Snack bars with high soy protein and isoflavone content for use in diets to control dyslipidaemia.

The objective was to develop a cereal bar product rich in isoflavones and soy protein to be used in diets for controlling dyslipidaemia. A soy snack bar with 39.88 g/100 g dietary fibre, 34.25 g/100 g protein, 100.39 mg/100 g isoflavones and 245.47 kcal/100 g was produced. The shelf life of the product was tested over a period of 6 months. The hardness, water activity and darkness of the snack bars increased with storage time. Clinical trial was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the soy snack bar on the lipid profiles of 22 dyslipidaemic subjects for a period of 45 days. There was a decrease in levels of triglycerides (TGs) (- 20%) and an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (+8%) comparing with baseline values. Therefore, relatively high intakes of soy protein and isoflavones in moderately hypercholesterolaemic subjects (>200 mg/dl) may have a moderately beneficial effect on plasma lipid profiles, as TG and HDL-c levels, without additional diet restrictions.