Soy may not just be for your waistline according to a new study. Supplements of milk and soy protein lowered blood pressure in hypertensive patients in a small sample reported this week. Nearly 75 million Americans have high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney damage.

Scientists evaluated the effects of milk and soy protein and a carbohydrate supplement among 352 adults who either had pre-hypertension or stage 1 hypertension, meaning that systolic readings (the top number) ranging from 120 to 159 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure readings (the bottom number) from 80 to 95 mmHg. Normal pressure levels should be below 120 over 80.

Each person took 40 grams of a supplement daily for eight-week periods. He and his team evaluated the participants’ blood pressure at the start and end of each phase and the carbohydrate supplement served as a comparison.

Dr. Jiang He, chairman of epidemiology at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans, said the benefits could translate to reduced numbers of strokes and other cardiovascular problems in the population as a whole.

He added:

“Our study found that over an eight-week intervention, soy protein was associated with a 2 mm reduction in systolic blood pressure. Milk protein supplement was associated with a 2.3 mm reduction in blood pressure readings. These proteins might be an important component of nutrition intervention strategies for the prevention and treatment of hypertension. The reduction is not large in an individual, but significant at the population level.”

He estimates it could lead to 6 percent fewer strokes, for instance, in the general population. He believes the study is the first of its kind to find a benefit from milk and soy protein in blood pressure reduction.

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City said:

“I think future studies need to be done. It shows us the importance of diet and modifying risk factors.”

She also suggests replacing animal fat with soy protein, such as substituting a veggie burger with soy protein for a hamburger with animal protein, at least occasionally.

However, soy protein contains phytoestrogens, which bind to estrogen receptors in the body. Some studies suggest that high levels of phytoestrogens may increase the risk of certain forms of cancer, while other studies contradict this finding and suggest these compounds may decrease the risk of cancer.

Of any studied legume, whole soybeans have the highest levels of phytic acid, an organic acid and mineral chelator present in many plant tissues, especially bran and seeds, which binds to certain ingested minerals calcium, magnesium, iron, and especially zinc in the intestinal tract, and reduces the amount the body assimilates.

For people with a particularly low intake of essential minerals, especially young children and those in developing countries, this effect can be undesirable. However, dietary mineral chelators help prevent over-mineralization of joints, blood vessels, and other parts of the body, which is most common in older persons.

Source: The American Heart Association Journal: Circulation

Written by Sy Kraft