A new study on the effects of soy on “bad” cholesterol levels may affect whether the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decides to remove soy from a list of foods that are considered “heart healthy.”
Soy protein is currently on the FDA’s list of foods that can lower cholesterol. But the organization has been contemplating whether to remove it from the list due to a mix of research on the subject.
Studying soy and bad cholesterol
To help the FDA make a determination, a group of researchers from St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto studied the data from 41 trials involving “bad” (LDL) cholesterol.
After analyzing the data, the scientists concluded that soy protein is beneficial for those with “bad” cholesterol.
“Soy protein significantly reduced LDL cholesterol by approximately 3-4% in adults,” explain the authors. “Our data support the advice given to the general public international to increase plant protein intake.”
Although 3-4% may seem small, it’s actually quite significant. In addition, the real-world effect may be of even greater impact because people who replace meat and dairy with soy protein are getting even less cholesterol than they would be had they consumed meat and dairy.
In fact, a study from 2010 showed that if people replaced meat and dairy with soy protein, the LDL would likely be reduced by 3.6-6.0%.
Caveats
There are some things to consider regarding the study. First, data from only 2,607 participants was used. Also, only 37% were men. And finally, most of the women in the study were postmenopausal. All of these things indicate that the results of the analysis may not truly reflect the demographics of the general public.
Still, the study’s authors are hoping that the FDA will take their research into consideration when deciding whether or not to keep soy protein in the heart-healthy category. Plenty of other international health organizations still consider soy protein to be a heart-healthy food.
