Title of project

The Effect of Soy Protein Supplementation on Kidney Function in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review

Faculty Advisor

Teri Burgess-Champoux

Department

Nutrition and Exercise Sciences

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The Effect of Soy Protein Supplementation on Kidney Function in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review

The consumption of low protein diets (<0.8 g/kg) is used in the treatment of kidney diseases, such as diabetic nephropathy, as high protein intake may stress the kidneys and cause rapid deterioration of function. Studies have shown that soy protein may have less detrimental impacts on kidney function compared to animal protein. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effect of replacing a portion of dietary protein (35-50%) with soy protein on indicators of kidney function in diabetic adults. EBSCO and PubMed searches were conducted using the combined terms soy/soy protein, diabetes, and kidney/renal/nephropathy. Studies were included if they measured indicators of kidney function or risk factors for nephropathy among adults with type 2 diabetes. In examining indicators of kidney function, diets incorporating soy protein were shown to reduce urinary urea nitrogen (4 studies), urinary albumin concentration (1 study), urinary creatinine (1 study), serum creatinine (1 study), and blood sodium (1 study). Proteinuria decreased in 2 studies and increased in 1 study following consumption of the soy diet. In examining risk factors for nephropathy, diets incorporating soy protein were shown to reduce triglycerides (3 studies) and improve cholesterol levels (4 studies) and blood glucose control (2 studies). The use of soy protein as a replacement for animal protein in diabetic adults seems promising, especially regarding risk factors for kidney damage. Further research is needed to more closely examine the effects of soy on the glomerular filtration rate and compare soy protein diets directly with low protein diets.