Relación entre el consumo de isoflavonas de soja y las concentraciones de colesterol: revisión de la evidencia

In the last few years, interest in soy isoflavones as cholesterol-reducing agents has increased enormously. However, to date, no solid recommendations have been made because the conclusions of research are not yet clear. This review aims to clarify the existing evidence on the effect of isoflavones on cholesterol. A search was performed in several electronic databases and all publications analyzing the effect of soy isoflavones on cardiovascular risk were selected, specifically the effect on lipid profile or cholesterol levels in the adult population. Nineteen publications were included in this review. Of these, four conclude that isoflavone intake reduces cholesterol while three show a certain hypocholesterolemic effect, but do not attribute this effect to isoflavones. The remaining articles show no significant effect on lipid profile. In conclusion, the currently available evidence is insufficient to recommend isoflavone intake for cholesterol reduction.