Soy Bien!

BOSTONShort-term soy-nut consumption improved glycemic control and lipid profiles in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome. The randomized crossover clinical trial included 42 postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome given one of the three dietsDietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), where red meat was replaced by soy-protein and soy-nut; soy-protein; or a soy-nut dietfor eight weeks.
Those consuming the soy-nut diet decreased the homeostasis model of assessment-insulin resistance score significantly compared with the soy-protein (difference in percentage change: 7.4 ± 0.8; P < 0.01) or control diets (12.9 ± 0.9; P < 0.01). Consumption of soy-nut also reduced fasting plasma glucose more significantly than did the soy-protein (5.3 ± 0.5 percent; P < 0.01) or control (5.1 ± 0.6 percent; P < 0.01) diet. The soy-nut regimen decreased low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol more than did the soy-protein intervention (5.0 ± 0.6 percent; P < 0.01) and the control (9.5 ± 0.6 percent; P < 0.01) diet. Also, while soy-nut consumption significantly reduced serum C-peptide concentrations compared with the control diet (8.0 ± 2.1; P < 0.01), soy-protein did not. The study was carried out in part at the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston (Am J Clin Nutr 85, 3: 735-741, 2007)