Abstract
Background:
Studies on soy supplementation suggest a cardioprotective potential.
Objective:
To examine the effects on LDL cholesterol and arterial function as a result of dietary enrichment with soy supplementation.
Design:
A Randomized, double blind, parallel intervention trial.
Setting:
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism C, Aarhus University Hospital, and Department of Human Nutrition, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Denmark.
Subjects:
In all, 100 hypercholesterolaemic but otherwise healthy subjects were included in the study of which 89 completed it.
Interventions:
Subjects were randomly assigned to 24 weeks of daily intake of either a soy supplement, Abalon® (30 g soy protein, 9 g cotyledon fibre and 100 mg isoflavones) or placebo (30 g of casein). The soy supplement and placebo were provided in two sachets daily that were stirred in water. Fasting plasma lipids, TNF-α, homocysteine, insulin sensitivity, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR), serum insulin, serum glucose, blood pressure as well as Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) and plasma lipids to a fat-rich meal were recorded before and after the intervention. In a sub study in 32 subjects, arterial dilatory capacity, compliance, and distensibility were recorded before and after the intervention.
Results:
In the main study, no difference in fasting plasma lipid levels or insulin sensitivity was found between soy-based supplement and placebo. A significant postprandial increase in GIP to the meal test was observed in the soy group (P<0.05). In a substudy, no difference between the groups in changes in flow-mediated vasodilatation (P=0.84) was detected, while the soy supplementation caused a reduction in LDL and total cholesterol.
Conclusions:
No significant effects on blood lipids were observed in the main study to a soy supplementation in hypercholesterolaemic subjects after 24 weeks. In the substudy, the soy supplementation, however, reduced LDL and total cholesterol but did not influence markers of arterial function.
Sponsorship:
Nutri Pharma ASA, Oslo, Norway.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $21.58 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersen L, Dinesen B, Jorgensen PN, Poulsen F & Roder ME (1993): Enzyme immunoassay for intact human insulin in serum or plasma. Clin. Chem. 39, 578–582.
Anderson JW, Johnstone BM & Cook-Newell ME (1995): Meta-analysis of the effects of soy protein intake on serum lipids. N. Engl. J. Med. 333, 276–282.
Babson AL, Olson DR, Palmieri T, Ross AF, Becker DM & Mulqueen PJ (1991): The IMMULITE assay tube: a new approach to heterogeneous ligand assay. Clin. Chem. 37, 1521–1522.
Brown AA & Hu FB (2001): Dietary modulation of endothelial function: implications for cardiovascular disease. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 73, 673–686.
Celermajer DS, Sorensen KE, Bull C, Robinson J & Deanfield JE (1994): Endothelium-dependent dilation in the systemic arteries of asymptomatic subjects relates to coronary risk factors and their interaction. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 24, 1468–1474.
Clausen P, Jensen JS, Jensen G, Borch-Johnsen K & Feldt-Rasmussen B (2001): Elevated urinary albumin excretion is associated with impaired arterial dilatory capacity in clinically healthy subjects. Circulation 103, 1869–1874.
Cuevas AM, Guasch V, Castillo O, Irribarra V, Mizon C, San Martin A, Strobel P, Perez D, Germain AM & Leighton F (2000): A high-fat diet induces and red wine counteracts endothelial dysfunction in human volunteers. Lipids 35, 143–148.
De Lorgeril M, Salen P, Martin JL, Mamelle N, Monjaud I, Touboul P & Delaye J (1996): Effect of a mediterranean type of diet on the rate of cardiovascular complications in patients with coronary artery disease. Insights into the cardioprotective effect of certain nutriments. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 28, 1103–1108.
Food and Drug Administration (1999): FDA approves new health claim for soy protein and coronary heart disease. Food and Drug Administration Web site.
Gaenzer H, Sturm W, Kirchmair R, Neumayr G, Ritsch A & Patsch J (2000): Circadian variation of endothelium-dependent vasodilatation of the brachial artery as a confounding factor in the evaluation of endothelial function. Atherosclerosis 149, 227–228.
Hale G, Paul-Labrador M, Dwyer JH & Merz CN (2002): Isoflavone supplementation and endothelial function in menopausal women. Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf) 56, 693–701.
Hall WL, Millward DJ, Long SJ & Morgan LM (2003): Casein and whey exert different effects on plasma amino acid profiles, gastrointestinal hormone secretion and appetite. Br. J. Nutr. 89, 239–248.
Hermansen K, Sondergaard M, Hoie L, Carstensen M & Brock B (2001): Beneficial effects of a soy-based dietary supplement on lipid levels and cardiovascular risk markers in type 2 diabetic subjects. Diabetes Care 24, 228–233.
Huonker M, Halle M & Keul J (1996): Structural and functional adaptations of the cardiovascular system by training. Int. J. Sports Med. 17 (Suppl 3), S164–S172.
Hvidberg A, Nielsen MT, Hilsted J, Orskov C & Holst JJ (1994): Effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 (proglucagon 78-107amide) on hepatic glucose production in healthy man. Metabolism 43, 104–108.
Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Faulkner D, Vidgen E, Trautwein EA, Parker TL, Marchie A, Koumbridis G, Lapsley KG, Josse RG, Leiter LA & Connelly PW (2002): A dietary portfolio approach to cholesterol reduction: combined effects of plant sterols, vegetable proteins, and viscous fibers in hypercholesterolemia. Metabolism 51, 1596–1604.
Krarup T, Madsbad S, Moody AJ, Regeur L, Faber OK, Holst JJ & Sestoft L (1983): Diminished immunoreactive gastric inhibitory polypeptide response to a meal in newly diagnosed type I (insulin-dependent) diabetics. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 56, 1306–1312.
