Soy products could help improve health

13/06/05 The labels in the snack food aisle promise low-fat, no-fat, low-cal and low-carb tasty treats. But what really makes a food healthy? And should we believe the commercial hype about soy products and our health? Renowned nutrition and weight-loss expert, and University of Kentucky physician and researcher, Dr. James Anderson addresses these and other questions in two articles in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

A quick trip through the health-food section of any grocery will reveal several labels touting soy content, but most Americans do not know much about soy beyond a vague idea that it is a healthy food. In his JACN article, Anderson reports on his investigation into the effectiveness of soy in adult weight loss.

Meal replacements, including powders, drinks and energy bars, are popular weight loss tools. Anderson tested two commercially available meal replacements - one soy-based, and one milk based - in a group of obese adults for twelve weeks. Both groups lost weight. The soy-based group lost slightly more weight in any given week, and displayed lower serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. Soy intake also produced small but significant reductions in serum glucose values. This evidence suggests that soy may be a valuable tool in maintaining overall health, lowering cholesterol, and even slowing the development of diabetes.

In another JACN article, "Snack Foods: Comparing Nutrition Values of Excellent Choices and 'Junk Foods'," Anderson raises the possibility that poor snack choices may play an active role in increasing rates of childhood obesity. Noting that snacking can be healthful when snack foods are high in nutritional value and low in calories, Anderson provides a quantitative analysis of what makes a snack either a healthy choice, or a "junk food."

While parents may not enter the grocery store with calculator in hand to crunch the numbers before their children bite into some crunchy snacks, Anderson's research reveals that there is a reliable method for calculating the health value of snack foods. He calls upon manufacturers and government to make this information more readily available to consumers.