Want To Lose Weight & Get Healthy? Eat Soy!
Many diets out there claim to help you lose weight from pills to meals to meeting plus meals but none of these so call diets will actually get you healthy.
Take Shape for Life and Medifast is committed to maximizing the health and wellness through its provision of soy-based meal replacement weight control programs. In light of recent controversy, including books, slanting soy, Medifast feels it is their duty to provide the latest evidence-based recommendations regarding the use of dietary soy for healthcare providers.
The following document provides a comprehensive summary of the latest scientific information regarding soy and its relationship with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, cancer, menopause, bone health, and kidney function, as well as addresses any safety concerns regarding soy.
This article summarizes the health benefits of having Soy in your diet, but not ordinary Soy, but the kind found only in Medifast products. To read the entire article on how the Medifast products and the Take Shape for Life 5 & 1 program play an important part in getting and keeping you healthy follow the link: Soy’s Effect On Health.
IMPORTANCE OF (SOY) PROTEIN DURING DIETING
Medifast’s soy-based meal replacements are a healthy way of achieving the optimal amount of dietary protein crucial for weight loss while still preserving lean muscle mass.
Yet, perhaps even more important is that soy protein has been shown to yield numerous health-related benefits for conditions that overweight individuals are more likely to suffer from. The health benefits soy has been shown to confer occur independent of the weight loss itself, and range from cardiovascular disease to cancer and to reductions in overall mortality.
NOT ALL SOY PROTEIN IS CREATED EQUAL
Medifast’s soy-based meal replacements are made from isolated soy protein (Solae Brand™), with its naturally-occurring isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, and glycitein) working together to yield health benefits, like lower blood cholesterol. An innovative water-based technique is used to separate carbohydrate and fat from the soy protein while still maintaining the healthy isoflavones. Other processing methods, like the alcoholextraction method, remove a substantial amount of the isoflavones and thus its antiatherogenic properties (Clair & Anthony, 2005).
BOTTOM LINE: Medifast meal replacements are made from the highest quality soy protein with the highest levels of naturally-occurring isoflavones.
HEALTH BENEFITS
All-Cause Mortality
Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world (Health and Welfare Statistics Association, 1999). Soy is a staple in the Japanese diet. The Takayama Study prospectively examined the relationship between soy intake and mortality among over 13,000 Japanese men and 15, 000 Japanese women residents over a 7 year period. Using a food frequency questionnaire, they determined that the average total intake of soy per day for men was 102.3g (44.6mg isoflavones) and for women 93.3g (41.4mg isoflavones).
FINDINGS:
• A significant inverse association between soy intake (and isoflavone intake) with all-cause mortality for men and women after controlling for age and total energy intake.
• After adjusting for nondietary factors, a decreased hazard ratio was observed among men (0.83, 95%CI 0.68 to 1.01) and women (0.83, 95%CI 0.68 to 1.02) with the highest compared with the lowest quintile of total soy product intake.
BOTTOM LINE: Soy is inversely associated with all-cause mortality.
Cardiovascular Disease Soy’s isoflavones, genistein and diadzein, protect the heart by boosting the activity of LDL receptors that remove ‘bad’ cholesterol from the bloodstream and deliver it to the liver. Additional ways soy may protect the heart are through its antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and potentially anti-thrombogenic properties (Clair & Anthony, 2005). Thirty-two of Medifast’s meal replacements meet the criteria to carry this health claim.
Seven years after soy’s health claim was first issued by the FDA, tons more research has been done to substantiate the original claim. In 2006, Reynolds et al. performed a metaanalysis of 41 randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of soy protein supplementation, as the only intervention, on serum
lipids.
They found that soy protein supplementation was associated with:
♥ A significant decrease in mean total cholesterol of more than 5 mg/dl (95% CI -
7.14 to -3.38)
♥ A significant decrease in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol of more
than 4 mg/dl (95% CI -6.00 to -2.50)
♥ A significant decrease in triglycerides of more than 6 mg/dl (95% CI -9.14 to -
3.38)
♥ A significant increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol of 0.77
mg/dl (95% CI 0.2 to 1.34).
BOTTOM LINE: Soy protein protects against coronary risk factors and 32 of Medifast’s meal replacements carry the Heart Healthy Claim.
Metabolic Syndrome
The metabolic syndrome is characterized by a clustering of cardiovascular risk factors, including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, increased blood pressure, insulin resistance, and a proinflammatory state (Borgman & McErlean, 2006). Metabolic syndrome is widespread among adults from developed nations and its prevalence continue to rise as rates of obesity do. While the etiology has yet to be fully elucidated, genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors, like diet, are thought to play a role.Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that the inclusion of soy protein in the diet positively affects metabolic syndrome (Lukaczer et al., 2006; Davis et al., 2005; Azadbakht et al. 2007). Significant reductions in insulin, fasting plasma glucose, Cpeptide have all been observed among postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome on a diet incorporating 102 mg/d of soy isoflavones. Thus, it appears that soy foods improve insulin sensitivity and modulate the metabolic abnormalities linked with insulin resistance (Jayagopal et al., 2002).
BOTTOM LINE: Soy may improve the metabolic abnormalities of metabolic syndrome.
Cancer
After cardiovascular disease, cancer is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Soy protein is associated with reduced risk of certain cancers. The evidence of a protective effect for soy is particularly strong in cancers of the prostate, breast, and gastro-intestinal (GI) tract.
Prostate Cancer
Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer among men. However, overweight men who fall into the heaviest weight category are also more likely to die from stomach or prostate cancer according to the American Obesity Association. When compared to Asian men, American men are far more likely to die from prostate cancer and have a death rate that is 18-fold higher than their Eastern counterparts (Jemal et al., 2002). Soy, a dietary staple, may confer the protective effect among Eastern Asian men as Asian men who have emigrated to the US and have adopted the Western diet have higher rates of prostate-related morbidity and mortality.
