Influence of daily consumption of synbiotic soy-based product supplemented with okara soybean by-product on risk factors for cardiovascular diseases

- The effect of a soy product with okara on cardiovascular risk factors was evaluated.
- Decreased LDL-C levels were observed in subjects who consumed synbiotic soy products.
- The synbiotic soy product did not affect other cardiovascular risk markers assessed.
- Limited lipid-lowering effects in normocholesterolemic men
- The synbiotic product might be a potential alternative for prevention of CVD.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a synbiotic fermented soy product supplemented with okara (a by-product from soybean) on cardiovascular disease risk markers in healthy men. In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial, thirty-six normocholesterolemic men were assigned to two groups. Subjects consumed daily 100 g of soy-based product fermented with Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12, and Streptococcus thermophilus (starter culture) (synbiotic group - S) (n = 18) or 100 g of unfermented soy-based product (placebo group - P) (n = 18) for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples and anthropometric measurements were collected at the baseline (T0), the end of week 4 (T4), and the end of week 8 (T8). Serum lipids, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, and electronegative LDL were also analysed on T0, T4, and T8. During the period of daily soy-based product consumption (from T0 to T8) the LDL-C mean decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in group S, resulting in a significant (p < 0.05) improvement of the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Comparing mean differences (T8-T0) between the two groups, the trend of LDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio reductions was higher in group S (14.1 mg/dL and 0.38 mg/dL, respectively) than group P (4.9 mg/dL and 0.17 mg/dL, respectively) (p > 0.05). Our results suggest limited lipid-lowering effects of synbiotic soy-based product supplemented with okara on cardiovascular risk markers in normocholesterolemic men.