January 2010

Press release

Soya brings hot flush relief to menopausal women

41% fewer hot flushes when taking soya isoflavones

A recent Italian study has demonstrated that soya isoflavones can reduce the discomfort suffered from hot flushes during the menopause. The isoflavones, natural plant compounds found in soya, were effective after just six weeks of consumption, irrespective of the intensity of the hot flushes.

Every year millions of women worldwide go through the menopause. The complaints associated with the menopause differ from woman to woman, but suffering from hot flushes and night sweats can be extremely uncomfortable and reduce the quality of life for most menopausal women.   In Western countries 70% of women experience hot flushes during the menopause. This percentage is noticeably lower for Asian women with just 5 to 18% reporting hot flushes. It is thought that the higher consumption of isoflavones – naturally present in soya – in the Asian countries plays a key role and the results from a recently published Italian randomised double blinded study adds further weight to this theory. 

180 menopausal women were randomised to receive either 80 mg of soya isoflavones (n=85) or a placebo (n=95) (an inactive substance). The women aged between 40 and 65 years were experiencing at least 5 moderate to severe hot flushes per day before the study began. After six and after twelve weeks the number of hot flushes in the isoflavone group was significantly lower than in the placebo group. Six weeks after the start of the study the number of hot flushes had decreased by 36% for the women in the isoflavones group compared to 24% in the placebo group (p=0.038).  The reduction in hot flushes continued into the 12^th week of the study with the isoflavones group reporting a 41% decrease in hot flushes which was significantly greater than the placebo group 29% decrease, p=0.023. A placebo effect is often documented in the treatment of hot flushes.  However, the improvement in symptoms for the isoflavones group was not only greater but significantly greater than that experienced by the placebo group.  The findings from this study clearly demonstrate that 80mg per day of soya isoflavones are an effective treatment for menopausal women experiencing 5 or more moderate to severe hot flushes per day.

Source:

Ferrari, A. "Soy extract phytoestrogens with high dose of isoflavones for menopausal symptoms." J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 35.6 (2009): 1083-90.

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February 2010

Press release 

Soya: you can breathe a sigh of relief!

A high intake of soya isoflavones goes together with a lower risk of developing pulmonary problems or lung cancer. These are the findings of two scientific studies that were published earlier this year. So you can breathe a sigh of relief.

The first study looked into the effect on the lung function of a typical Japanese diet, rich in soya and oily fish. The dietary habits of 278 lung patients, aged between 50 and 75 were compared with those of 340 healthy patients. It was noticeable that the lung patients had a much lower consumption of isoflavones and polyunsaturated fatty acids than the healthy participants. A high intake of isoflavones – natural plant compounds from soya – went together with 64% less risk of developing lung problems, compared with a low intake. Favourable results were also observed if there was a high intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids from e.g. oily fish and soya. According to the researchers a typical Japanese diet, rich in soya and oily fish and with very little red meat, is good for the health of the lungs.

The effect of soya isoflavones on the risk of lung cancer was investigated in the second, just recently published study. This study recorded the dietary habits of approx. 77,000 Japanese men and women and followed them during 11 years. During this period 659 participants were diagnosed with lung cancer. The risk of developing lung cancer turned out to be as much as 57% lower for the men with the highest intake of isoflavones who also had never smoked. For the women who had never smoked this relationship was a little less pronounced; it was found to be 33% for those with a high intake of isoflavones.

Research into the effect of soya consumption on the health of our lungs is still relatively young, but the findings from these two studies are indeed encouraging. It is a fact that soya products are healthy and taste good. From drinks to desserts and from meat substitutes to yofus: the large variety means that you can enjoy soya products at any time of the day.

Sources:

Hirayama, F., et al. "Dietary intake of isoflavones and polyunsaturated fatty acids associated with lung function, breathlessness and the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Possible protective effect of traditional Japanese diet." Mol Nutr Food Res. (2010).

Shimazu, T., et al. "Isoflavone intake and risk of lung cancer: a prospective cohort study in Japan." Am J Clin Nutr. (2010).

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March 2010

Press release  

Healthier arteries due to soya isoflavones

A high intake of soya isoflavones can improve the health of the arteries of post-menopausal women. As a result their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases would also be reduced. This is shown in a meta-analysis of 9 studies, published in the authoritative American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Post-menopausal women have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases because the oestrogen production in the body decreases. Earlier research has already shown that isoflavones, which are naturally present in soya, may have a protective effect. Therefore they could help to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases for post-menopausal women.

In this new study the effect of soya isoflavones on healthy post-menopausal women was investigated. The flexibility of the arterial walls was examined because this is a major factor in the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Affected arteries are much less flexible and cannot expand as well as healthy ones. This makes the arteries more vulnerable to injury. Common cardiovascular diseases are a heart attack or stroke.

For the research 9 scientific studies (published between 2000 and 2007) with more than 440 participants were analysed. In all the studies the participants were given either isoflavones or a placebo without any active ingredients. The dosage of isoflavones varied from 55 to 99 mg per day.

The researchers concluded that soya isoflavones significantly improved the condition of the arterial walls in post-menopausal women. The flexibility of the arterial wall was doubled when isoflavones were used in the group of women who had arterial walls that were least flexible. The researchers concluded that especially women with badly affected arterial walls were the ones that benefitted most from the intake of soya isoflavones.

Source:

Li, S. H., et al. "Effect of oral isoflavone supplementation on vascular endothelial function in postmenopausal women: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials." Am J Clin Nutr. 2010; 91:480-486.

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April 2010

Press release

Lower your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases by having the right fats in your diet 

It is generally known that saturated fats are not good for you and that your intake should be reduced. Researchers from Harvard have shown in a recent meta-analysis that polyunsaturated fats, such as omega 3 and 6, are healthy substitutes for saturated fats. Replacing unhealthy saturated fats with healthy polyunsaturated fats can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 19%.  

There are numerous campaigns worldwide that promote a lower intake of saturated fats in order to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Most campaigns concentrate on the message to reduce the intake of saturated fats and don’t specifically recommend which nutrients are best to replace them with: proteins, carbohydrates or ‘healthier’ fat.

A recently published meta-analysis of 8 studies, with more than 13,600 participants in total, studied the effect on the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases when saturated fats are replaced with polyunsaturated fats. A diet in which 15% of the calories are provided by polyunsaturated fats proves to be much healthier than a diet in which these healthy fats provide only 5% of the calories. The researchers also established that when the ‘unhealthy’ saturated fats are replaced by polyunsaturated fats, the risk of cardiovascular diseases is reduced by 19%. According to the researchers this beneficial effect can be explained by the fact that polyunsaturated fats lower the level of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Prof. Katan of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam summarized the meta-analysis. He suggests that advice should also stress that it is better to replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats than with other nutrients.

A simple and practical way to replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats is to consume vegetable products such as soya foods (which contain fats that are predominantly unsaturated fats) instead of meat and milk (which contain fats that are predominantly saturated fats).

Soya products fit perfectly in a healthy, varied diet, and you can start already at breakfast. The large variety of products, from drinks to desserts and from meat substitutes to yofus, makes it possible to enjoy soya products at any time of the day.

Source:  Mozaffarian, D., et al. “Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.” PLoS Med. (2010)

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