Impact of Dietary Intake of Medium-Chain Triacylglycerides on the Intestinal Absorption of Poorly Permeable Compounds.

The present study sought to demonstrate the effect of dietary intake of medium-chain triacylglycerides (MCTs) on the intestinal absorption of a poorly permeable compound of intermediate molecular weight (FITC-dextran 4000 [FD-4]). As a model of MCTs, C8-C12 fatty acid triacylglyceride (COCONAD ML) was mainly used, and the dose strength of each triglyceride was set with consideration of the dietary ingestion dose (12.5 mg/rat). When FD-4 with MCTs dispersed in fasted state simulated intestinal fluid containing surfactants was administered into the rat jejunum, the intestinal absorption of FD-4 was significantly higher than when administered with a similar solution with or without corn oil (long-chain triglycerides). The effects of pretreatment by MCT lipolysis, inhibition of endogenous lipases, and different dose timings of MCTs and FD-4 on the intestinal absorption of FD-4 indicated that medium-chain fatty acids, such as caprylic acid and capric acid, released from MCTs by lipolysis in the small intestine significantly enhanced the intestinal absorption of FD-4, but the effect was transient. In addition, a similar effect was observed when MCTs were dispersed in soymilk, although large interindividual variation was detected. These findings suggested that dietary intake of MCTs might affect the intestinal absorption of poorly permeable compounds.

Consumption of a soy drink has no effect on cognitive function but may alleviate vasomotor symptoms in post-menopausal women; a randomised trial.

PURPOSE: Cognitive decline is commonly reported during the menopausal transition, with memory and attention being particularly affected. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a commercially available soy drink on cognitive function and menopausal symptoms in post-menopausal women. METHODS: 101 post-menopausal women, aged 44-63 years, were randomly assigned to consume a volume of soy drink providing a low (10 mg/day; control group), medium (35 mg/day), or high (60 mg/day) dose of isoflavones for 12 weeks. Cognitive function (spatial working memory, spatial span, pattern recognition memory, 5-choice reaction time, and match to sample visual search) was assessed using CANTAB pre- and post-the 12 week intervention. Menopausal symptoms were assessed using Greene's Climacteric Scale. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between the groups for any of the cognitive function outcomes measured. Soy drink consumption had no effect on menopausal symptoms overall; however, when women were stratified according to the severity of vasomotor symptoms (VMS) at baseline, women with more severe symptoms at baseline in the medium group had a significant reduction (P = 0.001) in VMS post-intervention (mean change from baseline score: - 2.15 ± 1.73) in comparison to those with less severe VMS (mean change from baseline score: 0.06 ± 1.21). CONCLUSIONS: Soy drink consumption had no effect on cognitive function in post-menopausal women. Consumption of ~ 350 ml/day (35 mg IFs) for 12 weeks significantly reduced VMS in those with more severe symptoms at baseline. This finding is clinically relevant as soy drinks may provide an alternative, natural, treatment for alleviating VMS, highly prevalent among western women.

Soy-based infant formula feeding and menstrual pain in a cohort of women aged 23-35 years.

STUDY QUESTION: Is soy formula feeding during infancy associated with menstrual pain in reproductive-age women? SUMMARY ANSWER: Our data suggest that soy formula feeding during infancy is associated with several indicators of severe menstrual pain in reproductive-age women. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: A prior study observed greater severity of menstrual pain in young women who as infants participated in feeding studies and were assigned to soy-based formula feeding. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: We used data from the Study of Environment, Lifestyle & Fibroids (SELF), a cohort of 1696 African-American women ages 23-35 years at enrollment. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTINGS, METHODS: Data on infant soy formula feeding was ascertained by self-administered questionnaire for 1553 participants, with 89% of participants receiving assistance from their mothers. Information on menstrual pain indicators was collected by web- and telephone-interview. We estimated the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using log-binomial regression, or log-multinomial regression, adjusting for participant age and maternal education. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Women ever fed soy formula as infants were more likely than unexposed women to report ever use of hormonal contraception for menstrual pain (RR 1.4, CI: 1.1-1.9) and moderate/severe menstrual discomfort/pain with 'most periods', but not 'every period', during early adulthood (ages 18-22 when not using hormonal contraception) (RR 1.5, CI: 1.1-2.0). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: We relied on retrospective recall to ascertain infant exposure to soy formula feeding and data on menstrual pain indicators. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our observations add to the growing body of literature from animal and human studies on the reproductive health consequences of early-life exposure to soy formula. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the NIH, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and, in part, by funds allocated for health research by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This research was also supported by grant K99NR017191 (KU). None of the authors has a conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Not applicable.

