Soybeans Can Help Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

Soybeans Can Help Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

You may be familiar with the "Portfolio Diet," which proposes that a diet high in soy products will lower LDL cholesterol levels just as effectively as some statin medications, according to clinical evidence.

Soybeans appear to have additional health benefits, including lowering blood pressure.

For good reason, this most recent discovery is generating a great deal of buzz in the medical community. In the event if the American Heart Association or the American College of Cardiology issued a statement claiming that soybeans may lower bad cholesterol and regulate blood pressure, think of the impact on the two biggest pharmaceutical markets: cholesterol and blood pressure. Consider that for a moment. It will remain just in your mind, though. I find it very unlikely that such a declaration from a globally renowned source will ever be revealed, given the immense lobbying influence of the pharmaceutical business.

Nonetheless, the results of over 40 clinical investigations have demonstrated that soya protein can lower cholesterol levels in both sexes. Between twenty-five and fifty grams of soy protein daily seems to be the optimal dose. New research suggests it may help lower blood pressure as well.

Reduces blood pressure, thanks to soybean protein.

According to a study published in July 2005 by the Annals of Internal Medicine, using dietary supplements containing soybean protein may assist in lowering blood pressure.

Soybeans and items made from them have been staples in Asian diets for generations, and we Americans have had easy access to them in our grocery shops and health food stores for just as long. Eat foods low in cholesterol, such as tofu and soymilk, and you'll minimize your risk of cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis, according to research. We may have a super disease killer on our hands if soy foods could also fight high blood pressure, adding to their list of abilities to resist illness and disease.

The Annals reported on a study that included 300 Chinese patients with hypertension, conducted by a team of American and Chinese experts. Carbohydrates derived from wheat were provided to one group, whereas 40 grams of soy protein was given to the other.

In this randomized controlled experiment, participants with pre-hypertension or Stage 1 hypertension had their blood pressure measured before and after taking a soybean protein supplement. Both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were shown to drop after taking a supplement containing soy protein. Soybean protein may thus be useful in the prevention and treatment of hypertension if consumed in larger quantities.

It is not apparent how soybean products may lower blood pressure, according to experts at Tulane University in New Orleans. Theoretically, soy proteins may improve glucose metabolism by dilating blood vessels.

Although the new study provides "another important link between blood pressure and dietary macronutrient intake," additional research is necessary before patients with high blood pressure should be recommended soybean supplements, according to an editorial by Drs. Jeffrey A. Cutler and Eva Obarzanek of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

Quite a few soy-based foods are readily available, including tofu, bean sprouts, meat alternatives, pastries, and ice cream made from soybeans. You should probably not wait for major hospitals to start raving about soybeans before you eat them. Changing your diet can give you a leg up right now if that's what you desire. With the addition of forty minutes of exercise four times weekly, your hypertension will significantly decrease.

No way!

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