The Latest Word on Soy (Daily Dish)

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The Latest Word on Soy (Daily Dish)
Mon, 02-25-2008 - 8:10am
The Latest Word on Soy

For years, soy protein was touted as a natural, effective way to lower cholesterol and, thus, reduce the risk of heart disease. In fact, evidence seemed so credible that in 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed manufacturers to claim on their labels that soy products can lower the risk of heart disease. In 2000, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommended that soy be included in a heart-healthy diet. And all the while, manufacturers were developing tasty soy products — ranging in variety from imitation pepperoni to soy-flour-based cereals — to tempt even carnivores to consider soy. Still, a lot of controversy surrounds the health claims of soy advocates. And if you're already following the heart-healthy South Beach Diet®, should you aim to include soy protein in your diet? The answer depends on a few facts.

In 2006, an AHA committee reviewed evidence from 22 randomized, clinical trials to evaluate the cholesterol-lowering benefit of both soy protein and isoflavones, a natural compound in soy with estrogen-like properties that many experts believed to be responsible for soy's heart-healthy effects. The results, published in Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association, February 14, 2006, suggest that soy protein lowers LDL by only 3 percent. Moreover, soy protein's effect on HDL (the "good") cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein A (a particle in the blood linked to a higher risk of heart disease), and blood pressure was insignificant. The researchers found that soy isoflavones also had an inconsequential effect on the above measures.

Still we're fans of soy foods — and so is the AHA. Soy foods are high in protein and low in saturated fat. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats — one of the nutritional improvements outlined in the South Beach Diet® — is a smart strategy when it comes to heart health, so it still makes sense to include soy foods in your meal plan. To incorporate soy in your menu, try stir-frying firm tofu in place of beef, occasionally replace lean burgers with soy versions, and sip on nonfat or low-fat plain or artificially flavored soy milk in lieu of milk. Read labels carefully to ensure the products you choose don't include added sugars. Also, look for products that contain 6 grams of fat or less per 2- to 3-ounce serving.

While soy foods are a sensible choice, the AHA cautions against the use of isoflavone supplements due to potentially harmful effects in relation to breast, endometrial, and prostate cancer.

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