SOY LOWERS LDL IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Postmenopausal women may cut their risk of cardiovascular disease by filling up on soy products, researchers report.

Scientists tracked 18 postmenopausal women for three 93-day periods. During each period, the women consumed one of three daily amounts of soy isoflavones: 7.1 milligrams (control), 65 milligrams (low isoflavone), or 132 milligrams (high isoflavone). The women underwent fasting blood lipid analysis at the onset of the study and after each intervention.

Results showed that, "compared with values measured during the control diet, the plasma LDL cholesterol concentration was 6.5% lower during the high-isoflavone diet and the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol was 8.5% and 7.7% lower during the low- and high-isoflavone diets, respectively. Isoflavone consumption did not significantly affect plasma concentrations of total or HDL cholesterol, triacylglycerol, apo A-I, apo B, or lipoprotein(a) or the LDL peak particle diameter."

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ­ February 2001;73:225-31. http://www.ajcn.org/

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