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Positive Benefits of Consuming Soy‐Derived Isoflavones on Body Weight Gain and Cardiovascular Health Examined in an Ovariectomized Rat Model
Author(s) -
Fabick Kim,
Blake Crystal,
Porter James,
Setchell Kenneth,
Lephart Edwin
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a694
Subject(s) - daidzein , ovariectomized rat , genistein , isoflavones , medicine , equol , blood pressure , weight gain , endocrinology , body weight , heart rate , zoology , biology , estrogen
The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of dietary (soy‐derived) isoflavones on body weight, blood pressure, and heart rate. Female, ovariectomized, 90‐day‐old Long‐Evans rats were tested over a ten day period. Eighteen rats were divided into two groups by diet: phyto‐free = 10 ppm of isoflavones and phyto‐600 = 600 ppm of isoflavones. The rats were weighed before and after the diet treatments. Three rats from each diet treatment group had transponders placed in their descending aorta to monitor mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and heart rate. During the experiment the rats were monitored two separate times (before and after treatment) for cardiovascular data collection over a twenty four hour period. During the treatment period the phyto‐600 rats gained less weight than the phyto‐free rats (2.5 vs. 26.7 grams, respectively). The phyto‐600 rats displayed an overall lower MAP compared to the phyto‐free rats. There was no significant difference in heart rate between the two diet groups. Serum daidzein, genistein and equol levels were higher in the phyto‐600 vs. phyto‐free fed rats. These data suggest that consuming a phyto‐600 diet has a significant beneficial effect on body weight gain and cardiovascular health. This implies that consuming a soy‐rich diet may have similar beneficial effects in postmenopausal women as tested by this animal model. (Grant Support: USDA 2004‐01811).