Cardioprotective Effects of Soy

More Information Soy & Your Health For Consumers Soy & Bone Health Soy & Cardiovascular Health Soy & Children's Health Soy & Teenage Health Soy & Performance Nutrition Soy & Women's Health Soy - Simply Good Food For All Ages For Healthcare Providers FDA Approves Soy Health Claim Clinical Studies Soy & Prostate Health Soy & Cholesterol Weight Loss & Soy Women Cardioprotective Effects of Soy In the past 30 years there have been over 50 clinical trials on the effects of soy protein on serum lipid profile in human subjects: • 90% of the studies showed a decrease in serum total cholesterol. • 97% of the studies showed a decrease in serum LDL cholesterol. Anderson et al (1995) reported on a meta-analysis of the effect of dietary soy protein on serum lipid concentration in a total of 731 subjects evaluated over 38 studies. Soy protein supplementation led to: • 12.9% reduction in serum LDL cholesterol • 10.9% reduction in serum triglyceride level • 9.3% decrease in serum total cholesterol • 2.4% increase in serum HDL cholesterol *statistically significant The beneficial effects of soy on total and LDL cholesterol are more robust among those with the highest plasma concentrations at baseline. (P<0.001) • Volunteers with normal initial levels had LDL-cholesterol decreases of 7.7%. • Volunteers with severe hyper-cholesterolemia had LDL-cholesterol decreases of 24%. There is a dose response relationship with a progressively lower total and LDL cholesterol concentration with increasing isoflavones dose. (N=156)10 Epidemiological evidence in favor of protein from chronic diseases by phytoestrogens is based on food rather than on concentrated phytoestrogens extract as in a pill. Therefore it is reasonable to recommend soy food as part of a healthier diet. Two recent studies indicate that isoflavones are inactivated when they are isolated from the soy protein and purified to be used in a pill form.