Soy nuts reduce blood pressure

A study by Francine K. Welty and colleagues showed that the consumption of soy nuts reduces blood pressure and lipid levels in postmenopausal women. The researcher chose soy nuts as a source of soy protein because they are the least processed soy products available and are more convenient than other soy foods. The study was carried out on 60 women with hypertension (high blood pressure), prehypertension (moderate elevated blood pressure) and normotension (normal blood pressure). This was a crossover study whereby all women followed both diets, a standard diet and a soy nuts diet containing half a cup of unsalted soy nuts, during 8 weeks. The total protein content of both groups was identical. This quantity of soy nuts contained 25 g soy protein and 101 mg of aglycones isoflavones.

Protective effects of soy nuts

The researchers found that the intake of soy nuts resulted in a significant reduction of the systolic (peak pressure) and diastolic (lowest pressure) blood pressure in all three group of women. In hypertensive women the intake of soy nuts also reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (= bad cholesterol) and apolipoprotein B (indicator for plaques formation and atherosclerosis) levels by 11% and 8% respectively. They concluded that the intake of soy nuts have a cardioprotective effect.

Source: Francine K Welty et al. 2007. Effect of Soy Nuts on Blood pressure and Lipid Levels in Hypertensive, Prehypertensive and normotensive Postmenopausal women. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167:1060-1067.