To determine the effects of certain components of soy (soy isoflavone protein and soy lecithin) on endothelial function in healthy post-menopausal women. If soy, which contains natural phytoestrogens, can be shown to provide the cardiovascular benefit similar to that found in conventional estrogen replacement pharmaceuticals, it may provide an alternative for postmenopausal women who favor “natural” therapies.
Further Study Details:
A total of 22 women participated in this study. Participants drank four different combinations of the study beverage (soy isoflavone protein and soy lecithin; soy isoflavone and placebo lecithin; placebo protein and soy lecithin, and placebo protein and placebo lecithin), each twice a day for a 4-week period of time. Brachial Artery Reactivity Scan (BARS) and cholesterol testing was done after completion of each 4-week treatment assignment.
Findings:
Endothelial function, assessed as flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery and serum lipid levels, was assessed at baseline and at the end of each 4-week treatment phase. In the sample of healthy postmenopausal women, soy isoflavone protein and soy lecithin significantly improved the lipid profile. However, a favorable influence on endothelial function was not seen, however this could have been due to a small sample size (number of participants).
Eligibility:
Healthy post-menopausal women who were not taking HRT, vasoactive medications or cholinesterase inhibitors.
Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center