Composition containing isoflavone material and plant sterol for reducing LDL-cholesterol

Abstract

A composition is provided comprising a plant sterol and a soy protein material and/or and isoflavone selected from genistein, daidzein, glycitein, biochanin A, formononetin, and their naturally occurring glycosides, where the plant sterol comprises at least 0.49% of the composition, by weight. The present invention is also a method for decreasing the blood concentration of total and LDL cholesterol in a human in which the plant sterol and a soy protein material and/or an isoflavone are co-administered to the human, where the plant sterol comprises at least 0.49%, by weight, of the combined weight of the plant sterol and the soy protein material and/or the isoflavone. Also provided is a method for preventing or minimizing the development of atherosclerosis in a human in which a plant sterol and a soy protein material and/or an isoflavone are co-administered to the human, where the plant sterol comprises at least 0.49%, by weight, of the combined weight of the plant sterol and the soy protein material and/or the isoflavone. A preferred composition contains an isoflavone material free of soy bean protein and at least 0.49% by weight of plant sterol. The isoflavone can be genistein, daidzein, glycitein, biochanin A, formononetin, and their naturally occurring glycosides and glycoside conjugates. The plant sterol can be B-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, sitostanol, or campestanol.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.