Illinois: Known as the ‘silent killer’, high cholesterol increases our risk of heart disease and stroke. To prevent these damages, statins are used to control cholesterol in the body. However, a new study has found that soybeans can also be quite effective in this regard.
Whether added to soy milk in coffee or used as a meat substitute, soybeans have carved their niche as a plant-based food. Rich in several vitamins and minerals, soy has a lower risk of stroke and other cardiovascular problems.
According to research published in the journal Antioxidants, consumption of soy flour rich in b-conglycinin protein has the potential to reduce bad cholesterol.
In the study, the team of researchers found that consumption of soy reduced cholesterol and other fat levels by up to 70 percent.
Moreover, soy also reduces the risks of other metabolic diseases such as fatty liver and atherosclerosis (in which fatty deposits build up in the blood vessels).
Alvira De Mejia, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana and the author of the study, said that the effects of soybeans on cholesterol metabolism are not only related to the amount of protein, but also to the peptides in it that are released during digestion.
He added that peptides from digested soybeans have the ability to reduce fat by 50 to 70 percent, and this is very important.
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