Soy and Cholesterol Protein
Does Soy Protein Helps You in Controling Your Cholesterol Level?
The level of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood depends on your eating habits. If your cholesterol (LDL) is too high, you should follow a low cholesterol diet. The low cholesterol diet prescribed is a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet that will help to reduce your blood cholesterol level to decrease your chance of developing heart disease, future heart attacks, and other heart disease complications. Such diets help to reduce total cholesterol levels by 15 percent.
One of such low cholesterol diet food is dietary intake of soy foods. Soy foods represent a major source of protein. Researches have shown that an average consumption of 47 grams of soy protein daily decreases total cholesterol by 9.3%, LDL-cholesterol by 12.9%, triglycerides by 10.5% and increases HDL-cholesterol by 2.4%.
Though the intake of soy proteins is effective in lowering cholesterol, exactly what substance in soy protein had this positive effect is not yet determined.
Role of Soy Protein in Reducing Cholesterol
The exact role of soy protein in reducing blood cholesterol levels is not yet known. Many believe that soy protein's cholesterol-lowering effect may be due to more than one factor.
The specific amino acids found in soy protein may affect cholesterol levels. But it was found that intact soy protein reduces greater cholesterol level than a mixture of amino acids identical to those in soy protein. This shows that besides the specific amino acids in soy protein there is something else that is partially responsible for reducing cholesterol. Particular storage proteins found in soy protein called 11S and 7S globulins, helps in lowering cholesterol in animals.
Soy protein was broken down into two fractions one with high-molecular-weight fraction (HMF) and one with a lower molecular weight. HMF is found more effective compared to intact soy protein or the lower-molecular-weight fraction.
Tofu, tempeh, miso, and some protein powders in health food stores are derived from soybeans. Tofu is also considered as a meat substitute that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Isoflavones from soybeans reduce both total and LDL cholesterol.
Soy Isoflavones
The components of soy protein, which help in reducing cholesterol, nowadays are its bioactive components, in particular, isoflavones--genistein, daidzein, and glycitein. Isoflavones are one type of phytochemical, a substance naturally occurring in plants.
Researches have shown that consuming soy protein with naturally occurring isoflavones along with other bioactive components results in greater cholesterol lowering than consuming either soy protein with the isoflavones removed or a placebo, typically casein. However, isoflavones alone don't appear to be the answer. It was found that isoflavone pills didn't result in lowering cholesterol level when it was taken in a purified form by a menopausal and perimenopausal women.
These results indicate that the type of soy protein consumed plays an important role in order to achieve a decrease in blood cholesterol. Research indicates that soy protein with naturally occurring bioactive is what is needed.