A new study that claims soy protein can help keep the heart
healthy has received support from U.S. and Japanese health
officials. Research from two U.S. universities and Japan's
National Institute of Health and Nutrition confirmed findings on
the health benefits of soy from the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). According to the FDA study, soy protein was shown to
lower LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood by up to 14%. A study
from Harvard University's Dr. Walter Willett, which appeared in
the March edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
backed the FDA's findings. Findings from the Japanese
researchers, as well as a second study from Dr. Alice
Lichtenstein of Tufts University, appear in the April edition of
the same journal and also support the FDA's claims. Francene
Steinberg, from the University of California at Davis, said,
"The cholesterol-lowering effect of soy is directly related to
soy protein and other soy components, and not only to its low
saturated fat content." Steinberg, who also