Soy and Heart Disease - Part 1

Research indicates that soy contains folic acid which helps prevent heart disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in most developed nations today. People with high blood cholesterol are especially at risk of having some form of heart disease. Even children are at risk; in fact, 36.5% of all children and adolescents have blood cholesterol levels of 170mg/dL and above, a level comparable to 200mg/dL levels in adults, a borderline risk bracket.

Three main sources of heart disease are high blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and excessive lipid production, and soy bas been proven to addition is contains folic acid, which helps prevent heart disease.

Soy and Cholesterol

Soy is low in saturated fat and cholesterol free, helps to increase HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) and reduce LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein).

Since soy is low in saturated fat and completely cholesterol free it can help lower cholesterol and therefore the risk of heart disease. Studies show that people who eat just 30 g of soy protein per day can lower their cholesterol an average of 9% reducing their risk of heart disease 18 to 28%.

Research reveals two types of cholesterol: HDL, high-density lipoprotein, and LDL, low-density lipoprotein. HDL protects our bodies from cholesterol buildup, because it prevents LDL oxidation and removes accumulating cholesterol from the blood steam. LDL on the other hand, builds up on blood vessel walls and blocks the blood stream. Experimentation has shown that when soy is consumed, levels of HDL rise, while levels of LDL are reduced. One study demonstrated that children with either familial or polygenic hypercholesterolemia who substituted soy protein for animal protein in low-fat, low cholesterol diet lowered their LDL-cholesterol by 22 to 25 percent and their total blood cholesterol by 16 to 18 percent.

Soy and Atherosclerosis

Soy helps to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attach.

Beyond simply lowering cholesterol levels, soy protein has been shown to alter specific cellular processes associated with the development of atherosclerotic plaque which can build up and block the aorta and major arteries. There is evidence that genistein, an isoflavone found in soy protein, has the ability to interfere with the activation and accumulation of the platelets, and reduce the production of smooth muscle cell, one of the primary cell types that form fibrous plaques. In addition, genistein has been shown to inhibit the action of thrombin (an enzyme that forms blood clots within blood vessels), thus reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack.