What is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) health claim for soy?
A health claim is a very powerful message. In the history of the FDA there have been only 10 approved health claims. A health claim is the association of a food or substance with a direct connection to a disease or a medical condition. In October 2000, the FDA approved the health claim: soy protein in conjunction with a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing serum cholesterol levels. Elevated cholesterol has been linked to atherosclerosois and coronary artery disease. Soy protein in humans has been demonstrated to decrease serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, with no change or increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. LDL is known as the “bad” cholesterol, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and HDL is the “good” cholesterol, which decrease the risk.
