Posted on 01/23/2006 1:12:59 PM PST by PeaceBeWithYou
Eating veggie burgers and tofu to lower "bad" cholesterol may not help, a new review of soy's health benefits suggests.
The American Heart Association reviewed 22 randomized trials comparing soy protein and the soy component isoflavone to milk or other proteins.
The majority of the trials concluded soy led to an average decrease in LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels of just three per cent.
"This reduction is very small relative to the large amount of soy protein tested in these studies, averaging 50 grams, about half the usual total daily protein intake," the committee wrote in the Jan. 17 online issue of the journal Circulation.
Soy had no effect on HDL, or "good" cholesterol, or on blood pressure.
Soy and isoflavone also didn't seem to reduce symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes.
Its ability to slow postmenopausal bone loss showed mixed results.
As for cancer, clinical trials on whether soy can help to prevent or treat breast, endometrium and prostate cancer haven't shown that the food works or is safe, and warn of possible side-effects.
"For this reason, use of isoflavone supplements in food or pills is not recommended," the panel concluded.
The findings could lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reconsider whether food companies in the U.S. can continue to tout the cholesterol-lowering benefits of soy-based foods on product labels.
Soy-based foods could still help because of their high content of polyunsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals and low saturated fat content, the study's authors noted.
Dieticians have agreed that soy may be beneficial when eaten instead of less nutritious foods such as hamburgers or hot dogs.
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Enjoy.
That's why I stick to dead animals to get my protien. Plus dead animals taste way better.
-bump-
Here's to cooking with motor oil
;-)
Just don't think too long about what they are feeding those animals, cause it's the same stuff they've been feeding us!
Not to mention soy gives me the runs.....
I love defenseless animals, especially in a good gravy.
Well, trying to lower cholestorol and finding true info on it is less than easily there... Doc says, well last test was a little high, lets watch it...
Well what does that mean? I can cut my daily intake, but what else am I really supposed to do? I exercise 5-6 days a week, have cut way way down on fats... but what else should I be doing?
This article seems to speak to soy as a supplement. But what about as a subsitute? I think if you eat veggie burgers instead of beef burgers, you'll be taking in less cholesterol, bad fat, etc.
I've got the same question. I just got my annual test results back and they recommended a low cholesterol diet. I just laughed...I have been on one for the last several years, as hubby has to be on one. I also exercise, so what's a person to do? I know hubby's has been determined to be a genetic blood disease, he is on 3 different types of cholesterol meds and his is still higher than it should be.
Hey, isn't the heart a big muscle Doc? What's up with that?
Press here and read a bit to find out.
I honestly think the goal is to get everyone on cholesterol medication. That means huge bucks for big Pharma, so its natural they would "encourage" it.
When they lowered the "reccomended" allowable serum cholesterol figures a couple of years ago, they immediately "created" a whole new batch of people who now needed life long medication.
Hey, what about Soylent Green? It's soy based, right? After a nice snack of soylent green, I fell like I'm a real 'people person'. :-)
A friend recommended lecithin (from soy), many years ago, to lose weight. I lost water like crazy. It supposed to help keep the arteries clean, as I understand it.
It worked great in a dry climate (Bakersfield). When we moved to the Coast, my skin got too oily, so I quit taking it.
:)
The soy people have told a lot of lies and used a lot of muscle to get their stuff into the marketplace.
There is an enormous group of doctors who are dead set against it.
Lots of people are deadly allergic to soy, too. Some don't know why they feel so terrible. If my grown daughter gets even a smidgen of soy flour in something she has to be taken to the emergency room.
I haven't eaten sugar in ten years as it gives me a sugar high and then I crash, even though they have classified me as hypoglycemic (low blood sugar levels). I had a real problem losing weight until I went on a hypoglycemic diet, eating a few small meals per day, then I lost 30 lbs. easily. They said I was putting my body in "starvation mode" prior to that, as I barely ate anything hoping to lose weight, but my cholesterol was above normal then too. I eat a baked potato once a week and fries maybe once a month, so that can't be the problem. Basically, my metabolism is just plain weird and a solution based on my diet other than what I am already doing just isn't going to affect it. Have to go back to the doctor on Friday to discuss the results, guess I'll see what she says.
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