There is ample evidence that soy protein products have a positive influence on health. A number of studies suggest that animal protein, usually casein, is more cholesterolemic and atherogenic than vegetable protein, especially soy protein. Soy protein products can be an excellent source of dietary fiber. Since dietary fiber seems to play a role in controlling blood cholesterol, and may have an effect in preventing colon cancer and improving glucose tolerance, studies with diets containing soy flour, soy concentrate or soy fiber merit special attention. Calorie Control Obesity is a genuine health concern in the minds of an informed populace.
Animal fat is the most widely recognized atherogenic factor in the diet.
Until recent years, there have been few experimental and clinical studies on proteins from vegetable sources. This is due possibly to the higher interest in the 'dietary lipids' theory of atherosclerosis, and to the difficulties in selectively analyzing the role of dietary proteins, excluding such factors as fat and carbohydrates. Lately, however, substitution of animal proteins with soy proteins in the diets of some animals and humans has been studied with interest, primarily for its effect on blood lipids. It has been demonstrated that diets based on beef or casein are more atherogenic than those based on vegetable proteins. Beneficial effects on individual lipoprotein classes were demonstrated following feeding with the soy protein diet.