People with type 2 diabetes may benefit from a healthy eating lifestyle that includes soy protein. In the journal Diabetes Care, researchers reported that the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys are positively affected in type 2 diabetes patients who consume soy protein.
Over 4 years, the Iranian study followed 41 patients with type 2 diabetes, twenty of whom ate a diet that contained 35 percent animal protein, 35 percent textured soy protein and 30 percent vegetable protein. The other patients were the control group, and they consumed a diet that consisted of 70 percent animal protein and 30 percent vegetable protein.
Dr. Leila Azadbakht, of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, and colleagues determined that consuming soy protein lowered fasting blood sugar level, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Also reduced were indicators of inflammation called C-reative proteins and other urinary markers of kidney disease.
In the past, other shorter studies have shown the potential benefits of soy protein, but apparently, this is the first study that indicates these benefits are lasting and stable over the long term in people with type 2 diabetes.