Increase text size: A A A

Type in the condition you need,
or visit Advanced Search

Print this page

Email this to a friend

Comment on this page

Save to my Health Library

Johns Hopkins Health Alert

The Value of Soy

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Nutrition and Weight Control | The Value of Soy

A panel of experts from the American Heart Association questions the benefits of consuming soy-based foods and supplements to reduce cardiovascular risk ... and offers bottom-line advice.

Tofu, soy protein, soymilk, soy flour, soy butter, and edamame (edible green soybeans) are all phytochemicals -- compounds from plant goods that may help to lower the risk of certain diseases. Tofu and other soy products are mild tasting and pick up the flavor of the foods they are cooked with. For example, tofu can be stir-fried with vegetables or added to soups. Soy flour can substitute for up to one quarter of the flour in baking recipes, and soy butter can be spread on bread in place of peanut butter.

Soy-based foods and supplements have been touted as a way to lower cholesterol levels and reduce cardiovascular risk. But a review of 22 randomized trials by a panel convened by the American Heart Association (AHA) does not support earlier evidence that soy protein or the isoflavones it contains produces large benefits on blood lipids or blood pressure. These findings were reported in the journal Circulation (Volume 113, page 1034).

The review found that consumption of soy protein with isoflavones at a high dose of about 50 g a day (about half of the usual daily protein intake) reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by only about 3% and had no significant effect on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, or blood pressure. In the area of women’s health, soy was not found to lessen hot flashes associated with menopause. Results were mixed on its ability to slow postmenopausal bone loss. And the isoflavones in soy had no proven effect in preventing or treating breast, uterine, or prostate cancer. Based on these results, the AHA panel does not recommend getting isoflavones from food or pills.

However, all is not lost: The panel says soy protein is still a good substitute for animal protein, because soy-containing foods have a high content of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and polyunsaturated fats.

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Nutrition and Weight Control | The Value of Soy

Posted in Nutrition and Weight Control on January 2, 2008

Notify Me

Would you like us to inform you when we post new Nutrition and Weight Control Health Alerts?

Your email address:

Comments

Post a Comment

Users and editors may post comments here at their own discretion. The views expressed do not constitute medical advice and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or University Health Publishing, which has no responsibility for its content.




Post a Comment


New to the Johns Hopkins Health Alerts?
Signup

User Name:


This appears next to your comment.


Email Address:

(this will not be posted)
This will be your login ID.

Password:

Confirm Password:


Receive Health Alerts?

Notify me when new comments are posted?

Comment (offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)

Already a subscriber?
Login

Email:

Password:


Forgot your password?

Registered Users Log-in:

Email:

Password:

Remember me
Forgot Password?

Become a Registered User!
It's fast and FREE!
The Benefits of Being A Registered User

Health Topic Pages

Arthritis +Add
Back Pain & Osteoporosis +Add
Caregivers | Caregiving
Colon Cancer +Add
Complementary Medicine
Depression & Anxiety +Add
Diabetes +Add
Digestive Health +Add
Exercise and Fitness
Healthy Living +Add
Heart Health +Add
Hypertension & Stroke +Add
Lung Disorders +Add
Memory +Add
Men's Health
Nutrition +Add
Prescription Drugs +Add
Prostate Disorders +Add
Sexual Health
Vision +Add
Weight Control +Add
Women's Health
Health Alert Special Report


Get yours FREE: Seven Keys to Reduce Cholesterol

FREE Johns Hopkins Special Report: Seven Keys to Reduce Cholesterol

PLUS FREE Johns Hopkins
Heart Health Alerts!

YES! Send me my FREE Special Report and FREE Health Alerts.



Johns Hopkins’ Bestsellers

Nutrition and Weight Control

Our Featured Title:

Johns Hopkins Nutrition and Weight Control White Paper 2008

  • 2008 Nutrition & Weight Control White Paper
    Featured highlights for 2008 include: the alarming truth about trans fats that food manufacturers hope you never learn; forget what you’ve heard: Here are the REAL reasons Americans are too fat; the best way to rev up your aging metabolism to burn more calories; what everyday life is really like after bariatric (obesity) surgery; a whole new way of thinking about nuts, and why nut-eaters tend to weight less; nutritionists' shortcuts for getting the 2 to 4 cups of vegetables your body needs every day; and much, much more.
    PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Better Health by the Plateful! through this exclusive web-only offer.
    Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION
    Read more or order the PRINT EDITION


    Related Titles:

  • 2008 Heart Attack Prevention White Paper
    Featured highlights for 2008 include: new research on inflammation as the cause of heart attacks; who’s a candidate for a stress test, and why it’s not for everyone; why doctors are debating metabolic syndrome, and its role in your risk of heart attack; when every minute counts: what to do first and fast in the event of a heart attack; are premium cholesterol tests better than the standard ones? Johns Hopkins doctors speak out; WARNING: medications that can raise your risk of having a heart attack; steps you can take NOW to reverse plaque build-up in your arteries; and much more.
    PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Tested, Proven Ways to Save Your Heart through this exclusive web-only offer.
    Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION
    Read more or order the PRINT EDITION

  • 2008 Coronary Heart Disease White Paper
    This White Paper reports on the latest life-saving advances for your heart health, to help you prevent or treat coronary heart disease. Topics include angina; cardiac arrhythmias; and congestive heart failure.
    Feature highlights for 2008 include: the promise of stem cells to heal the heart after an MI; steps you must take quickly to survive cardiac arrest; how low is low enough, when it comes to your cholesterol; aortic stenosis: what to do when your aortic valve is narrowing along with your arteries; what an eye exam can reveal about the health of your heart; the latest on the first new angina drug in 20 years—will it be the answer to your chest pains?; the threat of sleep apnea to your heart, and how to lower your risk; and much more.
    PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Healthier Heart, Longer Life through this exclusive web-only offer.
    Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION
    Read more or order the PRINT EDITION

  • 2008 Diabetes White Paper
    The 2008 Diabetes White Paper teaches you how to manage your Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and avoid complications, such as foot problems and vision changes. It reviews the latest tools for monitoring your blood glucose and the newest medications for controlling it.
    Featured highlights for 2008 include: myths and misconceptions about insulin therapy; tests your doctor should be doing to detect diabetes-related nerve damage; the best insulin for people who inject just once a day; exploring your options when diabetes disrupts your sex life; special considerations for diabetics facing heart surgery; and much more.
    PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Dealing with Diabetes through this exclusive web-only offer.
    Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION
    Read more or order the PRINT EDITION

  • Recipes for Weight Loss
    Along with engaging in regular exercise and not smoking, keeping your weight under control is one of the most important ways to achieve good health. Any weight loss strategy should include foods that you will enjoy eating for the rest of your life, not just a few weeks or months. The recipes in this book use nutritious, readily available foods that offer a wealth of sensory pleasures and satisfying flavors and textures. Read more…

  • The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50
    Since 1988, Hopkins experts have been reporting the latest cutting-edge information on treating the major medical conditions affecting those over 50. Women's health, men's medical concerns, nutrition, weight control, breakthroughs on colon cancer, and more, direct to you every month from our specialists. Read more, collect your FREE trial issue, or order now and receive two FREE Special Reports...

    Reference Books

    Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health after 50

  • The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50
    A comprehensive home medical encyclopedia that gives you a “crash course” on more than 100 major medical concerns of men and women over 50! Organized in an easy-to-use A to Z format, the Medical Guide provides in-depth explanations of the many chronic health problems associated with aging – high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, dementia, memory loss, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gallstones, to name but a few.Read more or order...

    Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies

  • Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies
    This easy-to-use reference book can help you pinpoint the causes of hundreds of disorders, from abdominal pain to skin rash to swollen glands. The book is divided into two distinct sections: symptoms, which includes charts covering a wide range of common symptoms and possible diagnoses, and disorders, which discusses the disorder, its causes, prevention advice, treatment strategies, and other crucial information so you will be able to either treat yourself at home, or know when it's time to call a doctor. Read more or order...


    Other Johns Hopkins Reference Books


  • The Johns Hopkins Consumer Guide to Drugs
    Read more or order...


  • ALL NEW!Number One of America's Best Hospitals 2007: Johns Hopkins

    Johns Hopkins has been ranked #1 again in the Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals by
    U.S. News and World Report for the 17th consecutive year.


    Please visit here for more information about Johns Hopkins Patient Services

    Please send me The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to
    Health After 50




    Yes! Please send me The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50 for just $29.85, plus shipping and handling. I may review it risk-FREE for 30 days. If not completely satisfied, I may return the book, no questions asked.



    The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50 is a contemporary health handbook for your home with the authority of America’s #1 medical center behind it. Only one book brings the full force of the world’s renowned health experts to bear on the unique health issues affecting men and women after 50.



    Risk-FREE.
    Fill out the form and click "Submit my order."

    First Name

    Last Name

    Address

    Address2

    City

    State

    Zip

    Email Address (required)

    Please send me FREE monthly Johns Hopkins Healthy Living
    Health Alerts

    Your risk-free review. Yours to review risk-free. If you are not satisfied with The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50 for any reason, simply return the book, no questions asked.

    Why Johns Hopkins?



    © 2008 Medletter Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Contact Us
    customerservice@johnshopkinshealthalerts.com