Effects of soya milk on reproductive hormones during puberty in male Wistar rats.

Puberty is considered a critical period on development that involved sexual maturation and morphological changes. Isoflavones have been described as endocrine disruptors in male rats. Therefore, the present study attempt to evaluate the effect that daily intake of low and high doses of isoflavones exert into the hormonal regulation that take place during puberty by analyzing the levels of serum and testes steroid and pituitary hormones. 108 male pre-puberal Wistar rats (30 days old) were randomly divided into three groups; control, low and high doses of isoflavones. Experimental animals were daily dosed orally with low and high doses of a mixture of two soy isoflavones (genistein and daidzein) during 6 weeks. An EIA was performed in serum and testes homogenates for analyzing FSH, LH, P5, P4, DHEA, A4, T, DHT, SO4E1 and E2 hormone concentrations. Results revealed a decrease of an oestrogen environment in testes stimulates the secretion of FSH and LH leading to the production of androgens in the testes at the onset of puberty. Low doses of isoflavones resulted in a significant increase of testes oestrogens that consequently produced a delay on the onset of puberty; however at high doses of isoflavones the maintained oestrogenic environment in the testes prevent the stimulation of the secretion of pituitary hormones and the production of T abolishing the onset of puberty. These results clarify the hormonal mechanisms that take place on puberty and determine the effect of high and low doses of isoflavones at the onset of puberty.

The contribution of milks and formulae to micronutrient intake in 1-3 years old children in urban China: a simulation study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: A recent dietary survey in 5 big cities in China provided information on various milk options consumed by 1-3 years old children. To investigate the nutritional role of these milks (young-child formula (YCF), cow's milk, others), simulation analyses based on this survey were performed. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: We studied daily intakes of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamins A, B-1, B-2, C and E and compared these to the Chinese DRIs. In Scenario 1, consumption of cow's milk, kid's milk and/or soy milk was replaced with matching amounts of YCF (n=66 children). In Scenario 2, where 348 children exclusively consumed YCF, YCF was replaced with matching amounts of cow's milk. RESULTS: Scenario 1 revealed significant increases in total dietary intakes of iron, vitamins A, B-1, C and E upon substitution of the various milks with YCF. The proportions of children not meeting the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for these nutrients dropped from 29, 26, 61, 53 and 54 % to 12, 11, 50, 27 and 24%, respectively. In Scenario 2, the hypothetical substitution of YCF by cow's milk increased the proportions of children not meeting the EAR for these nutrients, calcium and zinc from 11, 6, 49, 15, 28, 42, and 8 to 45, 24, 78, 69, 59, 44, and 20, respectively. Execution of Scenario 2 in subgroups of 1-2- and 2-3 years old children revealed similar results. CONCLUSIONS: YCF may help to reduce the risk of insufficient intake of several key micronutrients for toddlers, independent of age.

Identification of Urinary Food Intake Biomarkers for Milk, Cheese, and Soy-Based Drink by Untargeted GC-MS and NMR in Healthy Humans.

