Soy has been touted to have benefits in cancer prevention and heart disease. However, new research published online in the journal Menopause reveals that eating extra soy for one year does not reduce cholesterol in postmenopausal women.

Researchers from Florida State University and their colleagues conducted a study to investigate the long-term effects of soy protein in women after menopause. Sixty-two overweight, postmenopausal women under the age of 65 with moderately high total cholesterol levels completed the study, in which approximately half of the participants were randomly assigned to eat soy products, including snack bars, drink mixes, and cereals. After one year, the women who ate soy products had slightly higher levels of total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), commonly called ‘good’ cholesterol. However, soy appeared to have no effect on low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or ‘bad’ cholesterol) or triglyceride levels.

Since 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has permitted soy product labeling to include a claim that, along with 25 grams of soy protein per day, diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. In 2000, the American Heart Association (AHA) stated that the benefit of soy protein on heart health was minimal at best. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that incorporating soy protein into the diet does not result in lipid-lowering or reduce the risk of heart disease.

Source:

Menopause 2010.