Recently, a small study at the University Of Alabama School Of Medicine was undertaken to measure the effects of soy supplementation on menopausal women. Menopause is associated with increased abdominal girth, decreased insulin sensitivity, and an increase in circulating markers of inflammation. The women studied were given either a soy shake with isoflavones daily, or a casein placebo shake. At the beginning of the study and again after 3 months, body fat composition and distribution were measured along with glucose disposal and insulin secretion, C-Reactive Protein (a marker of inflammation), and serum lipid levels. Some of the results were not what the study authors expected. Total body fat, lean body mass and weight did not change in either group. However, soy supplementation improved body fat distribution and reduced total abdominal fat by 7.5% and subcutaneous abdominal fat by 9.1%. The casein group experienced an increase of 8.8% of total abdominal fat and 10% of subcutaneous abdominal fat. The soy had no significant effect on insulin, glucose, inflammation markers or lipids. What does all this information mean to you?
- Replacing some of your high-calorie, high-fat proteins with soy may be good for your heart. Excess fat around your mid-section puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease. Trading your usual breakfast for a soy shake with isoflavones can help shift fat away from your abdomen.
- Adding soy into your diet to lower the high cholesterol you inherited from Grandpa Frank won’t help. If your high cholesterol comes from eating lots of fatty cuts of meat with alcohol daily, you’d probably get just as much benefit from switching to lean cuts of meat and passing on the beer as you would switching to soy products.
- This study was very small and limited. It provides some good starting information…but more research should be done. Soy proteins with isoflavones have their place in a healthy diet, but they won’t be replacing a healthy lifestyle and medications. You should also be aware that soy acts very similar to estrogen in your body and can cause bloating, moodiness and hot flashes if you overdo it.