BOTTOM LINE: Men who consume soy may have lower rates of prostate cancer.
Breast Cancer
Position of the National Cancer Institute (NCI): There have been several studies that suggest dietary soy may reduce breast cancer risk and improve survival. The controversy, however, is over the use of soy, by breast cancer patients, especially those with estrogen receptor–positive tumors.
Position of the National Cancer Institute (NCI): There have been several studies that suggest dietary soy may reduce breast cancer risk and improve survival. Thecontroversy, however, is over the use of soy, by breast cancer patients, especially those with estrogen receptor–positive tumors.
BOTTOM LINE: Soy appears to have a protective effect against premenopausal breast cancer. The verdict is still out among postmenopausal females, or females with a past personal history or family history of breast cancer.
The verdict is also still out regarding the use of soy and Tamoxifen. Medifast recommends that patients follow the NCI guidelines and the advice of their physician or breast cancer specialist.
GI Cancers
Numerous studies have also found a protective effect of soy against adenomatous polyps (Witte et al., 1996) and colon cancer (Hoshiyama et al., 1993; Nishi et al., 1997). Results of an intervention study showed that an intake of 39 g/d of soy protein for one year significantly reducesd colon mucosa cell proliferation vs. 39g/d of casein protein in “atrisk†patients with colon polyps or colon cancer (Bennink, 2001).Numerous studies have also found a protective effect of soy against adenomatous polyps (Witte et al., 1996) and colon cancer (Hoshiyama et al., 1993; Nishi et al., 1997).
Results of an intervention study showed that an intake of 39 g/d of soy protein for one year significantly reducesd colon mucosa cell proliferation vs. 39g/d of casein protein in “atrisk†patients with colon polyps or colon cancer (Bennink, 2001).
Numerous studies have also found a protective effect of soy against adenomatous polyps (Witte et al., 1996) and colon cancer (Hoshiyama et al., 1993; Nishi et al., 1997). Results of an intervention study showed that an intake of 39 g/d of soy protein for one year significantly reducesd colon mucosa cell proliferation vs. 39g/d of casein protein in “atrisk†patients with colon polyps or colon cancer (Bennink, 2001).
BOTTOM LINE: Soy appears to protect against cancers of the GI tract and may help eradicate H. Pylori infections.Menopausal Symptoms
Approximately 2/3 of women who reach menopause develop vasomotor menopausal symptoms, primarily in the form of hot flashes and night sweats. Of 21 trials examining the effects of soy and/or its isoflavones effects on hot flashes and night sweats in postmenopausal women, every trial found a decrease in hot flash frequencies compared to controls (Balk et al., 2005). Additionally, soy protein helps protect against some other menopause-associated features. A review by Geller & Studee (2006) suggest that soy isoflavones have a small but positive effect on lipids, bone mass, and cognitive function.A randomized, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial found that postmenopausal women who received 60mg/day of soy isoflavones had improved cognitive performance and mood (Casini et al., 2006).
BOTTOM LINE: Soy helps with vasomotor symptoms of menopause and positively affects other menopause-related health conditions.
Bone HealthIn addition to study design issues, the inconsistent results may be partly due to studies evaluating women in their post-menopausal years who would be less likely to hypothetically benefit from phytoestrogens because of age-related declines in estrogen receptors on bone (Reinwald & Weaver, 2006). To reap the benefits of soy when it comes to bone health, it may be better to consume soy protein in the peri-menopausal or early post-menopausal years when the more mild estogenic effects of soy might be less opposed by endogenous estrogen, and before the age-related decline in estrogen receptor number occurs (Reinwald & Weaver, 2006).
BOTTOM LINE: There is evidence to suggest that soy confers a protective effect on bone.
The benefits of soy on bone health may be most garnered more during perimenopause or early post-menopause
SAFETY
Thyroid Function
Some evidence suggests that soy foods, by inhibiting absorption, may increase the dose of thyroid hormone required by hypothyroid patients.
Further, in some individuals who consume marginal amounts of iodine, soy foods may, at least theoretically, increase the risk of developing clinical hypothyroidism.
BOTTOM LINE: Soy has no adverse effects in euthyroid individuals. Individuals with hypothyroidism on synthetic thyroid hormones do not need to avoid soy in their diets. They simply need to pay closer attention by monitoring their lab work more frequently.
BOTTOM LINE: Soy does not alter sexual function, behavior, or affect sterility.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
There is no evidence in animal (Fagi et al., 2004; Cardoso & Bao, 2007) or humanstudies that the phyto-estrogens in soy adversely affect child or adult growth, development, reproduction, or sexual behavior (Merritt & Jenks, 2004).For most people, the benefits of incorporating soy protein as part of a healthy diet plan far outweigh the potential (or hypothetical) risks. This is particularly true for overweight or obese individuals, who are more likely to suffer from a comorbidity that would be responsive to soy.
Medifast is a pioneer in recognizing the double benefit that can be potentially gained by offering the highest quality soy protein, rich in isoflavones, as part of their clinically-tested weight control program.
There is no evidence in animal (Fagi et al., 2004; Cardoso & Bao, 2007) or humanstudies that the phyto-estrogens in soy adversely affect child or adultgrowth, development, reproduction, or sexual behavior (Merritt & Jenks, 2004).
If you are already eating and enjoying the health benefits from Soy with the Medifast products and Take Shape for Life program, Congradulations!
If you need to lose weight fast and get healthy again, try a Medifast Starter Kit from Take Shape for Life. It contains all the products you need to lose weight and also get healthy!
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