I am a big proponent of regularly consuming whole soy foods as part of a balanced diet, and this excellent source of “green” protein just got a huge boost on the heart-health front. In a prestigious NIH-funded study of cardiovascular health involving over 5,000 young adults, those who had the highest daily isoflavone intake (isoflavones are beneficial compounds in soy foods) had significantly lower systolic blood pressure vs. those who consumed the least amounts. And it didn’t take much whole soy food at all to land in the high isoflavone-consuming group. The high consumers averaged greater than 2.5 mg per day vs. .33 mg in the lower-consuming group. For perspective, a generous handful of roasted soy nuts provides 130 mg of isoflavones and an 8 ounce glass of soy milk provides around 22 mg.

For an additional incentive to include whole soy foods in your diet regularly, watch this video. (American College of Cardiology’s 61st Annual Scientific Session, March 2012)