Tofu may help your heart

Compounds found in tofu, soybeans, and other legumes may help prevent heart attacks.

Plant-based proteins have seen a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, in part because outbreaks in meat-processing facilities have made some products harder to come by.

If you're one of the people incor­porating more plant-based options into your diet, consider benefiting your heart by choosing dishes that contain tofu or other foods rich in the compounds called isoflavones (which are found in soybeans and other legumes). A study published in March 2020 in the journal Circulation found that people who ate at least one weekly serving of tofu or another food containing isoflavones had an 18% lower risk of developing heart disease compared with those who ate these foods less than once a month. These foods appeared particularly beneficial for premenopausal women and women who had gone through menopause but weren't using hormone therapy.