Soy - Does It Lower Blood Pressure?

Author: Joe Fowler Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In this article, learn more about Soy - Does It Lower Blood Pressure?. Contradictory research results are obtained..

Results from a new US study add mixed evidence to the health benefits of soy isoflavones, which are thought to help dilate blood vessels by increasing nitric oxide release and reducing blood pressure.

Asians who have a soy-rich diet have been found to have lower levels of cardiovascular disease than people with a "Western" diet. But it is unclear whether soy supplements have cardiovascular benefits, such as lowering blood pressure or cholesterol levels, said William Wong, a nutrition researcher at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, who led the experiment.

Studies generally look at the short-term effects of soy consumption on blood vessel function, rather than whether they have lasting benefits in regulating blood pressure, the expert added.

The present study involved 24 menopausal women with moderately high blood pressure who took soy tablets or a placebo. The supplement takes a daily dose of 80 milligrams of isoflavones.

After 6 weeks, there was a slight difference in blood pressure reduction in women taking soy. Their systolic blood pressure averaged 137 mm / Hg, and that of placebo recipients averaged 136 mm / Hg.

Diastolic blood pressure in both groups averaged about 80 mm / Hg.

The research team also conducted special blood tests on the volunteers to determine whether the soy supplement affected nitric oxide production and dilation of blood vessels. They find that there is no effect.

The results are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition .

Soy - Does It Lower Blood Pressure?

Related Articles