The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has, for the first time, moved to revoke a past ruling that allowed food manufacturers to claim that eating foods with soy protein helps to reduce the risk of heart disease. The FDA action follows a review of study data on the association between soy protein and the risk of heart disease. The agency concluded that current evidence “calls into question” the association between consuming soy protein and being less at risk of heart disease.
Products containing soy protein include tofu, soymilk, soy butter, and soy nuts. Many soy foods are high in polyunsaturated fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. FDA estimates that 200 to 300 products use the soy-heart health claim.
The FDA statement recommended that consumers “continue to follow advice from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, which state that a healthy eating pattern can include soy beverages and a variety of protein foods, including soy products.”