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Is Soy Good for High Cholesterol
"There's a slow poison out there that's severely damaging our
children and threatening to tear apart our culture. The ironic part is, it's a
"health food," one of our most popular."
- James Rutz, Dec. 2006 It's always important to separate fact from opinion. The
above quote, written about soy products, is pure opinion. For the rest of this
article, we will be dealing only with facts.
"25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and
cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."
- FDA statement, 1999
It may be less arresting than the opening quote, but the information contained
inside is based upon a number of detailed studies made into the health benefits
of soy supplementation. Since that statement was made, more research has been
done that indicates soy proteins make an excellent natural remedy for high
cholesterol treatment. Some more facts about soy:
1. Soy, rather than being a "new-age" supplement, is a staple food in many Asian
countries, and has been for centuries.
2. Soy contains valuable constituents for high cholesterol treatment, including
protein, isoflavones, saponins, and phytosterols.
3. Soy protein provides essential amino acids.
4. When eaten with rice, soy provides protein comparable with that found in
animal products.
5. Soy is low in fat and cholesterol-free.
In fact, the health benefits of soy, particularly in the treatment of high
cholesterol, are rarely disputed anymore. Most research done now into the use of
soy as a natural remedy for high cholesterol is aimed at discovering exactly why
it works so well. A good summary of current thinking can be found here.
Intake of soy proteins can be a natural remedy for high cholesterol treatment
because soy proteins can bring down bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, and promotes
good cholesterol (HDL) levels. LDL and HDL are the lipoproteins that carry of
cholesterol to cells. LDL is referred to as bad cholesterol because it causes
plaque deposits in arteries and HDL is called good cholesterol because it
prevents the built up of fat deposits in the arteries.
Soy can be found in soymilk, tofu, roasted soy nuts, and soy flour. All of these
can be used in a low cholesterol diet to help in the treatment of
hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol). These foods can also prevent
atherosclerosis, a disease associated with high cholesterol, and that can lead
to increased risk of heart attack, heart disease, and stroke. Daily dosages of
30-40 grams of soy have been seen to reduce cholesterol levels by between 10 and
20%, making it an effective high cholesterol treatment(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/High-Cholesterol.html)
by any stretch of the imagination.
A few people have hailed soy as a "miracle health food" that can treat any
number of diseases, not just high cholesterol(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/High-Cholesterol.html).
This is, like the opening quote, only an opinion - and totally unnecessary. Soy
supplements can be judged on their results, and all the research points to them
being an effective treatment for high cholesterol(http://www.mitamins.com/disease/High-Cholesterol.html).
About the Author:
Vitamins team, bd@mitamins.net
Targeted: High Cholesterol; Safety: Avoid Vitamins Overdose, Supplement Drug Interactions; Quality: Freshly Made with Brand Ingredients. Vitamin support for High Cholesterol treatment (http://www.mitamins.com/disease/High-Cholesterol.html)