Sugar-free, high-fiber soymilk has been shown to help weight loss, a specialist in medicine targeting obesity said yesterday.
A three-week-long experiment on 60 participants with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25, and who were aged between 35 and 45, was conducted by obesity medicine specialist Hsiao Tun-jen (蕭敦仁).
The participants were divided into an experimental group, who consumed 450ml of sugar-free, high-fiber soymilk 30 minutes before lunch and dinner daily for 12 weeks, and a control group who did not drink the soymilk.
Both groups attended a 30-minute lecture on nutrition and a one-hour exercise session every week during the trial.
“The experiment found that the experimental group had an average decrease of 5.7 percent in body fat percentage, compared with a 4 percent decrease shown by the control group,” Hsiao said, adding that what was also noteworthy was a decrease in blood sugar, blood pressure and blood lipid levels shown among the experimental group.
“And their LDL [low-density lipoprotein] cholesterol level also decreased by 15 percent,” Hsiao said.
Hsiao acknowledged that the difference in the reduction of body fat percentage between the two groups was not statistically significant “due to the shortness of the study” and said the results need further study.
However, Hsiao said the results of the study were encouraging.
Nutritionist Lee Tzu-Yi (李姿儀) said having sugar-free, high-fiber soymilk before meals can extend the timespan of a feeling of being full and stimulate the movement of the colon, but also stressed the importance of people adjusting their habits, such as taking regular exercise and eating a balanced diet to maintain a healthy weight.
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