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Supplement

Introduction¹

Mark Messina^*2 and John W. Erdman, Jr.

^* Nutrition Matters, Inc., Port Townsend, WA and Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL

²To whom correspondence should be addressed.

	INTRODUCTION

TOP INTRODUCTION

 
Interest in the health effects of soy foods and soybean constituents continues to increase as shown by both the amount of research conducted and the array of subject areas under investigation. Nearly 600 delegates attended the Third International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Treating and Preventing Chronic Disease, which was held October 31–November 3, 1999, in Washington, DC. This attendance figure represents a twofold increase over the first symposium in 1994. In total, there were 48 oral presentations and ~100 poster presentations, which is triple the number of the first symposium. Oral and poster presentations addressed topics covered at the two previous symposia but also new topics, such as hypertension, cognitive function, and colon cancer. Nearly all of the research presented involved either soy protein or isoflavones. Most speakers presented original research, which is contained in the abstracts that follow; however, six speakers gave overview presentations that provided short reviews of their subject area.

It is clear from the results presented and the discussions that took place during the symposium that with few exceptions, considerably more research is required before a good understanding of the health effects of soy can be realized. Perhaps the key point raised during this meeting was that most of the human studies conducted to date have been grossly underpowered. Consequently, some potentially clinically relevant physiologic effects may have been missed, and there is some lack of confidence about the validity of some of the effects that have been observed.

The symposium began just five days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration formally approved a health claim for the cholesterol-lowering effect of soy protein. Several speakers presented findings on the hypocholesterolemic effects of soy protein. However, questions remain about the component or components of soy responsible for this effect; four speakers participated in a panel discussion on this issue, and each presented arguments in support of various components of soy. Clearly, more research is required to resolve this important matter.

Many participants at this meeting expressed some concern about the enthusiasm with which the food and supplement industries have promoted the hypothesized health benefits of soy foods. In addition, although most delegates considered soy foods to be absolutely safe, not all were in agreement on this point. Some expressed the opinion that for certain subsets of the population, such as infants and young children or women with estrogen receptor–positive tumors, soy foods could exert adverse effects. However, most concern was about soy (isoflavone) supplements, primarily because of the potential for excessive intake.

As occurs at all worthwhile scientific meetings, more questions were raised than answered. It appears, however, that with the number of investigators now actively involved in this field and with the enthusiasm that exists for the role that soy might play in reducing chronic disease risk, the next several years should go a long way toward providing critical insight into efficacy as well as safety.

The image of soy foods has come a long way since the early 1970s, when most Americans were either unfamiliar with these foods or believed them to be unappealing products consumed only by vegetarians. Surveys now suggest that Americans perceive soy as healthful and display a willingness to incorporate soy products into their diet. This is becoming easier as large, mainstream food and pharmaceutical companies enter the soy market. Thus, the scientific findings that will come from future research will have important public health implications.

Finally, this field owes a great deal to a select group of individuals who began working in this area through various endeavors more than 20 years ago. These pioneers were recognized for their outstanding contributions to increasing understanding and awareness of the health effects of soy foods and soybean constituents. Awards were presented to Herman Adlercreutz, University of Helsinki; Chai-Won Chung, Dr. Chung’s Food Company (Korea); Cesare R. Sirtori, University of Milan; David Kritchevsky, Wistar Institute (Philadelphia); Doyle Waggle, Protein Technologies International (St. Louis) and Kenneth D. R. Setchell, Children’s Hospital (Cincinnati). The session on coronary heart disease was held in honor of the late Kenneth K. Carroll for his work on the cholesterol-lowering effects of soy protein.

	FOOTNOTES

 
¹ Presented at the Third International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease, held in Washington, D.C., October 31–November 3, 1999. The symposium was sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland Co., Cargill Inc.-Protein Products, Central Soya, Co., Dr. Chung’s Food Company, Monsanto, Personal Care Products Company, Protein Technologies International, SoGood Int., Solbar Plant Extracts, SoyLife/Schouten, Whitehall-Robins Healthcare, the United Soybean Board and the following State Soybean Associations: Illinois Soybean Board, Indiana Soybean Board, Kentucky Soybean Promotion Board, Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Nebraska Soybean Board, Ohio Soybean Council, South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council. Publication of symposium proceedings was supported by educational grants from the United Soybean Board and the Soyfoods Association of North America. Guest Editor for this symposium was Mark Messina, Nutrition Matters, Inc., Port Townsend, WA.

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