Extend Your “Healthspan” with Soy Foods

Lifespans have more than doubled over the past one hundred years, largely due to a reduction in infant mortality and advances in modern medicine.1 With people living into their 70s (and beyond) the concept of the healthspan has emerged as a measure of the number of years of the lifespan that are “healthy and free from chronic disease.” Optimally, one’s healthspan extends throughout most of one’s lifespan, with physical and cognitive maintained well into one’s later years.

Unfortunately for many, this is not the case. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cites U.S. life expectancy at 77.5 years, and the World Health Organization (WHO) calculates “healthy life expectancy” at 66.1 years meaning there is a 10+ year “gap” between lifespan and healthspan.2.3

Lifestyle choices, including diet choice, can affect healthspan. As briefly discussed below, intriguing research indicates that the nutrients and bioactives in many soy foods, including high-quality protein, isoflavones, and essential fats, may help optimize health into the later years of life.

Maintaining lean muscle mass

Muscle mass decreases by 3% to 8% per decade after the age of 30, with declines even higher after age 60.4 The subsequent loss of strength and function can be a major contributor to disabilities later in life. Resistance exercise combined with dietary protein is key to maintaining and building muscle. The protein found in soy foods is high-quality and has been shown to promote gains in strength and muscle mass among individuals engaged in resistance exercise training similar to animal protein including whey protein.5

Managing body weight

More than 1 in 3 American adults struggle with obesity, leading to an estimated $147 billion annually in healthcare-related costs.6,7 Dietary protein is increasingly viewed as an important factor in weight loss and weight maintenance strategies, as some evidence suggests protein may promote satiety. The authors of a review of the literature published in the journal Obesity Reviews, concluded that soy promotes weight loss similar to other protein sources.8 As a result, staying on an energy-restrictive diet that includes satiety-promoting protein-rich foods including soy foods, may aid in weight loss and maintenance.5

Protecting heart health

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in the U.S.9 Soy protein is the only plant protein that carries a health claim authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which states “25 grams of soy protein a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.” Soy protein intake leads to a modest yet clinically relevant reduction in cholesterol. Soybean oil is primarily comprised of heart-healthy polyunsaturated fat. Like soy protein, soybean oil carries an FDA health claim stating, “supportive but not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1½ tablespoons (20.5 grams) daily of soybean oil, which contains unsaturated fat, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.” When soy foods replace common protein sources in the U.S. diet, which tend to be higher in saturated fat, there is a favorable shift in fatty acid intake, leading to a reduction in blood cholesterol.5

Preserving bone health

Approximately 10.2 million Americans have osteoporosis and an additional 43.3 million have low bone density.10 Women face higher risks than men, with osteoporosis affecting nearly 20% of women over age 50. Diet plays a part in osteoporosis prevention, especially getting adequate calcium and vitamin D.11While the relationship between protein intake and bone health is complex, studies suggest bone mineral density (BMD), an important determinant of bone strength, appears to be positively associated with dietary protein intake, but it is unclear if the results depend on the type of protein.12

Intriguing research suggests soy foods, likely because they are uniquely rich sources of isoflavones may promote bone health. Some observational studies have reported that soy intake was associated with a reduced fracture risk among women, and the results of clinical trials indicate soy decreases bone resorption.13,14So, while it is premature to recommend soy foods for bone health solely due to their isoflavone content, soy foods can be recommended for those concerned about bone health because they provide protein, and may be fortified with calcium and vitamin D.5

Breast cancer prevention and recurrence

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among U.S. women.15 Observational studies show higher soy intake is associated with a statistically significant lower incidence of developing breast cancer.16 Additionally, observational studies show that postdiagnosis soy consumption is linked with a decreased risk of breast cancer recurrence.17,18 Numerous health agencies including the American Cancer Society, have concluded that breast cancer patients can safely consume soy foods.5

For more information about the health and nutrition attributes of soy, download The Health Effects of Soy: Reference Guide for Health Professionals.

This blog is supported by SNI Global and U.S. Soy.

References

1) Max Roser (2018) – “Twice as long – life expectancy around the world” Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: ‘https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy-globally’ [Online Resource] Accessed June 6, 2024.

2) Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2022. NCHS Data Brief, no 492. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2024. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:135850

3) World Health Organization. (2020, December 4). Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth – Indicator Details. Retrieved June 6, 2024, from https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/gho-ghe-hale-healthy-life-expectancy-at-birth

4) Volpi E, N. R. (2004). Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care, Jul;7(4):405-10. Retrieved from National Library of Medicine.

5) Messina Mark, Duncan Alison, Messina Virginia, Lynch Heidi, Kiel Jessica, Erdman John W., The health effects of soy: A reference guide for health professionals, Frontiers in Nutrition, 11 August 2022.

6) Fryar CD, Carroll MD, Afful J. Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among adults aged 20 and over: United States, 1960–1962 through 2017–2018. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2020.

7) Ward ZJ, Bleich SN, Long MW, Gortmaker SL (2021) Association of body mass index with health care expenditures in the United States by age and sex. PLoS ONE 16(3): e0247307. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247307

8) Cope MB, Erdman JW Jr., Allison DB. The potential role of soyfoods in weight and adiposity reduction: an evidence-based review. Obes Rev. (2008) 9:219–35.

9) Heart Disease Facts. (2024, May 15). Retrieved from Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats/. Accessed June 6, 2024.

10) Sarafrazi N, Wambogo EA, Shepherd JA. Osteoporosis or low bone mass in older adults: United States, 2017–2018. NCHS Data Brief, no 405. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2021.

11) Liu C , Kuang X , Li K , Guo X , Deng Q , Li D . Effects of combined calcium and vitamin D supplementation on osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Food Funct. 2020 Dec 1;11(12):10817-10827.

12) Rizzoli, R., et al., Benefits and safety of dietary protein for bone health-an expert consensus paper endorsed by the European Society for Clinical and Economical Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, and Musculoskeletal Diseases and by the International Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporos Int, 2018

13) Zhang X, Shu XO, Li H, Yang G, Li Q, Gao YT, et al. Prospective cohort study of soy food consumption and risk of bone fracture among postmenopausal women. Arch Intern Med. (2005) 165:1890–5.

14) Akhlaghi M, Ghasemi Nasab M, Riasatian M, Sadeghi F. Soy isoflavones prevent bone resorption and loss, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020;60(14):2327-2341.

15) U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. U.S. Cancer Statistics Data Visualizations Tool, based on 2022 submission data (1999-2020): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute; https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dataviz, released in November 2023.

16) Wu AH, Yu MC, Tseng CC, Pike MC. Epidemiology of soy exposures and breast cancer risk. Br J Cancer. 2008 Jan 15;98(1):9-14. doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604145. Epub 2008 Jan 8. PMID: 18182974; PMCID: PMC2359677.

17) Chi F, Wu R, Zeng YC, Xing R, Liu Y, Xu ZG. Post-diagnosis soy food intake and breast cancer survival: a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2013;14(4):2407-12. doi: 10.7314/apjcp.2013.14.4.2407. PMID: 23725149.

18) Qiu S, Jiang C. Soy and isoflavones consumption and breast cancer survival and recurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Nutr. 2019 Dec;58(8):3079-3090. doi: 10.1007/s00394-018-1853-4. Epub 2018 Oct 31. PMID: 30382332.