Beneficial Effects of Soy Isoflavones on Blood Pressure and Lipid Profile in Indian Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

Background: The studies have suggested that dietary isoflavones intake in postmenopausal women had protective role against cardiovascular disease (CVD). Objectives: This study ascertained the effect of isoflavone in the form of soyflour on lipid profiles and blood pressure (BP) in postmenopausal women diagnosed with medium risk of CVD. Materials and Methods: It was a 16-week placebo controlled trial that was conducted on 60 postmenopausal women aged 45–55 years. Participants in the treatment group were provided with 40 g soyflour/day for 16 weeks. The participants in the control group were asked not to change their usual dietary habits and lifestyles and were instructed to avoid taking soybean and soybean products. The changes in BP and blood lipid profile were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. Results: There were non-significant differences in any of the variables between two groups at baseline. Biochemical results indicated the beneficial effect of intervention in significantly reducing systolic (6.28%) and diastolic (4.73%) BP of the treatment group. It also exhibited an effective role in significantly (P < 0.05) reducing the serum cholesterol (17.29%), triglyceride (22.22%), low density lipoprotein (24.53%), very low density lipoprotein (22.21%), and significantly increasing the high density lipoprotein (13.55%) in the treatment group. Conclusion: The study indicates that daily administration of 40g soyflour for 16 weeks improved the BP and lipid profile of postmenopausal subjects.