Soy's cholesterol-lowering role confirmed
Recent studies have confirmed what we already knew - that soy plays a role in lowering cholesterol. - C.R. Sirtori (Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Italy): The review of the literature presented demonstrated that the lowering of blood cholesterol level is due to the soy proteins themselves and not to the presence of phytoestrogens.
- J.W. Anderson (University of Kentucky, United States): Professor Anderson's meta-analysis completes the conclusions of the study mentioned above, specifying that consumption of 18 to 25g of soy protein has a cholesterol-lowering effect, which is greater still when consumed throughout the course of the day.
- Remember that it was in 1995 that J.W. Anderson published his first meta-analysis on the basis of which the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) authorised health claims as to the cholesterol-lowering effect of consuming 25g of protein a day.
Soy and the menopause, research in progress
The question of the benefits of soy in improving various symptoms of the menopause, notably bone mineral density loss, continues to be a major area of research: - J. Williams (USA): This study, which monitored 102 menopausal women, shows that bone mineral loss was lower in women who consumed soy protein with added isoflavones compared with women who consumed casein.
- E. Lydeking-Olsen (Denmark): A two-year study monitoring two groups of menopausal women who consumed tonyu (soy-bean milk), with or without added isoflavones, indicated that bone mineral loss was significantly lower thanks to the consumption of isoflavones.
Recent news around Chicago Congress, soy has no impact on endocrine development in children
In the framework of the Chicago Congress, a pre-symposium was held where several scientists presented the results of their research on the potential health effects of consumption of soy protein-based formula for nursing infants. - The most striking result concerns Richard Sharpe's study on animals (marmoset monkeys). The results of his earlier research, published in 2002, were used in drawing up the AFSSA (French Food Safety Agency) recommendations on the consumption of isoflavones. The latest results of this study, obtained with the now adult monkeys, do not indicate an impact of soy consumption on endocrine development in Marmoset monkeys.
- In addition, data has recently been gathered on the consumption of soy and isoflavones. Shisato Nagata presented the results of a national survey on nutrition carried out in Japan that shows that 66% of 6-month old babies consume tofu more than twice a week, i.e. 8.4 mg of isoflavones per day.
- In the United States, 25% of babies aged 0 to 6 months consume soy protein-based formula. Over 20 million people have consumed this kind of formula since 1960, over 9 million of whom are now aged 30 or over. In 2001, Strom studied over 250 adults who had consumed soy-based formula as babies. The 30 parameters studied do not show any fertility problems.
Chicago Congress, promising perspectives for future research
Scientific research into the nutritional benefits of soyfoods continues to develop and new areas are attracting increasing attention among the international community. In particular, the most promising studies focus on the benefits of soyfoods in weight control, in maintaining cognitive functions during the ageing process (particularly insofar as concerns memory in post-menopausal women) and, more speculatively, in preventing certain cancers (prostate and breast cancer). However, we shall have to wait for the results of further research...
The 7th Symposium on Soy is scheduled for March 2007. See you there! |
