Link found between soy milk and...

Link found between soy milk and behavior

A UC Irvine-led study discovered that high levels of the mineral

manganese found in soy milk may be linked to behavioral problems.

This study came from some speculation that soy-based infant formula

could be the cause of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD).

Francis Crinella, professor of pediatrics, and others at UC Irvine

and UC Davis found that giving rats high levels of manganese during

infancy resulted in behavioral changes.

“Soy milk formula contains about 80 times the levels of manganese

found in breast milk, posing the risk that infants could receive too

much manganese in the first weeks of life,” Crinella said.

The study could not verify significant changes resulting from

lower doses of the mineral, whether the changes are permanent or if

exposure would necessarily result in ADHD among humans. Further

studies will try to answer these questions.