SNI Global

The Soy Nutrition Institute provides information, research, and discussion about the benefits of soy to your health.

Soy health
and nutrition Research

Soy health and nutrition research

Hundreds of peer-reviewed studies focused on the safety and health benefits of soy foods and soybean components have been published over the past three decades. Through the Soy Health and Nutrition Research Program, funded by the United Soybean Board, the Soy Nutrition Institute Global has supported research on priority health outcomes. Current and recent SNI Global research initiatives are noted below.

Recent Research

Published in Peer-Reviewed Journals

Dietary Soybean vs. Palm Oils Differ in Effects on Liver Fat in Adults With MAFLD: A 16-Week, Double-Masked, Randomized Controlled Trial

September 2026Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism

The Pharmacological Window Hypothesis: How Emerging Obesity Medications May Realize Decades of Plant-Forward Dietary Recommendations

July 2026Advances in Nutrition

Soy Intake During Childhood and/or Adolescence and Adult Breast Cancer: An Examination of the Early Soy Intake Hypothesis

June 2026Nutrients

Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and adiposity in the UK Biobank Cohort: a cross-sectional and longitudinal prospective analysis

May 2026British Journal of Nutrition

Concerns about the health effects of industrially produced seed oils are without scientific foundation: a scoping narrative review of the clinical and observational evidence

April 2026Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

Plasma n6 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and risk for dementia: a prospective observational study from the United Kingdom Biobank

April 2026The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Dietary guidance on plant-based meat alternatives for individuals wanting to increase plant protein intake

August 2025Frontiers in Nutrition

Red Blood Cell Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Biomarkers of Inflammation in the Framingham Offspring Study

June 2025Nutrients

Perspective: Isoflavones – intriguing molecules but much remains to be learned about these soybean constituents

May 2025Advances in Nutrition

A Review of the Clinical and Epidemiologic Evidence Relevant to the Impact of Postdiagnosis Isoflavone Intake on Breast Cancer Outcomes

March 2025Current Nutrition Reports

Health Implications of Linoleic Acid and Seed Oil Intake

March 2025Nutrition Today

Nova fails to appreciate the value of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives in the diet

February 2025Journal of Food Science

Effect of Soy Isoflavones on Measures of Estrogenicity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

January 2025Advances in Nutrition

Perspective on the health effects of unsaturated fatty acids and commonly consumed plant oils high in unsaturated fat

October 2024British Journal of Nutrition

A systematic review and meta‑analysis of randomized trials of substituting soymilk for cow’s milk and intermediate cardiometabolic outcomes: understanding the impact of dairy alternatives in the transition to plant‑based diets on cardiometabolic health

August 2024BMC Medicine

Health and functional advantages of cheese containing soy protein and soybean-derived casein

July 2024Frontiers in Nutrition

Perspective: Observational studies involving low soy intake populations have limited ability for providing insight into the health effects of soybean isoflavones

April 2024Advances in Nutrition

Options for substantiating protein content claims for conventional foods

March 2024Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism

Soy Protein Containing Isoflavones Improves Facial Signs of Photoaging and Skin Hydration in Postmenopausal Women: Results of a Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial

October 2023Nutrients

Plant-based meat alternatives can help facilitate and maintain a lower animal to plant protein intake ratio

May 2023Advances in Nutrition

Neither soyfoods nor isoflavones affects male reproductive hormones: An expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies

August 2022Reproductive Toxicology

The health effects of soy: A reference guide for health professionals

August 2022Frontiers in Nutrition

Perspective: Soybeans Can Help Address the Caloric and Protein Needs of a Growing Global Population

May 2022Frontiers in Nutrition

Perspective: Soy-Based Meat and Dairy Alternatives, Despite Classification as Ultra-Processed Foods, Deliver High-Quality Nutrition on Par With Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Animal-Based Counterparts

May 2022Advances in Nutrition

Soybean oil lowers circulating cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease risk, and has no effect on markers of inflammation and oxidation

September 2021Nutrition

Neither soyfoods nor isoflavones warrant classification as endocrine disruptors: a technical review of the observational clinical data

March 2021Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

Recent surveys on food allergy prevalence

January 2020Nutrition Today

Cumulative meta-analysis of the soy effect over time

July 2019Journal of the American Heart Association

A meta-analysis of 46 studies identified by the FDA demonstrates that soy protein decreases circulating LDL and total cholesterol concentrations in adults

June 2019The Journal of Nutrition

No difference between the effects of supplementing with soy protein versus animal protein on gains in muscle mass and strength in response to resistance exercise

November 2018International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism

Soy isoflavone consumption and age at pubarche in adolescent males

September 2018European Journal of Nutrition

Research projects in progress

Additional Resources

November 2, 2026

New study explores how soybean oil may impact liver inflammation in adults with metabolic-dysfunction associated fatty liver disease

Cardioprotective effects of dietary sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids have been recognized for several decades.1,2  Emerging evidence from clinical studies show that vegetable oils, including soybean oil, are also associated with a reduced risk of co-morbid conditions of cardiovascular diseases (e.g., metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, vascular-associated dementia conditions, central obesity, and metabolic-dysfunction associated fatty […]

October 29, 2026

New Review Suggests Linoleic Acid-Rich Oils Beneficially Affect Liver, Muscle, Skin, and Brain Health

Emerging research suggests linoleic acid may offer benefits beyond reducing circulating LDL-cholesterol levels and potentially decreasing cardiovascular disease risk. ST. LOUIS (October 29, 2026): A new comprehensive review in Current Nutrition Reports explores the impact linoleic acid may have on a range of health outcomes including cognition, muscle mass and strength, liver function, and skin […]

July 21, 2026

New Perspective Suggests Emerging Obesity Medications May Unlock Plant-Forward Eating

ST. LOUIS (July 21, 2026): As use of emerging obesity medications (EOMs) continues to rise, a new perspective published in Advances in Nutrition suggests these medications may create an unprecedented opportunity to help patients adopt healthier, more plant-forward dietary patterns. EOMs such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists quiet “food noise”—the persistent, intrusive thoughts about […]