Soy Protein Improves CardioVascular Health
According to a manuscript published recently in The American Journal of Cardiology, eating a soy-protein rich diet may be good for your cardiovascular health. The meta-study compiled data from 41 randomized controlled trials published in MEDLINE from 1966 to February 2005 wherein isolated soy protein supplementation was implemented as a dietary intervention.
According to the results, soy protein supplementation helps lower total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, bad cholesterol), and triglycerides, but slightly increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL, good cholesterol).
These results indicate that soy protein supplementation reduces serum lipids among adults with or without hypercholesterolemia. In conclusion, replacing foods high in saturated fat, trans-saturated fat, and cholesterol with soy protein may have a beneficial effect on coronary risk factors.
What soy products can you incorporate in your diet?
Well, there’s tofu and soymilk. Soy protein is also used a lot as a vegetarian alternative to meat. There are also tofu-based desserts, such as Pete’s Tofu2Go. I grew up snacking on tofu-and-caramelized-sugar made by local cottage industries where I used to live, but I haven’t tried these fancy flavored ones. You’ll probably have to try and see what soy product suits your taste.
Sure you can eat a bit better here and there but that is never enough to really balance a diet. Especially for us over eaters. You need extra solutions which is where a lot of supplements come in.