A one-year, double-blind, controlled clinical study suggests cacao flavonoids and soy isoflavones can significantly improve biomarkers of CVD risk in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. The trial, conducted by Peter J. Curtis, Ph.D., et al, funded by a U.K.-based Charity, Diabetes UJK, and supported by Frutarom Ltd., Israel, and cocoa and chocolate processor Barry Callebaut Inc., was published February 2012 in Diabetes Care.
The advantages of soy proteins are numerous and well-documented. Formulating with soy protein, however, has previously been limited to beverages with a pH higher than 4.5—the isoelectric point (the pH at which the total charge on the protein molecule is equivalent to zero) of soy proteins.
The FDA acknowledges that both soy protein and sterols can provide a means for consumers to help reduce their risk of heart disease as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Regular consumption of soy protein-containing foods and beverages may reduce the risk of breast cancer in women by as much as 22%, reports a study published in The International Journal of Cancer Prevention.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reviewing a petition for a health claim suggesting the consumption of soy protein-based foods may reduce the risks of certain types of cancer, including breast, prostate and colon cancer.