Increased isoflavone intake associated with lower blood pressure

At the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session, held March 24-27 this year in Chicago, Safiya Richardson of Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons reported that adults who consumed a greater amount of isoflavones, which are plant-based compounds found in soy and other foods, have lower systolic blood pressure than those who consume lesser amounts.

For the current investigation, Dr Richardson and her associates analyzed data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study, which examined the development and determinants of cardiovascular disease in 5,115 African American and Caucasians who were aged 18-30 years old upon enrollment in 1985. During the twentieth year of follow-up, the participants completed extensive dietary surveys. Among those whose intake of flavones was among the highest 25 percent of subjects at over 2.5 milligrams per day, systolic blood pressure was 5.5 mmHg lower on average than those whose intake was among the lowest fourth at less than 0.33 milligrams.

"This could mean that consuming soy protein, for example, in combination with a DASH diet – one that is high in fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains – could lead to as much as a 10 mmHg drop in systolic blood pressure for pre-hypertensives, greatly improving their chances of not progressing to hypertension," Dr Richardson commented. "Any dietary or lifestyle modification people can easily make that doesn't require a daily medication is exciting, especially considering recent figures estimating that only about one third of American hypertensives have their blood pressure under control."

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