Kuiper GG, Lemmen JG, Carlsson B, Corton JC, Safe SH, van der Saag PT, van der BB & Gustafsson JA (1998): Interaction of estrogenic chemicals and phytoestrogens with estrogen receptor beta. Endocrinology 139, 4252–4263.
Matthews DR, Hosker JP, Rudenski AS, Naylor BA, Treacher DF & Turner RC (1985): Homeostasis model assessment: insulin resistance and beta-cell function from fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations in man. Diabetologia 28, 412–419.
Meyer BJ, Larkin TA, Owen AJ, Astheimer LB, Tapsell LC & Howe PRC (2004): Limited lipid-lowering effect of regular consumption of whole soybean foods. Ann. Nutr. Metab. 48, 67–78.
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (2002): National cholesterol education program. Third report of the expert panel on detection, evaluation and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (ATP III). 02-5215.
Neunteufl T, Katzenschlager R, Hassan A, Klaar U, Schwarzacher S, Glogar D, Bauer P & Weidinger F (1997): Systemic endothelial dysfunction is related to the extent and severity of coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis 129, 111–118.
Orskov C, Kofod H & Rabenhøj L (1992): Structure of human GLP-1(glucagon-like peptide-1) containing peptides. Diabetologia 35, [A109].
Orskov C, Jeppesen J, Madsbad S & Holst JJ (1991): Proglucagon products in plasma of noninsulin-dependent diabetics and nondiabetic controls in the fasting state and after oral glucose and intravenous arginine. J. Clin. Invest. 87, 415–423.
Ross R (1986): The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis—an update. N. Engl. J. Med. 314, 488–500.
Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study(4S) (1994): Randomised trial of cholesterol lowering in 4444 patients with coronary heart disease: the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S). Lancet 344, 1383–1389.
Siedel J, Hagele EO, Ziegenhorn J & Wahlefeld AW (1983): Reagent for the enzymatic determination of serum total cholesterol with improved lipolytic efficiency. Clin. Chem. 29, 1075–1080.
Simons LA, von Konigsmark M, Simons J & Celermajer DS (2000): Phytoestrogens do not influence lipoprotein levels or endothelial function in healthy, postmenopausal women. Am. J. Cardiol. 85, 1297–1301.
Steinberg FM, Guthrie NL, Villablanca AC, Kumar K & Murray MJ (2003): Soy protein with isoflavones has favorable effects on endothelial function that are independent of lipid and antioxidant effects in healthy postmenopausal women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 78, 123–130.
Sugiuchi H, Uji Y, Okabe H, Irie T, Uekama K, Kayahara N & Miyauchi K (1995): Direct measurement of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum with polyethylene glycol-modified enzymes and sulfated alpha-cyclodextrin. Clin. Chem. 41, 717–723.
Teede HJ, Dalais FS, Kotsopoulos D, Liang YL, Davis S & McGrath BP (2001): Dietary soy has both beneficial and potentially adverse cardiovascular effects: a placebo-controlled study in men and postmenopausal women. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 86, 3053–3060.
Teede HJ, McGrath BP, DeSilva L, Cehun M, Fassoulakis A & Nestel PJ (2003): Isoflavones reduce arterial stiffness: a placebo-controlled study in men and postmenopausal women. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 23, 1066–1071.
Thomsen C, Rasmussen O, Lousen T, Holst JJ, Fenselau S, Schrezenmeir J & Hermansen K (1999): Differential effects of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids on postprandial lipemia and incretin responses in healthy subjects. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 69, 1135–1143.
Trinder P (1969): Determination of glucose in blood using glucose oxidase with an alternative oxygen acceptor. Ann. Clin. Biochem. 6, 24–27.
Weggemans RM & Trautwein EA (2003): Relation between soy-associated isoflavones and LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations in humans: a meta-analysis. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 57, 940–946.
West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS) (1998): Influence of pravastatin and plasma lipids on clinical events in the West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS). Circulation 97, 1440–1445.
Zhuo XG, Melby MK & Watanabe S (2004): Soy isoflavone intake lowers serum LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials in humans. J. Nutr. 134, 2395–2400.
Acknowledgements
Nutripharma ASA, Oslo, Norway, sponsored the study and provided the soy supplement as well as the placebo. B Dinesen was employed by Nutripharma ASA. K Hermansen and A Astrup were external scientific advisors for the company, 1998–2004.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Guarantor: K Hermansen.
Contributors: KH and AA were the daily project leaders, were involved in the study scheme and data interpretation, and wrote the manuscript together with BH. BH, RJ, MD, and EP were involved in carrying out the study and provided significant advice. PC carried out the investigation of the arterial function and interpretation of the data. BD was involved in the study scheme and data interpretation, and provided significant advice. JJH performed analyses of GLP-1 and GIP, was involved in data interpretation and provided significant advice.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hermansen, K., Hansen, B., Jacobsen, R. et al. Effects of soy supplementation on blood lipids and arterial function in hypercholesterolaemic subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 843–850 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602151
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602151
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
The effects of phytochemicals and herbal bio-active compounds on tumour necrosis factor-α in overweight and obese individuals: a clinical review
Inflammopharmacology (2022)
-
Effects of soy intake on circulating levels of TNF-α and interleukin-6: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
European Journal of Nutrition (2021)
-
Effects of plant protein and animal protein on lipid profile, body weight and body mass index on patients with hypercholesterolemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Acta Diabetologica (2020)
-
Vitamin D receptor BsmI polymorphism modulates soy intake and 25-hydroxyvitamin D supplementation benefits in cardiovascular disease risk factors profile
Genes & Nutrition (2013)
-
Novel black soy peptides with antiobesity effects: activation of leptin-like signaling and AMP-activated protein kinase
International Journal of Obesity (2008)