Chalk Another One Up for Soy
Chalk Another One Up for Soy
April 12, 2000 (New York) -- People with high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol can reduce their risk of heart disease by adding more soy to their diet, according to a study in the April issue of the journal Metabolism.
Over the past few years, evidence has been accumulating that soy has a variety of health benefits. Most notably, researchers have discovered that Asians, who eat large amounts of soy daily, have lower rates of heart disease and some cancers than people in Western nations, who eat a more meat-based diet. Components in soy, known as isoflavones, are believed to be responsible for the benefits by acting in the same way that some vitamins do. However, some studies have also shown that soy may actually increase the risk of some cancers, including breast cancer.
David J.A. Jenkins, MD, the author of the new study, tells WebMD the findings should ease many of the concerns and mysteries surrounding soy. The study found that soy in the diet affected levels of total cholesterol as well as levels of a type of "bad" LDL cholesterol known as circulating oxidized LDL. Although oxidized LDL in the blood is not a standard measure of cholesterol, many researchers believe that the more oxidized LDL you have, the higher your risk for having clogged arteries. Jenkins is a professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Toronto and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.
The study involved 19 men and 12 postmenopausal women who were, on average, in their mid-50s and had high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol. They were randomly assigned to one of two diets for two weeks and then switched to the other diet for two weeks. One diet was for comparison and consisted of low-fat milk products such as yogurt, skim-milk cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, and egg substitutes. In the other diet, the test diet, soy was substituted as much as possible in the form of prepared frozen meals, meat substitutes, and vegetarian deli-style "meat" available from grocery stores or health food stores.
Chalk Another One Up for Soy
April 12, 2000 (New York) -- People with high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol can reduce their risk of heart disease by adding more soy to their diet, according to a study in the April issue of the journal Metabolism.
Over the past few years, evidence has been accumulating that soy has a variety of health benefits. Most notably, researchers have discovered that Asians, who eat large amounts of soy daily, have lower rates of heart disease and some cancers than people in Western nations, who eat a more meat-based diet. Components in soy, known as isoflavones, are believed to be responsible for the benefits by acting in the same way that some vitamins do. However, some studies have also shown that soy may actually increase the risk of some cancers, including breast cancer.
David J.A. Jenkins, MD, the author of the new study, tells WebMD the findings should ease many of the concerns and mysteries surrounding soy. The study found that soy in the diet affected levels of total cholesterol as well as levels of a type of "bad" LDL cholesterol known as circulating oxidized LDL. Although oxidized LDL in the blood is not a standard measure of cholesterol, many researchers believe that the more oxidized LDL you have, the higher your risk for having clogged arteries. Jenkins is a professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Toronto and the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.
The study involved 19 men and 12 postmenopausal women who were, on average, in their mid-50s and had high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol. They were randomly assigned to one of two diets for two weeks and then switched to the other diet for two weeks. One diet was for comparison and consisted of low-fat milk products such as yogurt, skim-milk cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, and egg substitutes. In the other diet, the test diet, soy was substituted as much as possible in the form of prepared frozen meals, meat substitutes, and vegetarian deli-style "meat" available from grocery stores or health food stores.
