EFFECT OF SOYBEAN DIET ON SERUM LIPIDS AN LIPOPROTEINS OF POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Background: To investigate the effect of soybean on serum lipids and lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women. Methodology: One hundred participants were included and divided randomly into two arms. One arm received two grams of soy every day, while the other group received similar shaped capsules filled with placebo. Subjects and outcome assessors were kept blind to the contents of the capsules. Serum cholesterol, triglyceride and low- and high-density lipoproteins were measured before and after the intervention. Results: The two groups were similar in their baseline characteristics. We observed no favorable changes in lipid profile in either of the two groups. The two arms of the study responded similarly to the intervention and no statistically significant difference was observed between these responses. Conclusion: This double-blind randomized controlled trial does not support the hypothesis that the use of soybean improves serum lipid constituents in postmenopausal women having hypercholesterolemia.