Effects of soybean/brown rice consumption on body fat and blood lipids in overweight postmenopausal women

Abstract

A menopause-induced estrogen deficiency might increase body-fat accumulation, insulin resistance, and abnormal blood sugar and lipids. Thus, postmenopausal women have a high risk of cardiovascular diseases. Some studies indicated that soy can improve the syndrome of menopause, and whole-grain foods can reduce blood cholesterol concentrations. In the present study, under a 1200-kcal diet, overweight postmenopausal women ingested soybean/brown rice (SBR) as their grains for lunch for 12 weeks, and the effects on the anthropometric profile, body composition, blood profile, and plasma isoflavone levels were assessed. After 12 week of SBR intake, dietary fiber intake (21.5 ± 6.7 g) was higher than that of the control group. Body weight (BW), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and the waist-hip ratio (WHR) had decreased in both groups. The body-fat percentage and android-fat percentage had also decreased in both groups. Blood glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) did not change during the intervention period. In the SBR and control groups, serum triglycerides (TGs) decreased, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) rose. In contrast, serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) had decreased in the SBR group at 12 weeks compared with week 0. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) significantly decreased in the SBR group. Changes in dietary fiber and soy protein intake were significantly negatively correlated with the body-fat percentage and gynoid-fat percentage changes. In conclusion, under energy restriction, SBR intake can reduce serum TC, LDL-C, and DBP in overweight postmenopausal women.