The battle over whether soy is good for you or not continues. You probably know that I like soy and think you may eat it in moderation. And new research confirms my recommendation.
The research shows that soy can reduce your vascular risk. Researchers studied 42 postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes). They had already been on standard therapeutic diets. But the diets were altered to eliminate meat and use soy instead.
After eight weeks, insulin resistance fell significantly, fasting glucose significantly improved, LDL cholesterol dropped, and C-peptide concentrations (vascular risk proteins, such as C-reactive protein) came down significantly. The results were even better with women who ate roasted soy nuts rather than soy protein powder.
If you have diabetes, get rid of meat and move to a more low-fat raw vegan diet. It will likely help you a lot. This study supports my position that the whole food (soy nut) is superior to a processed extract (soy protein powder). The study also suggests that a non-vegetarian diet is itself a risk for insulin resistance and diabetes.
Ref: Azadbakht L, A. Esmaillzadeh, et al. Soy inclusion in the diet improves features of the metabolic syndrome: a randomized crossover study in postmenopausal women, Am J Clin Nutr, 2007; 85(3): 735-41.