ST. LOUIS—Solae unveiled a new meta-analysis that confirms soy protein consumption can lead to a meaningful and significant reduction in blood cholesterol levels. The study was released at the American Heart Association 2008 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.
It has been nearly a decade since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the health claim for soy protein in the prevention of heart disease.
Solae’s research team conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate studies from before and after the original health claim to determine the net effect of soy on blood cholesterol reduction. The research team reviewed and ranked more than 150 studies using FDA’s 2007 evidence-based review guidance for scientific evaluation of health claims. Forty-six studies were deemed of high or moderate quality and were included in the final meta-analysis.
The meta-analysis found reductions in total cholesterol of 9.54 mg/dL and reductions in LDL cholesterol of 7.12 mg/dL (which is about a 4 percent and 5 percent reduction, respectively). The meta-analyses also looked at individuals who had high and normal blood cholesterols and found that soy protein consumption resulted in a significant reduction in blood cholesterol for both groups.
“These findings build on the body of evidence that continues to strongly justify maintaining the currently approved health claim for the role of soy protein in lowering heart disease risk,” Priscilla Samuel, PhD, lead researcher of the meta-analysis and Director of Nutrition at Solae said. “According to the American Heart Association, at a population level for every 1 percent reduction in blood cholesterol there is a 2-percent to 3-percent reduction in the rate of coronary heart disease, which is still the leading cause of death in the United States. Our research confirms that consuming soy protein is one way to reduce total cholesterol.”
The study further confirms the heart health benefits of soy protein. Research continues to show that consuming 25 grams of soy protein per day results in significant and meaningful reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Soy protein can easily be a part of a healthy, low-cholesterol, low-fat diet and can be incorporated into a variety of food forms, including bars, beverages and cereal, to make eating heart healthy convenient for consumers.
