A study released by a major U.S. health organization casts doubt on the claim that helped launch the multibillion-dollar soy foods industry.
The American Heart Association has determined that soy protein has little or no effect on reducing the risk of heart disease.
A review of 22 recent studies on the effects of soy protein led the group to conclude there was “minimal or no benefit on cholesterol” from consuming products such as tofu, soy butter, soy nuts and soy burgers.
That finding flies in the face of a 1999 U.S. Food and Drug Administration health claim that allowed food companies to label products containing a certain amount of soy protein as protecting consumers against heart disease.
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It also contradicts a similar statement issued in 2000 by the AHA itself, which encouraged consumers to include soy protein foods in diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Those two heart-smart endorsements helped launch a soy products industry that consumes 10 percent of U.S. soybean production and is worth an estimated $4 billion U.S. annually in the United States alone, according to Soyatech Inc.
So what will happen to the industry now that the AHA has changed its mind and the U.S. health department is re-evaluating its 1999 claim?
Very little, according to United Soybean Board director Amy Sigg Davis.
She said the benefits of consuming soy products extend beyond the original heart-smart claims. Shoppers have come to realize soy is a healthy alternative to other protein-rich products like red meat and have incorporated soy products into their diets.
“That doesn’t stop happening just because it is not a superfood or a miracle food,” said the Ohio soybean grower.
Her point was acknowledged in the AHA study, which noted that soy products still provide health benefits due to their high content of polyunsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins, minerals and low levels of saturated fat.
“Soy products may have benefits when replacing other foods such as hamburgers,” said AHA report author Frank Sacks.
The association has a problem only with the notion that eating soy protein reduces bad cholesterol levels in humans. There was a statistically significant decline in bad cholesterol in only eight of the 22 studies it reviewed.
In those eight studies, the level of low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol decreased by an average of three percent but only by eating what was considered an unreasonably large amount of soy protein.
Dave Hickling, vice-president of canola utilization at the Canola Council of Canada, agreed with that assessment.
“I would think (the report) is going to have a fairly minimal effect.”
And he doesn’t see any opportunity or threat to the canola industry as a result of the AHA study since it only dealt with the protein side of the commodity.
“It’s not really a competing business with canola oil so it is really outside of our sphere of influence.”
