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Soy & Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death for both men and women in western countries. In the U.S., about one in every 5 people will die of heart disease and one in every 14 will die from stroke.
Since the relationship between nutrition and heart disease risk is well established, there seems to be great potential to reduce the burden from this disease by nutritional education and dietary changes.
Increasing the consumption of soy protein is one dietary change that could have an important impact on improving cardiovascular health and has been included in the recommendations in the recent report of the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association.
There is also evidence that soy protein and some of its components might decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by:
- Lowering blood pressure
- Improving Vascular function - normal dilation and constriction of the arteries
- Decreasing the risk of blood clots
- Decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol)
- Reducing in size and number of atherosclerotic plaques
- Direct beneficial effects on the cells of the artery wall
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On October 26, 1999, based on these cardiovascular protective effects of soy, the FDA authorized the use of the following health claim:
"25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease." |
Soy foods containing isoflavones could have an important role in preventing cardiovascular disease. However neither isoflavone-devoid soy protein nor isoflavone pills alone appear to have all the same benefits for improving cardiovascular health. Therefore, including foods containing both soy protein and isoflavones in a "heart healthy" diet seems the best recommendation for cardiovascular health. |
