Long-Term Impact of Soy Protein: A Beacon of Hope for Weight Loss in Type 2 Diabetes

The authors did a 4-year study to see if replacing animal protein with soy protein could benefit diabetics with kidney disease (nephropathy). 41 patients were split into a soy protein diet group and control group.

The soy protein group's diet:

- 35% soy protein

- 35% animal protein

- 30% plant protein

The control group's diet:

- 70% animal protein

- 30% plant protein

Results after 4 Years:

Soy Protein Diet Benefits

- Improved cholesterol levels

- Lower blood sugar

- Less protein in urine

- Better kidney function tests

- Lower C-reactive protein (inflammation marker)

The improvements were stable over the 4 year period. Prior studies had only looked at short-term soy intake.

Potential Reasons for Benefits:

- Soy peptides that influence blood vessels

- Isoflavones that reduce inflammation

- Fiber and other components

In summary, long-term use of soy protein instead of animal protein improved kidney function, cardiovascular risks, and inflammation. This suggests it may slow diabetic kidney disease progression. But larger trials are still needed. Replacing animal with soy protein shows promise for helping manage diabetic complications.

Azadbakht L, Atabak S, Esmaillzadeh A. Soy Protein Intake, Cardiorenal Indices, and C-Reactive Protein in Type 2 Diabetes With Nephropathy: A longitudinal randomized clinical trial. Diabetes Care. 2008 Apr;31(4):648. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18184902/