The measurement of food intake biomarkers (FIBs) in biofluids represents an objective tool for dietary assessment. FIBs of milk and cheese still need more investigation due to the absence of candidate markers. Thus, an acute intervention study has been performed to sensitively and specifically identify candidate FIBs. Eleven healthy male and female volunteers participated in the randomized, controlled crossover study that tested a single intake of milk and cheese as test products, and soy-based drink as a control. Urine samples were collected at baseline and up to 24 h at distinct time intervals (0-1, 1-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-12, and 12-24 h) and were analyzed using an untargeted multiplatform approach (GC-MS and 1H NMR). Lactose, galactose, and galactonate were identified exclusively after milk intake while for other metabolites (allantoin, hippurate, galactitol, and galactono-1,5-lactone) a significant increase has been observed. Urinary 3-phenyllactic acid was the only compound specifically reflecting cheese intake although alanine, proline, and pyroglutamic acid were found at significantly higher levels after cheese consumption. In addition, several novel candidate markers for soy drink were identified, such as pinitol and trigonelline. Together, these candidate FIBs of dairy intake could serve as a basis for future validation studies under free-living conditions.

Impact of preloading either dairy or soy milk on postprandial glycemia, insulinemia and gastric emptying in healthy adults.

PURPOSE: Milk protein ingestion reduces post-meal glycemia when consumed either before or together with carbohydrate foods. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of dairy and soy milk consumed either before (preload) or together with (co-ingestion) a carbohydrate (bread), on postprandial blood glucose, insulin and gastric emptying in healthy participants. METHODS: Twelve healthy Chinese male participants were studied on five separate occasions using a randomized crossover design. White wheat bread consumed with water was used as a reference meal. Capillary and venous bloods were sampled pretest and 3.5 h post-test meal for glucose and insulin measurement. Gastric emptying was measured using real-time ultrasonography. RESULTS: Co-ingestion of dairy milk or soy milk with bread lowered postprandial blood glucose response and glycemic index. Co-ingesting soy milk with bread increased insulin response and insulinemic index significantly compared to co-ingestion of dairy milk and preload treatments. Preloads (30 min prior to bread) significantly lowered postprandial glycemia and insulinemia compared to co-ingestion. Gastric emptying was slower after co-ingesting dairy milk with bread than after reference meal. CONCLUSIONS: Preloading either soy milk or dairy milk results in greater reduction in glycemic response compared to co-ingestion alone. This dietary practice may have therapeutic advantage in communities consuming high GI diets. Optimal glucose control may have the potential for increasing the time of transition from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes in Asian communities. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT 02151188.

Mothers' Consumption of Soy Drink But Not Black Tea Increases the Flavonoid Content of Term Breast Milk: A Pilot Randomized, Controlled Intervention Study.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a pilot RCT to prove the hypothesis that a controlled ingestion of polyphenol-rich beverages (soy drink, decaffeinated black tea) in nutritive dosages by nursing women has an effect on the composition (flavonoid concentration, total antioxidant capacity) of breast milk. METHODS: Healthy nursing women were supplemented with either 250 mL of a soy drink (12 mg isoflavones; n = 18), 300 mL decaffeinated black tea (67 mg catechins; n = 18), or 300 mL water (n = 8, control) for 6 days. Milk samples were collected before, during, and after intervention. Flavonoid content (isoflavones/catechins, HPLC) and total antioxidant capacity of milk and test drinks in milk specimens were assessed. RESULTS: Isoflavone content (genistein and daidzein) in breast milk increased up to 12 nmol/L after soy drink consumption; the major flavonoids constituents of black tea (catechin, epicatechin, and respective conjugates) could not be detected in milk samples. With both interventions, the total antioxidant capacity of breast milk was not affected. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers' daily consumption of a soy drink considerably increases isoflavone content of breast milk resulting in an estimated daily exposure of 9.6 nmol isoflavones in a 4-month-old suckling infant. Luminal flavanol uptake from black tea consumed by the nursing mother may be too low to affect flavanol concentrations in breast milk.

The Impact of Probiotic Soy Milk Consumption on Oxidative Stress Among Type 2 Diabetic Kidney Disease Patients: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one the most important complications of diabetes leading to end-stage renal disease. This study aimed to determine the effects of probiotic soy milk consumption on oxidative stress biomarkers in type 2 DKD patients. METHODS: Forty-eight patients were randomly assigned to consume a diet containing 200 mL/day probiotic soy milk in the intervention group or soy milk in the control condition. As determinants of oxidative stress, malondialdehyde, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, oxidized glutathione, total antioxidant capacity, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase were measured after 8 weeks of intervention according to the standard protocol. RESULTS: Between groups analysis showed that DKD patients in the probiotic soy milk group had a higher mean value of GSH compared with those in the soy milk group. In the final adjusted model, this difference remained significant. Consistently, oxidized glutathione concentration was significantly reduced among patients in the probiotic soy milk group. Also, for activity levels of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase, significant increased levels were observed between 2 intervention groups in the final adjusted model. However, no significant reduction of the serum 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α or malondialdehyde and no induction of TAC concentrations within and between the 2 groups in the crude and adjusted models were detected. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results demonstrate that probiotic soy milk consumption could improve some oxidative stress factors among DKD patients. Further longitudinal studies with consideration of individual variation should be conducted.

Removing energy from a beverage influences later food intake more than the same energy addition.

Designing reduced-calorie foods and beverages without compromising their satiating effect could benefit weight management, assuming that consumers do not compensate for the missing calories at other meals. Though research has demonstrated that compensation for overfeeding is relatively limited, the extent to which energy reductions trigger adjustments in later food intake is less clear. The current study tested satiety responses (characterised by changes in appetite and later food intake) to both a covert 200 kcal reduction and an addition of maltodextrin to a soymilk test beverage. Twenty-nine healthy male participants were recruited to consume three sensory-matched soymilk beverages across four non-consecutive study days: a medium energy control (ME: 300 kcal) and a lower energy (LE: 100 kcal) and higher energy (HE: 500 kcal) version. The ME control was consumed twice to assess individual consistency in responses to this beverage. Participants were unaware of the energy differences across the soymilks. Lunch intake 60 min later increased in response to the LE soymilk, but was unchanged after consuming the HE version. These adjustments accounted for 40% of the energy removed from the soymilk and 13% of the energy added in. Rated appetite was relatively unaffected by the soymilk energy content. No further adjustments were noted for the rest of the day. These data suggest that adult men tested were more sensitive to calorie dilution than calorie addition to a familiar beverage.

Soya and isoflavone intakes associated with reduced risk of oesophageal cancer in north-west China.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the association between soya consumption, isoflavone intakes and oesophageal cancer risk in remote north-west China, where the incidence of oesophageal cancer is known to be high. DESIGN: Case-control study. Information on habitual consumption of soya foods and soya milk was obtained by personal interview. The intakes of isoflavones were then estimated using the US Department of Agriculture nutrient database. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between soya consumption, isoflavone intakes and oesophageal cancer risk. SETTING: Urumqi and Shihezi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. SUBJECTS: Participants were 359 incident oesophageal cancer patients and 380 hospital-based controls. RESULTS: The oesophageal cancer patients consumed significantly less (P < 0·001) total soya foods (mean 57·2 (sd 119·0) g/d) and soya milk (mean 18·8 (sd 51·7) ml/d) than the controls (mean 93·3 (sd 121·5) g/d and mean 35·7 (sd 73·0) ml/d). Logistic regression analyses showed an inverse association between intake of soya products and the risk of oesophageal cancer. The adjusted odds were OR = 0·33 (95 % CI 0·22, 0·49) and OR = 0·48 (95 % CI 0·31, 0·74) for consuming at least 97 g of soya foods and 60 ml of soya milk daily (the highest tertiles of consumption), respectively, relative to the lowest tertiles of consumption. Similarly, inverse associations with apparent dose-response relationships were found between isoflavone intakes and oesophageal cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS: Habitual consumption of soya products appears to be associated with reduced risk of oesophageal cancer in north-west China.

Comparison of the effectiveness of a milk-free soy-maize-sorghum-based ready-to-use therapeutic food to standard ready-to-use therapeutic food with 25% milk in nutrition management of severely acutely malnourished Zambian children: an equivalence non-blinded cluster randomised controlled trial.

Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition using ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) has revolutionised the treatment of severe acute malnutrition (SAM). However, 25% milk content in standard peanut-based RUTF (P-RUTF) makes it too expensive. The effectiveness of milk-free RUTF has not been reported hitherto. This non-blinded, parallel group, cluster randomised, controlled, equivalence trial that compares the effectiveness of a milk-free soy-maize-sorghum-based RUTF (SMS-RUTF) with P-RUTF in treatment of children with SAM, closes the gap. A statistician randomly assigned health centres (HC) either to the SMS-RUTF (n = 12; 824 enrolled) or P-RUTF (n = 12; 1103 enrolled) arms. All SAM children admitted at the participating HCs were enrolled. All the outcomes were measured at individual level. Recovery rate was the primary outcome. The recovery rates for SMS-RUTF and P-RUTF were 53.3% and 60.8% for the intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis and 77.9% and 81.8% for per protocol (PP) analyses, respectively. The corresponding adjusted risk difference (ARD) and 95% confidence interval, were -7.6% (-14.9, 0.6%) and -3.5% (-9,6., 2.7%) for ITT (P = 0.034) and PP analyses (P = 0.257), respectively. An unanticipated interaction (interaction P < 0.001 for ITT analyses and 0.0683 for PP analyses) between the study arm and age group was observed. The ARDs were -10.0 (-17.7 to -2.3)% for ITT (P = 0.013) and -4.7 (-10.0 to 0.7) for PP (P = 0.083) analyses for the <24 months age group and 2.1 (-10.3,14.6)% for ITT (P = 0.726) and -0.6 (-16.1, 14.5) for PP (P = 0.939) for the ≥24 months age group. In conclusion, the study did not confirm our hypothesis of equivalence between SMS-RUTF and P-RUTF in SAM management.

Short-term clinical of peel-off facial mask moisturizers.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of a peel-off facial mask based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with an oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion and the effect of a soybean extract fermented by Bifidobacterium animale incorporated in those formulations (5% w/w). METHODS: The formulations were submitted to randomized clinical studies in volunteers to evaluate the measurement effects as (a) tensor by Cutometer® , (b) moisturizing by Corneometer® and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) by Tewameter® . These effects were determined in a short-term study (3 h) in a controlled-temperature room. RESULTS: The tensor effect and TEWL values indicated no significant difference between the use of facial mask and emulsion. On the other hand, the moisturizing effect of the facial mask on the stratum corneum was more significant than that of the emulsion according to Corneometer® measurements. Biometric cutaneous evaluation of peel-off facial masks (short-term study) showed that the masks promoted moisturizing effect of the stratum corneum more effectively than the oil-in-water emulsions. Thus, the facial masks were more efficient than emulsions in relation to moisturizing effects, but this efficiency is not related to the presence of fermented soybean extract. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that peel-off facial masks increase skin hydration in a process related to the occlusive effect.

Lactobacillus casei Shirota enhances the preventive efficacy of soymilk in chemically induced breast cancer.

Soy foods are known to be effective for breast cancer prevention. The habitual consumption of soy isoflavones in combination with the probiotic Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS) was shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer occurrence in our previous population-based case-controlled study among Japanese women. The present study aimed to elucidate the cooperative prevention mechanism of soymilk and LcS using an animal carcinogenic model. Female Sprague-Dawley rats received a high-fat, AIN-76A diet containing soymilk, LcS, both soymilk and LcS, or none and were orally exposed to 2-amino-1-methyl-6-penylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine at a dose of 85 mg/kg bodyweight eight times for 2 weeks. The development of palpable mammary tumors was monitored for 17 weeks. Tumor tissues were immunohistochemically examined for estrogen receptor (ER)-α, Ki-67 and CD34. Compared with the control group, the incidence and multiplicity of mammary tumors were reduced by soymilk alone and soymilk in combination with LcS, while tumor volume was decreased by LcS alone and LcS in combination with soymilk. An immunohistochemical analysis revealed that soymilk in combination with LcS more effectively reduced the numbers of ER-α-positive and Ki-67-positive cells in tumors than soymilk alone and that both soymilk and LcS inhibited tumor angiogenesis. These results demonstrated that soymilk prevents the development of mammary tumors and that LcS suppresses tumor growth, potentially enhancing the preventive efficacy of soymilk. The habitual consumption of LcS in combination with soymilk might be a beneficial dietary style for breast cancer prevention.

Soy milk suppresses cholesterol-induced inflammatory gene expression and improves the fatty acid profile in the skin of SD rats.

Recently, an elevation in skin cholesterol level has been implicated in skin inflammation. Given the potential therapeutic effects of soy on low grade inflammatory diseases, we hypothesized that a CHOL diet could promote an inflammatory response in skin and that soy milk (SM) or fermented soy milk (F.SM) could prevent this cholesterol-induced skin inflammation. To test this hypothesis, freeze-dried SM or F.SM was provided as a protein replacement for 20% of the casein in the diets of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The animals were divided into the following groups: (1) control group (CTRL), AIN76A diet without cholesterol, (2) high cholesterol (CHOL) group, AIN76A with 1% (w/w) cholesterol, (3) SM group, CHOL diet with freeze-dried SM, and (4) F.SM group, CHOL diet with F.SM. In the CHOL group, the expression levels of pro-inflammatory genes, including IL-1ß, IL-1α, iNOS, and COX-2, were elevated. In comparison, the SM and F.SM groups displayed the lowered expression of IL-1ß, COX-2, F4/80, and Cd68, an increase of a n-3/n-6 ratio, and a reduction in the estimated desaturase activities of delta 5 desaturase (D5D) and steaoryl CoA desaturase (SCD-1). In particular, F.SM significantly increased the proportion of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) in skin fatty acid (FA) composition compared with the CHOL group. Here we present evidence that SM or F.SM could alleviate the inflammatory response in the skin that is triggered by excess dietary cholesterol by reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory genes. This response could be partly associated with a decreased in macrophages in skin and/or by modulation of the skin's FA composition.

Soy milk consumption and blood pressure among type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of soy milk consumption cardiovascular risk and biomarkers of renal function in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy. METHODS: This randomized, crossover, controlled clinical trial was conducted in 29 type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy. Participants were randomly assigned to consume a diet containing soy milk, or a diet containing cow's milk, each for 4 weeks. There was a 2-week washout between the two intervention periods. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements were performed according to standard protocols. RESULTS: The mean age and body mass index of patients were 51 ± 10 years and 28 ± 4 kg/m(2), respectively. Consumption of soy milk resulted in a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure compared with consumption of cow's milk (percent change: -4.50 vs. 5.89%; P = .03). Serum triglyceride levels decreased significantly after soy milk consumption (percent change: -15.22 vs. 2.37%; P = .02). After adjustment for carbohydrate intake, the effect of soy milk on triglyceride level was not significant. There were no significant differences between soy milk and cow's milk consumption in terms of their effect on cardiovascular risks and markers of kidney function. CONCLUSIONS: Soy milk consumption was associated with better blood pressure control among diabetic patients with nephropathy.

First-pass uptake and oxidation of glucose by the splanchnic tissue in young goats fed soy protein-based milk diets with or without amino acid supplementation: glucose metabolism in goat kids after soy feeding.

The study was designed to examine whether feeding soy protein isolate as partial replacement of casein (CN) affects glucose metabolism in young goats and whether effects may be ameliorated by supplementation of those AA known to be lower concentrated in soy than in CN. Goat kids (d 20 of age) were fed comparable milk protein diets, in which 50% of the crude protein was either CN (control, CON), soy protein isolate (SPI), or soy protein isolate supplemented with AA (SPIA) for 43 d (n=8 per group). On d 62 of age, a single bolus dose of d-[(13)C6]glucose (10mg/kg of BW) was given with the morning diet, and simultaneously, a single bolus dose of d-[6,6-(2)H2]glucose (5mg/kg of BW) was injected into a jugular vein. Blood samples were collected between -30 and +420 min relative to the tracer administration to measure the (13)C and (2)H enrichments of plasma glucose and the (13)C enrichment of blood CO2. Glucose first-pass uptake by the splanchnic tissues was calculated from the rate of appearance of differentially labeled glucose tracer in plasma. Glucose oxidation was calculated from (13)C enrichment in blood CO2. In addition, plasma concentrations of triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids, glucose, insulin, and glucagon were measured. On d 63 of age, kids were killed and jejunal mucosa and liver samples were collected to measure lactase mRNA levels and lactase and maltase activities in the jejunum and activities of pyruvate carboxylase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) in the liver. Basal plasma glucose concentration tended to be higher in the CON than the SPIA group, whereas basal insulin was higher in the CON group than the SPI and SPIA groups, and glucagon was higher in the CON than the SPIA group. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations increased during the first hour after feeding, whereas plasma glucagon increased immediately after feeding and after 1h of feeding. First-pass uptake and glucose oxidation were not affected by diet. Maltase activities in proximal and mid jejunum and lactase activities in mid jejunum were lower in the CON than in the SPIA group. Activities of PEPCK were higher in the SPIA than in the SPI group. In conclusion, feeding milk diets with soy protein isolate seems to affect glucose status in kids, but has no effect on first-pass uptake and oxidation of glucose. The highest activities of lactase and maltase were observed after supplementation with AA. Higher PEPCK activities in the liver may point at elevated gluconeogenic activities after AA supplementation in soy-fed kids.

[Using of a specialized fermented soy milk product on the basis of soybeans in cardiology practice].

The article is dedicated to the use of a specialized fermented milk product on the basis of soybeans in cardiology practice. 45 patients of both sexes (27 men and 18 women) aged 38 to 69 years (mean age 53.7 +/- 3.1 years) who underwent macrofocal myocardial infarction and abide in the acute period and the period of early rehabilitation have been observed. The data obtained by the comparison of the dynamics of clinical, laboratory and functional parameters in patients, strongly suggests the possibility of increasing the effectiveness of the basic treatment by anti-atherogenic diet with fermented soy drink, enriched with magnesium salts, water-soluble forms of beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol, ascorbic acid and selenium. 30-35 day inclusion of a fermented soy-based product in comprehensive treatment was accompanied by a marked lipid lowering effect, compared with the standard anti-atherogenic diet. Total cholesterol level in patients from the intervention group (n = 21) decreased by 36.3 per cent, thus reaching the standard level, the corresponding figure in the control group (n = 24) decreased by 24.7 per cent (the difference is statistically significant). Total number of rhythm and conduction disorders in patients receiving product was 1.43 per patient, while it reached 1.83 per patient on the basic therapy and a standard diet. The vast majority were beats, no cases of ventricular fibrillation and one case of atrioventricular block took place in patients from the experimental group. Paroxysmal and atrial fibrillation in the control group of patients were recorded 2 fold more often than in the main group. In addition, three cases of ventricular fibrillation were reported in patients from the control group. Early usage of soy drink 3 fold reduced the incidence of complications in the 10-14 day from the moment of macrofocal myocardial infarction. The frequency of angina attacks per week per patient more significantly reduced under nutritional support, compared with patients receiving standard therapy and diet. The decrease of mean number of nitroglycerin tablets taken per week for one person from the experimental group was equal to 9.0 fold, and in the control group--2.43, this demonstrates a significant strengthening of the effectiveness of basic therapy with early administration of soy product. The recovery of ischemic changes in the electrocardiogram in patients receiving soy product was significantly decreased compared with those receiving standard therapy and anti-atherogenic diet, the degree of reduction in the intervention group was 43.3%, while in the control group--27.5%. These data indicate that the use of soy product in a comprehensive early rehabilitation therapy of patients with macrofocal myocardial infarction significantly reduces the risk of arrhythmias and conduction.

The effect of soy protein beverages on serum cell adhesion molecule concentrations in prehypertensive/stage 1 hypertensive individuals.

OBJECTIVE: Prehypertensive and hypertensive individuals are at increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), in part because hypertension contributes to endothelial dysfunction and increased cell adhesion molecule expression. Soy protein and isoflavones may favorably alter CVD risk factors, and hence the aim of this study was to determine whether intake of cow's milk compared with soy beverage prepared from whole soy bean (WSB) or soy protein isolate (SPI) would lower soluble cell adhesion molecule concentrations as a means of decreasing CVD risk. METHODS: We enrolled healthy prehypertensive/stage 1 hypertensive men (n = 60; 18-63 years) and premenopausal women (n = 8; 20-48 years). Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 groups for 8 weeks: cow's milk (600 mL/d), SPI beverage (840 mL/d; 30.1 mg total isoflavones/d), or WSB beverage (840 mL/d; 91.4 mg total isoflavones/d). We measured soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule-1 (E-selectin) concentrations at baseline and week 8. RESULTS: Soluble CAM concentrations were not altered by treatment and did not differ between prehypertensive and hypertensive participants. However, analysis of variance indicated a treatment × gender interaction (gender effect) for ICAM-1 (p = 0.0037) but not for E-selectin (p = 0.067) or VCAM-1 (p = 0.16). Men had higher concentrations of ICAM-1 and E-selectin, respectively, at baseline (p = 0.0071, p = 0.049) and week 8 (p = 0.0054, p = 0.038) than women did. CONCLUSION: Neither intake of cow's milk nor soy beverage for 8 weeks altered soluble CAM concentrations in prehypertensive/stage 1 hypertensive individuals, suggesting that neither type of beverage diminished atherosclerotic CVD risk in mildly hypertensive individuals by way of improving circulating CAM concentrations.

Early-life soy exposure and age at menarche.

This study examines the timing of menarche in relation to infant-feeding methods, specifically addressing the potential effects of soy isoflavone exposure through soy-based infant feeding. Subjects were participants in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Mothers were enrolled during pregnancy and their children have been followed prospectively. Early-life feeding regimes, categorised as primarily breast, early formula, early soy and late soy, were defined using infant-feeding questionnaires administered during infancy. For this analysis, age at menarche was assessed using questionnaires administered approximately annually between ages 8 and 14.5. Eligible subjects were limited to term, singleton, White females. We used Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox proportional hazards models to assess age at menarche and risk of menarche over the study period. The present analysis included 2920 girls. Approximately 2% of mothers reported that soy products were introduced into the infant diet at or before 4 months of age (early soy). The median age at menarche [interquartile range (IQR)] in the study sample was 153 months [144-163], approximately 12.8 years. The median age at menarche among early soy-fed girls was 149 months (12.4 years) [IQR, 140-159]. Compared with girls fed non-soy-based infant formula or milk (early formula), early soy-fed girls were at 25% higher risk of menarche throughout the course of follow-up (hazard ratio 1.25 [95% confidence interval 0.92, 1.71]). Our results also suggest that girls fed soy products in early infancy may have an increased risk of menarche specifically in early adolescence. These findings may be the observable manifestation of mild endocrine-disrupting effects of soy isoflavone exposure. However, our study is limited by few soy-exposed subjects and is not designed to assess biological mechanisms. Because soy formula use is common in some populations, this subtle association with menarche warrants more in-depth evaluation in future studies.