Jo's Cafe

This is very interesting – BUT … soy is not good for people with thyroid conditions. Remember, all things in moderation.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Soy yogurt, especially with fruit in it, may help control both type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

Although people with diabetes are usually discouraged from eating sweet snacks, soy yogurt and some dairy yogurts rich in fruit seem to help regulate enzymes that affect blood sugar levels, the researchers report in the Journal of Food Biochemistry.

“What one eats should be part of an overall approach to therapy,” said Kalidas Shetty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

Shetty was interested in studying certain plant compounds that affect enzymes targeted by diabetes drugs, notably alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase.

He also wanted to check on foods’ effects on angiotensin converting enzyme or ACE inhibitors, medicines used to fight high blood pressure.

Shetty and his team went to a local supermarket and bought peach, strawberry, blueberry and plain yogurt made by four different producers, including a soy brand.

Tests in their lab showed that soy blueberry yogurt strongly affected all three of the enzymes. Peach and strawberry yogurt also affected alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase.

The researchers tested the yogurt varieties for antioxidants and plant compounds called phenols. Phenols and polyphenols give red wine and tea some of their heart-healthy benefits.

Plain soy yogurt was the most potent, with blueberry dairy yogurt scoring second on phenol and antioxidant content, the researchers said. Source

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