Soy-based Shakes Help Lower Weight, Cholesterol
 (NY, Reuters Health, 6/16/05)

In a 12-week weight-loss study, Dr. James W. Anderson of the University of Kentucky and Dr. Lars H. Hole of NutriPharma in Norway assigned a “soy group” to a daily diet of five servings of Scan-Diet, a Nutripharma liquid soy supplement, plus fruits and vegetables; and they assigned a “milk group” to drink two servings daily of Slim-Fast, a milk-based liquid, plus fruits, vegetables and two servings of lean meat. The thirty subjects who completed the study in the soy group consumed about 75% of the assigned amount of the diet liquid; while the 22 who completed the milk-based regimen complied with the recommendation of two shakes daily. Both groups averaged a loss of about 8.5% of their initial weight, but the soy group also lowered both their LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels.. These findings indicate that both soy and milk-based liquid meal replacements may help adults lose weight, but soy also confers greater cholesterol and triglyceride reducing benefits.

(Journal of the American College of Nutrition, June 2005)