A study of 1,819 people with a first heart attack indicates that dietary intake of alpha-linolenic acid (found in vegetables) may be associated with a lower risk of heart attack. The study looked at levels of these vegetable fatty acids in fat tissue and and in the diet. Those whose level of these vegetable oils were in the highest 20% of the group had a 59% lower risk of heart attack than those in the lowest 20%.

Researchers in Australia studied women six months after their pregnancy and found that those who had the lowest levels of iodine were four times more likely to have developed hypothyroidism two years later. The researchers followed some of the women for 12 years, and found iodine levels were an excellent predictor of who did and didn’t end up with long term hypothyroidism. Most of those with low levels did, while most of those with normal levels didn’t. Thyroid deficiency from low iodine may sometimes be reversed by simply taking iodine!

Here is another study showing that even half a serving of soy based food, which is high in plant based estrogens, dropped sperm counts a dramatic 41% when the highest soy intake group was compared to the lowest soy intake. This was even a larger problem in overweight men (who already make more estrogen).

In a cross-sectional study involving 4,970 participants aged 25-93 years who participated in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Family Heart Study, results indicate an inverse association between chocolate consumption and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). After adjusting for potential confounders, chocolate intake 5+ times/week was associated with a 57% reduced risk of CHD, compared with no chocolate intake. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, "These data suggest that consumption of chocolate is inversely related with prevalent CHD in a general United States population."