Soy Did Not Lower Cholesterol

After menopause, women are just as susceptible as men to heart attacks and strokes. Previous studies have hinted that soy might help women cut cholesterol levels to reduce their cardiovascular risk. The idea is that the estrogen-like compounds in soy might lower bad LDL and boost beneficial HDL. This study continued for a year, with women in the intervention group getting 25 grams of soy protein each day. The women’s average cholesterol level at the beginning of the study was about 230. After a year, it had gone up 12 points on average among women getting the soy protein and 18 points among women in the control group. The researchers concluded that soy does not help improve blood lipid levels.
[Menopause, online March 3, 2010]