Cholesterol Effects of Kori-tofu Proteins

There are several types of tofu, an example of a specific type of tofu is called Kori-tofu. Kori-tofu literally means frozen tofu. The production process of Kori-tofu leads to the formation of a higher high molecular weight fraction (HMF) content of the soy proteins. Several studies describe the effects of Kofi-tofu on health. In this study the aim is to investigate the effect of repetitive consumption of Kori-tofu on blood cholesterol levels and other lipid metabolism related measures, in research subjects with mildly elevated levels of cholesterol. The primary objective is to assess the effect of repetitive consumption of Kori-tofu on blood total and LDL cholesterol levels. The secondary objective is to assess the effect of repetitive consumption of Kori-tofu on other markers of lipid metabolism, glucose metabolism and blood pressure. The study is a randomized, cross-over, double-blind, controlled trial in which participants will receive two 4-week interventions (e.g. kori-tofu or control), with a wash-out period of 4 weeks in between. During the intervention periods, subjects will eat 3 slices of bread per day, representing a Kori-tofu dose of 34.5 grams or a matched reference (whey protein, soy oil and maltodextrin/cellulose). Research subjects will visit our research unit before and after each intervention period for a test day. During these test days fasting blood samples will be collected and blood pressure measurements will be performed.