A research group from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, based on the population sample from the "Nutrition and Health Status of the Elderly Population in China" project, conducted a systematic analysis on the association between the intake of soybeans, soy products, and soy protein and metabolic diseases.
The study showed that after controlling for multiple factors such as age, region, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, education level, employment status, health conditions, and dietary information, there was a significant gender difference in the association between soy protein intake and metabolic diseases.
>Experts stated that in postmenopausal women, higher soy protein intake was associated with a lower risk of metabolic diseases. In men, higher soy protein intake was linked to a lower risk of abnormal blood pressure, but it might increase the risk of abnormal blood sugar levels.Currently, researchers are unclear about the biological mechanism behind this difference. Experts suggest that this may be related to the dual effects of isoflavones in soybeans, which have both estrogen-like and anti-estrogen properties.
Previous studies have confirmed that the effects of soy isoflavones largely depend on the sex hormone levels of different ages, genders, and populations. Research in Asian populations has found that soy protein has different effects on urinary glucose levels in pre- and post-menopausal women, as well as on blood pressure in both men and women. Some animal experiments have also confirmed that soy protein has different effects on animals of different sexes.
This research by Chinese scientists further suggests that the effect of soy protein intake on metabolic diseases may vary by gender. Therefore, further research is needed on the health effects of soy protein on people of different genders and age groups.