Soy consumption may help fight lung cancer, according to a new study. Researchers in the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study looked at 76,661 participants’ lifestyle factors and lung cancer risk and found that those who consumed the most soy had the lowest risk of lung cancer. Among men who never smoked, researchers saw a significantly lower risk of lung cancer in those who consumed the most soy, compared with those who consumed the least. Researchers saw similar results in nonsmoking women, but they could not rule out statistical chance as the reason for these results. People who consumed the most soy may have also participated in other activities that could lower risk such as eating more fruits and vegetables. Soy foods in this study included miso soup, soymilk, a variety of tofu dishes, and fermented soybeans.

Schimazu T, Inoue M, Sasazuki S, et al. Isoflavone intake and risk of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study in Japan. Am J Clin Nutr. Published ahead of print January 13, 2010. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.28161.

Obesity rates are still extremely high but have leveled for most, according to a new report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The prevalence of obesity among adults in 2008 was 32.2 percent for men and 35.5 percent for women, up from 27.5 percent for men and 33.4 percent for women in 1999. About 35 percent of 6- to 19-year-olds were obese or overweight, up from around 30 percent in 1999. The trend toward obesity continues to rise significantly for the heaviest boys.

Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Ogden CL, Curtin LR. Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999-2008. JAMA. 2010;303:235-241.

Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Lamb MM, Flegal KM. Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008. JAMA. 2010;303:242-249.

A low-fat vegetarian diet may help prevent heart attacks, according to a new study in this month’s American Journal of Cardiology. Researchers found that individuals who followed a low-fat vegetarian diet, along with a moderate exercise plan and stress management, measurably improved the function of their endothelium—the inner lining of arteries that is key to preventing heart attacks. This 12-week study included 43 participants in Dr. Dean Ornish’s Multisite Cardiac Lifestyle Intervention Program. In the control group, the endothelial function worsened.

Dod HS, Bhardwaj R, Sajja V, et al. Effect of intensive lifestyle changes on endothelia function on inflammatory markers of atherosclerosis. Am J Cardiol. 2010;105:362-367.