28 February 2023 , 10:41
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More than two in five people in England have high cholesterol, which can significantly increase their risk of developing deadly heart disease and stroke.
High cholesterol is when a person has too much fatty substance called cholesterol in their blood, explains the NHS.
It is often linked to an unhealthy diet, being overweight, not exercising enough, smoking and drinking alcohol.
But health experts have explained how soya products can help slash your levels of cholesterol.
From tofu cubes to breakfast yoghurt, soya and its products have become increasingly popular for their health benefits.
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Heart UK have hailed the food as “perfect” for a “heart-healthy” diet, as it is packed with protein, vitamins and minerals.
One of the reasons why these plant-based foods are beneficial for your cholesterol comes down to their low levels of saturated fat.
Saturated fat is found in butter, lard, sausages, cheese and biscuits, and is associated with raised levels of LDL, or bad, cholesterol.
“Soya products are a good option for replacing foods which are high in saturated fat such as meat, full-fat cream and dairy products, and snacks such as crisps,” states Heart UK.
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Soya products are a good option for replacing foods which are high in saturated fat (Getty Images)The charity recommends consuming around two to three servings of soya foods daily, with 150 grams of soya yoghurt representing one serving.
Research, published in The Journal of Nutrition, found evidence to suggest that soya can lower ‘bad’ cholesterol levels.
The researchers identified that, on average, eating 25 grams of soya protein per day lowered LDL levels by about three to four percent over a six-week period.
The Harvard Medical School described these findings as “a small but still significant amount”.
Another study, published in the journal Antioxidants, found that consuming soy flour rich in the protein B-conglycinin might lower levels even more.
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The scientists highlighted that this soy product cut high cholesterol and other lipid levels by as much as a staggering 70 percent.
They analysed the effects of 19 soybean flour varieties, each of which contained different proportions of two proteins - glycinin and B-conglycinin.
The proportion of glycinin in these varieties ranged from 22 percent to 60 percent while the B-conglycinin ratio ranged from 22 percent to 52 percent.
What’s more, the properties of this soy flour were even more potent than simvastatin - a popular drug used to treat high levels of “bad” cholesterol and fat levels in the blood.
The study authors added: "The digested soybeans' peptides were able to reduce lipid accumulation by 50 percent to 70 percent, and that's very important.
"That was comparable to the statin, which reduced it by 60 percent.”
If soya yoghurt isn't for you, there is a number of other products available, including:
Soya milk
Soya mince
Soya nuts
Edamame beans
Tofu.