Should You Sip Soymilk to Improve Your Skin Health?
Ankeny, Iowa, January 9, 2018— A new clinical study from Japan draws attention to one of the lesser-known potential health effects of consuming soyfoods: the benefits of soy for skin health. Results of this study are consistent with previously published research. For this latest study, postmenopausal women consumed one cup of soymilk a day for eight weeks. The women filled out facial skin questionnaires three times—at the beginning of the study, eight weeks after consuming the soymilk, and four weeks after they were no longer consuming soy—answering questions about the condition of their facial skin. Questions covered dryness, elasticity, moisture, coarseness, pigmentation, and overall satisfaction.
At the beginning and end of the study, samples were also taken of skin underneath the forearm from each study participant. After eight weeks of drinking soymilk, the results showed that for all six questions, the condition of the skin significantly improved. Furthermore, the skin samples taken from underneath the forearm also were consistent with the improvements reported by the women themselves. With possible skin scores ranging from a low of 2 to a high of 10, at the beginning of the study, the skin score was approximately 4, whereas at the study’s conclusion, it was approximately 8. After four weeks of abstaining from soymilk, questionnaires indicated that most of the benefits were lost. That is, the condition of the skin approached the condition at the beginning of the study.
An important strength of this study is that the changes in skin health were determined both subjectively (questionnaires) and objectively (skin biopsies). Also noteworthy is that just one serving of soy per day led to such pronounced benefits.
In addition to offering potential benefits for skin health, eating soyfoods may also reduce the risk of developing heart disease and some forms of cancer, including breast cancer. One serving of soy offers approximately 7 to 15 grams of high-quality protein but not the large amount of saturated fat that typically comes with animal sources of protein.
For more research about the health benefits of soyfoods and recipe ideas for incorporating more soyfoods into your diet, visit the Soyfoods Council website at www.thesoyfoodscouncil.com. You’ll also find nutrition information and cooking tips.
#
About the Soyfoods Council: The Soyfoods Council is a non-profit organization, created and funded by Iowa soybean farmers, providing a complete resource to increase awareness of soyfoods, educate and inform media, healthcare professionals, consumers and the retail and foodservice market about the many benefits of soyfoods. Iowa is the country’s number one grower of soybeans and is the Soyfoods Capital of the world.
About the Role of Soyfoods in a Healthful Diet: Soyfoods have played an important role in Asian cuisines for centuries. In recent years they have become popular in Western countries because of their nutrition and health properties. Soyfoods are excellent sources of high-quality protein and provide a healthy mix of polyunsaturated fat. In addition, independent of their nutrient content, there is very intriguing evidence indicating soyfoods reduce risk of several chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and certain forms of cancer. All individuals are well advised to eat a couple of servings of soyfoods every day.