Soybean protein may help lower cholesterol

Since heart disease is the leadingTrusted Source cause of death in the U.S., researchers are looking for ways to reduce this number. Having high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, so finding ways to improve high cholesterol is important.

Previous studiesTrusted Source have shown that eating soy can reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol—also known as “bad” cholesterol by as much as 4 per cent.

Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign recently looked into different varieties of soybeans to figure out why they can lower LDL cholesterol.

The scientists found one protein in particular that provided benefits and published the study results in the journal Antioxidants. According to MedlinePlus, cholesterol is a “waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all the cells in your body.”

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is one type that doctors consider to be “bad” cholesterol. The other cholesterol type is high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which doctors consider “good.”

If LDL cholesterol levels get too high, the buildup can cause plaques in the walls of your arteries. This contributes to an increased risk of developing heart disease and strokes.

As Beata Rydyger, registered nutritionist based in Los Angeles and a clinical nutritional advisor to Zen Nutrients, noted in an interview with Medical News Today:“Cholesterol imbalances may result in cardiovascular disease or even neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionTrusted Source (CDC), HDL cholesterol “absorbs cholesterol in the blood and carries it back to the liver. The liver then flushes it from the body.”

Having higher levels of HDL cholesterol is a good thing and can reduce heart disease and stroke risk.

The CDC notes that high cholesterol does not typically have signs and symptoms, so it is best to have this checked by a primary health provider at annual physicals. If someone does have high cholesterol, they can treat it with lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) or medications (statins or cholesterol absorption inhibitors).

Previous research has shown the positive effect of eating more soy on people’s cholesterol levels. This new study aimed to understand the mechanism behind the findings.

The scientists selected 19 varieties of soybeans, each containing different levels of glycinin and B-conglycinin. The ground soybeans were defatted and studied in gastrointestinal digestion simulation

experiments.

In the experiments to mimic food digestion, the defatted soybean flour was mixed with fluids and enzymes from oral, gastric, intestinal, and colonic digestion. The researchers ran the simulation using fatty cells.

After running each soybean flour variety through this process, the researchers measured how well the LDL cholesterol was absorbed.

MNT