A randomized study comparing plant sterol- and soluble fiber-enriched soymilk with plain soymilk in adults with elevated LDL cholesterol.
Supawan Buranapin, Sirakarn Tejavanija, Antika Wongthanee et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial compared plant sterol- and soluble fiber-enriched soymilk with plain soymilk in 242 adults with hypercholesterolemia, untreated or on stable lipid-lowering therapy. Participants consumed two 180-mL servings daily for 8 weeks. At week 8, enriched soymilk produced a greater LDL-C reduction than plain soymilk, with an adjusted between-group treatment effect of 5.5 mg/dL (95% CI 0.6 to 10.4, p = 0.028), favoring enriched soymilk. No significant between-group differences were reported for fasting glucose or the other listed lipid measures.
Key findings
- At week 8, the adjusted between-group LDL-C treatment effect was 5.5 mg/dL (95% CI 0.6 to 10.4, p = 0.028), favoring enriched soymilk.
- No significant between-group differences were found in fasting plasma glucose, HDL-C, triglycerides, or total cholesterol/HDL-C ratio.
- Fiber intake increased significantly more in the enriched-soymilk group.
Why it matters
The trial suggests that adding plant sterols and soluble fiber to soymilk can provide a modest additional LDL-C reduction compared with plain soymilk over 8 weeks. This is relevant because LDL-C lowering is an established strategy for reducing coronary heart disease risk, although the study does not establish longer-term effects or cardiovascular outcomes.
What to keep in mind
Follow-up was limited to 8 weeks, and the reported outcome was LDL-C rather than cardiovascular events. Secondary and subgroup findings were exploratory and warrant cautious interpretation.