J Nutr: studies have shown that soy protein can lower cholesterol

May 24, 2019 / BIOON / - a new study led by St Michael's Hospital at the University of Toronto shows that soy protein can reduce cholesterol in small but significant amounts With the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) planning to remove soybeans from the list of heart healthy foods, researchers at St Michael's hospital began a meta-analysis of 46 existing trials to assess soybeans and determine whether the proposal is in line with existing literature Photo source: http://cn.bing.com in 46 experiments, 43 of them provided enough data for the analysis of meta Forty one tests tested the effect of the protein on low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly known as "bad cholesterol," because its high levels cause cholesterol to build up in the arteries All 43 studies provided data on "total cholesterol," which reflects the amount of cholesterol in the blood The researchers found that soy protein can reduce LDL cholesterol in adults by 3 to 4 percent - a modest but significant reduction, said Dr David Jenkins, lead author of the study and director of the center for clinical nutrition and risk factors regulation Dr Jenkins said: "if you add high saturated fat and cholesterol rich meat to your diet, including soybeans, the reduction in cholesterol may be even greater Available data and our analysis show that soy protein contributes to heart health "One of the limitations of this study is that it only analyzes 46 trials mentioned by the FDA before, without involving more studies Dr Jenkins and his team hope that the FDA's current assessment of soy protein will take this work into account, as soy protein is linked to heart health "We hope that the public will continue to see plant-based diet as a healthy option," Dr Jenkins said This is in line with the latest food guidelines issued by Health Canada, which emphasize that Canadians eat vegetable protein food "Reference: Sonia Blanco Mejia et al, a meta-analysis of 46 studies identified by the FDA demonstrates that so protein decisions cycling LDL and total cholesterol negotiations in aduls, the Journal of nutritio (2019) Doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz020