with worse memory.
So what do you think? Is that fact, or fiction? It’s not only fiction, but the opposite is probably true. Most studies have shown soy improves cognition.
But what about this? The study did find tofu to be harmful, but tempeh to be protective. So, it can’t be the soy itself, since tempeh is actually a more concentrated source of soy than tofu.
Combined with the fact that data around the rest of the world suggests soy protects memory, this raised the question: what do they put in their tofu in Indonesia?
If the journalists had bothered to actually read the study, they would have seen that according to Indonesian departments of health, formaldehyde is often added to tofu (but not tempeh) to preserve its freshness. Formaldehyde, the neurotoxic carcinogen formaldehyde. This is actually what it looks like. Mystery solved.
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
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Title
Does Tofu Cause Dementia?
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Content URLDoctor's Note
Check out these videos for more on formaldehyde in common products: Diet Soda and Preterm Birth and Throw Household Products Off the Scent.
I have a lot of videos now on dementia and soy. Click through to see them all.
For further context, also see my associated blog posts: Alzheimer’s Disease: Up to half of cases potentially preventable, and Natural Alzheimer’s Treatment.
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