¹Unilever Health Institute, Unilever Research and Development Vlaardingen, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands

Correspondence: EA Trautwein, Unilever Health Institute, Unilever Research and Development Vlaardingen, PO Box 114, 3130 AC Vlaardingen, The Netherlands. E-mail: elke.trautwein@unilever.com

Guarantor: RW Weggemans.

Received 28 February 2002; Revised 16 August 2002; Accepted 1 September 2002.

Abstract

Background: Differences in isoflavone content of soy protein may explain the absence of a dose–response relation between soy protein intake and blood cholesterol concentrations.

Objective: To study specifically the effect of soy-associated isoflavones on cholesterol concentrations in well-controlled trials substituting soy protein with dairy or animal protein.

Design: Studies were identified by MEDLINE searches (1995 - 6 June 2002) and reviewing reference lists. Studies were included if they had a control group or treatment, experimental diets only differed in the amounts of soy protein and isoflavones and were each fed for at least 14 days. A total of 10 studies met these criteria, providing 21 dietary comparisons.

Subjects: Studies comprised 959 subjects (336 men and 623 women), average age ranged from 41 to 67 y and baseline cholesterol concentration from 5.42 to 6.60 mmol/l.

Interventions: The intake of soy-associated isoflavones increased by 1–95 mg/day and the intake of soy protein increased by 19–60 g/day.

Results: Feeding daily 36 g soy protein with 52 mg soy-associated isoflavones on average decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by -0.170.04 mmol/l (means.e.) and increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol by 0.030.01 mmol/l. There was no dose–response relation between soy-associated isoflavones and changes in LDL cholesterol (R=-0.33, P=0.14) (Pearson correlation coefficient) or HDL cholesterol (R=-0.07, P=0.76) or their ratio.

Conclusions: Consumption of soy-associated isoflavones is not related to changes in LDL or HDL cholesterol.

Sponsorship: Unilever Research and Development, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.