Soya products and serum lipids: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Open accessAbstract
Soya proteins and isoflavones have been reported to exert beneficial effects on the serum lipid profile. More recently, this claim is being challenged. The objective of this study was to comprehensively examine the effects of soya consumption on the lipid profile using published trials. A detailed literature search was conducted via MEDLINE (from 2004 through February 2014), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials Register) and ClinicalTrials.gov for randomised controlled trials assessing the effects of soya on the lipid profile. The primary effect measure was the difference in means of the final measurements between the intervention and control groups. In all, thirty-five studies (fifty comparisons) were included in our analyses. Treatment duration ranged from 4 weeks to 1 year. Intake of soya products resulted in a significant reduction in serum LDL-cholesterol concentration, –4·83 (95 % CI –7·34, –2·31) mg/dl, TAG, –4·92 (95 % CI –7·79, –2·04) mg/dl, and total cholesterol (TC) concentrations, –5·33 (95 % CI –8·35, –2·30) mg/dl. There was also a significant increase in serum HDL-cholesterol concentration, 1·40 (95 % CI 0·58, 2·23) mg/dl. The I2 statistic ranged from 92 to 99 %, indicating significant heterogeneity. LDL reductions were more marked in hypercholesterolaemic patients, –7·47 (95 % CI –11·79, –3·16) mg/dl, than in healthy subjects, –2·96 (95 % CI –5·28, –0·65) mg/dl. LDL reduction was stronger when whole soya products (soya milk, soyabeans and nuts) were used as the test regimen, –11·06 (95 % CI –15·74, –6·37) mg/dl, as opposed to when ‘processed’ soya extracts, –3·17 (95 % CI –5·75, –0·58) mg/dl, were used. These data are consistent with the beneficial effects of soya proteins on serum LDL, HDL, TAG and TC concentrations. The effect was stronger in hypercholesterolaemic subjects. Whole soya foods appeared to be more beneficial than soya supplementation, whereas isoflavone supplementation had no effects on the lipid profile.
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Soy proteins have a cholesterol-lowering effect with a mean reduction in LDL-C of 3%, TG of 4%, and increase HDL-C by 3%, the effect being proportional to baseline LDL-C level.
“soy proteins have a cholesterol-lowering effect with a mean reduction in LDL-C of 3% (− 0.12 mmol/L/4.6 mg/dL) and TG of 4% (− 0.06 mmol/L/5.3 mg/dL) and are able to increase HDL-C by 3% (+ 0.04 mmol/L/1.6 mg/dL), the effect being proportional to the baseline LDL-C level [74].”
From Nutraceuticals in the Management of Dyslipidemia: Which, When, and for Whom? Could Nutraceuticals Help Low-Risk Individuals with Non-optimal Lipid Levels? (2021) · cites this paper as [74]
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- Authors
- Tokede, O. A., Onabanjo, T. A., Yansane, A., Gaziano, J. M., & Djoussé, L.
- Affiliations
- Brigham and Women's Hospital (US)
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Tokede, Oluwabunmi A.
- Venue
- British Journal of Nutrition
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2015-08-13
- Volume
- 114
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 831-843
- ISSN
- 0007-1145 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-2662
- OpenAlex
- W1944704762
- Cited by
- 140
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 27 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 5
- FWCI
- 2.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- British Journal Of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Phytoestrogen effects and research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Lipoproteins and Cardiovascular Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Keywords
- isoflavones, soy protein, serum lipids, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, total cholesterol, hypercholesterolemia, soy milk, dietary intervention, cardiovascular risk reduction, heterogeneous effects, quality of evidence, risk of bias, publication bias, small sample bias
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperlipidemias, Isoflavones, Lipids, Cholesterol, HDL, Plant Proteins, Dietary, Up-Regulation, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Dietary Supplements, Soybean Proteins, Soy Foods, Functional Food
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