Soy & Health
April is National Soyfoods Month.
Celebrate Soyfoods every month by adding soy to your diet.
Soy For Your Heart
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says food containing soy protein may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Foods that meet the FDA guidelines can label their products with this claim.
The soy health claim is based on the FDA's determination that 25 grams of soy protein per day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing blood cholesterol levels.
To get the heart-healthy benefits of soy protein, the FDA recommends that consumers incorporate four servings of at least 6.25 grams of soy protein into their daily diet for a total of at least 25 grams of soy protein each day.
In order to claim the healthful effects of soy, a soyfood must meet the following criteria:
- 6.25 grams of more soy protein
- Low fat (less than 3 grams)
- Low saturated fat (less than 1 gram)
- Low cholesterol (less than 20 mg)
Foods made with the whole soybean may also qualify for the health claim if they contain no fat in addition to that present in the whole soybean. These would include soyfoods such as tofu, soymilk, soy-based burgers, tempeh, and soynuts.
Net food product labels may now say, "Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving of (name of food) provides ______ grams of soy protein."
For more information, go to www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdsoypr.html.