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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Ankeny, Iowa — Now you’ve got another reason to indulge in soymilk, edamame, tofu and the other delicious soyfoods you love. Information recently published in The Journal of the American College of Nutrition confirms that soy protein lowers cholesterol.
Twelve years ago, based on the cholesterol-lowering effects of soy protein, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a health claim for soyfoods and coronary heart disease. James Anderson, MD of the University of Kentucky conducted the research that first brought these benefits to the attention of the medical and scientific communities in 1995. Now, Dr. Anderson has confirmed his initial findings about the effects of soy protein in a new analysis of the literature—43 studies—published after his 1995 analysis.
In 1995, Dr. Anderson and his colleagues published a statistical analysis of 34 clinical trials that showed that soy protein lowered cholesterol levels by nearly 13 percent. The effect was greater than what has been shown for any other single food and comparable to the results achieved from available cholesterol-lowering drugs. Despite these impressive results, subsequently published studies have yield less consistent findings. That inconsistency raised questions about the true magnitude of the cholesterol-lowering effects of soyfoods. Now, the new analysis confirms the important cholesterol-lowering effects of soy protein.
Dr. Anderson and his colleague, Heather Bush, PhD, found that among subjects consuming soy protein, LDL cholesterol was lowered by 5.5 percent compared to those subjects who consumed a non-soy control protein. Soy protein also raised good HDL cholesterol by about 3 percent and lowered triglycerides by approximately 11 percent. Drs. Anderson and Bush estimated that the collective effects of soy protein on cholesterol and triglycerides would lower heart disease risk by 12-20 percent.
Dr. Anderson explains what the newly published meta-analysis means to consumers. “Soyfoods, including tofu, tempeh, soymilk and veggie meats, can play an important role in heart-healthy diets.” Soyfoods also are low in saturated fat and high in healthy unsaturated fats.
For recipes featuring soyfoods and tips on easy ways to “soy-ize” your menu, visit The Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com.
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About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties. Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.
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