Soy may reduce diabetes risk

Eating legumes regularly, particularly soy foods may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and benefit people with existing diabetes who are also at increased risk of other chronic diseases such as heart and kidney disease.

A large study of Chinese women from Shanghai found that among post-menopausal women, a regular intake of tofu and other soy products was strongly protective against type 2 diabetes ³ . Women who consumed the most soy had about a 50 per cent lower risk of having sugar detected in their urine - a powerful predictor of diabetes. The finding that soy foods may guard against type 2 diabetes is consistent with previous reports from a 20-year follow-up survey of Finnish and Dutch populations in the Seven Countries Study, which showed that a high intake of legumes protects against type 2 diabetes ⁴ . In a study of healthy menopausal women from Taiwan, researchers found that a supplement of soy isoflavones taken daily for six months was equally effective as oestrogen replacement therapy in lowering fasting blood glucose and insulin levels ⁵ , meaning it improved glucose tolerance reducing the risk of diabetes in these women.