Soy Milk Better Than Cow’s Milk for Cardiovascular Health
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Dr. John Sievenpiper and his lab at the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto analyzed 17 trials in which soy milk was substituted for cow’s milk. They looked at the effects of sweetened and unsweetened soy milk on 19 cardiometabolic health markers. There were no negative effects on any of the markers, though for some there was a clear improvement for study participants who switched to soy milk. The study found “moderate reductions” in blood pressure, and “small important reductions” in “bad” LDL cholesterol and inflammation.
The trials ranged from four to 16 weeks in length. “This time frame may be sufficient for observing certain effects, but other outcomes may require a longer period to manifest changes,” the authors wrote. But the meta-analysis benefits from being a “comprehensive” synthesis of available evidence directly comparing soy milk to cow’s milk.