Benefits of Soy Milk, Eating Tofu, To Heart-Protective

Micronutrients isoflavones found in soy is more beneficial to the people of Asia, where the benefits of soy can protect against heart disease. Some men in Japan can produce equol, a substance produced by a number of beneficial bacteria in the gut when metabolize isoflavones. Asians have risk factors for heart disease are much lower than Westerners, who are not a lot of produce equol.

According to Akira Sekikawa, scientists have known that isoflavones can protect against plaque buildup in the arteries, known as atherosclerosis, and causes the levels of heart disease is lower in people in Asian countries. While trials of isoflavones in the United States showed no beneficial effects among people with atherosclerosis.

Benefits of Soy To Heart-Protective

Isoflavones considered capable of protecting against a variety of other medical conditions, including osteoporosis, dementia, menopause, prostate and breast cancer. According to scientists, the equol may have a greater effect on the fight against this disease. Asians can produce equol from 50 to 60 percent, and the West is only able to produce equol from 20 to 30 percent.

The scientists tested the 272 Japanese men aged 40 to 49 years old and do blood tests to determine equol production in the body. They adjust other heart disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking and obesity. The team found that people who produce equol his body had 90 percent lower chance of developing coronary artery calcification and cardiovascular disease.

Benefits of isoflavone intake is usually found in traditional soy foods. Eg tofu and soy milk consumed 25 to 50 milligrams in China and Japan, while the West only consume 2 milligrams. Equol considered as a supplement produced by intestinal bacteria, and there are no clinical trials to determine the safe dose for heart protective effect.

But scientists do not recommend everyone to begin to produce equol in improving heart health, or for any other reason, unless advised by a doctor. Scientists are still conducting further studies to extend the benefits of soy, to test the effect of equol in a variety of medical conditions and diseases.

Reference

• Unlocking the Heart-Protective Benefits of Soy, 22 February 2017, by University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences.
• Significant inverse association of equol-producer status with coronary artery calcification but not dietary isoflavones in healthy Japanese men. British Journal of Nutrition, 2017; 117 (02): 260 DOI: 10.1017/S000711451600458X