Soy Protein's Ability to Lower Cholesterol Confirmed

A new meta-analysis confirms that soy protein consumption can lead to a meaningful and significant reduction in blood cholesterol levels.

11/11/08 Solae, a leader in soy protein innovation and technology, unveiled a new study at the American Heart Association 2008 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, LA. A new meta-analysis confirms that soy protein consumption can lead to a meaningful and significant reduction in blood cholesterol levels.

Numerous studies show that soy consumption may be associated with a lower incidence of certain chronic diseases, notably heart disease. These findings led to the US Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the soy protein and heart disease health claim in 1999. The FDA approved health claim helps promote the daily consumption of 25 grams of soy protein for lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart disease.

It has been nearly a decade since the health claim was awarded and numerous studies have been published since then. Solae's research team conducted a new meta-analysis to evaluate the totality of the evidence, that is, studies from before and after the original health claim to determine the net effect of soy protein on blood cholesterol reduction. Solae's research team reviewed and ranked more than 150 studies using the FDA's 2007 evidence-based guidance for scientific evaluation of health claims. Forty-six studies of the high and moderate quality studies were included in this meta-analysis.

The meta-analysis found reductions in total blood cholesterol of 9.54 mg/dL and reductions in LDL cholesterol of 7.12 mg/dL (which is about a 4 and 5 percent reduction, respectively). The meta-analyses also examined the effect in individuals who had high versus normal blood cholesterol and found that the cholesterol lowering effect of soy protein was significant in 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," said Priscilla Samuel, Ph.D., lead researcher of the meta-analysis and director of Nutrition at Solae. "According to the American Heart Association, at a population level for every 1 percent reduction in blood cholesterol there is a 2-3 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."

This 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.