Soy Helps to Lower Blood Pressure

Individuals who ingest the highest amounts of soy protein in a day appear to see a significant lowering of their systolic blood pressure, as compared to those who ingest the least amounts. Specifically, Safiya Richardson, from Columbia University (New York, USA), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 5,115 Americans, ages 18 to 30 years, enrolled in the CARDIA trial, collected over a 20-year period.  Subjects who consumed 2.5 mg per day or more of dietary isoflavones demonstrated a 5.52 mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure.  Noting that “there is no particular detriment to taking soy protein in the diet,” the study authors suggest that: “consuming soy protein, for example, in combination with a DASH diet — one that is high in fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains — could lead to as much as a 10 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure for pre-hypertensives, greatly improving their chances of not progressing to hypertension.”